LucasArts announce Star Wars Battlefront

LucasArts have just released the first details of their latest Star Wars game. Star Wars Battlefront is an online multiplayer action title in the vein of Battlefield 1942 that will be released on PS2, Xbox and PC in the autumn. The game is being developed by Pandemic Studios and we have the first shots of this mouth-watering prospect set in a galaxy that's quite far away, apparently.

The action will take place across 10 planets including Tatooine, Naboo and Hoth, with more than 15 types of environment for you to run around in. Over 20 different soldier types from four factions - Rebel Alliance, Imperial Army, Clone Army and Droid Army - are available and each solider will have special abilities. To add even more spice to the action, ground-based turrets and over 15 ground and air vehicles can be utilised by the player.

Console owners can expect battles that feature 16 players over the net or 32 players connected via LAN, while PC gamers can expect double those figures. Voice chat is also being optimised for all formats.

Conquest mode adds a twist in that, when a planet is conquered, the victorious team is rewarded with a bonus ability that they can carry over into future battles. In addition, there is a single-player mode but, essentially, this is designed as a multiplayer experience. We'll be bringing you loads more on Star Wars Battlefront prior to the game's release later this year.