Returning to Star Wars Battlefront after a couple of weeks away from the game reveals that, unfortunately, not much has changed. While I was personally more complimentary about the game than most, its main problem at launch was easily determinable and inescapable, with it being hugely unbalanced across the board. The Walker Assault Endor map saw the Rebels securing victory far more than their Imperial opponents, given that only one AT-AT was available on the field and the Uplinks are placed too deep into Rebel territory. This issue remains unaltered, as does the inherent advantage given to Rebels in forested maps given their camouflaged attire, with Stormtroopers being forced to wander around like walking targets thanks to their all-white gear.
However, one issue that continues to plague the game from top to bottom is the continued presence of the DL-44, a tremendously overpowered weapon that is swiftly becoming the only gun that players are carrying.
The DL-44, otherwise known as Han Solo’s heavy blaster pistol that he carries in the movies, deals massive amounts of damage from mid- and close-range, with an incredible damage output that ensures it’s vital in game types outside of Walker Assault, which is more reliant upon long-range battles. Playing a mode such as Blast (Battlefront‘s equivalent of Team Deathmatch) will likely see you killed almost solely by the DL-44, with it able to easily distribute a two-hit kill at a certain range.
Also See: 10 Star Wars Video Games You Should Play After Watching The Force Awakens
The gun has its defenders, of course, who will claim that it is balanced due to its poor long-range capabilities and its tendency to overheat, but the evidence that it is far superior to any other weapon across the vast majority of Battlefront‘s game types is impossible to ignore. Check it out in action below:
The DL-44 is open to players who reach level 25, though it was also a bonus for those who purchased the Deluxe Edition of the game. While it was apparent that the gun was overpowered at launch for those who got their hands on it early, with so many now opting to use it, it’s got to the point where it’s nigh-on impossible to find a player higher who’s reached level 25 who isn’t utilizing it.
DICE issued an update for the game alongside the launch of the Battle of Jakku DLC, with the DL-44 seemingly having been weakened in this patch. However, it still doesn’t seem to have made a major impact on the game, with it still providing two-hit kills more often than not even if its range has been reducing, continuing to make Battlefront a merciless proposition for anyone who hasn’t yet unlocked it.
It’s not known whether DICE is looking to release another patch for the game that will eventually actually fix this issue, but we certainly hope so. Until then we’ll continue to play Battlefront solely using the DL-44, knowingly contributing to the problem because, let’s face it, we don’t really have any other option.
