Star Wars Battlefront, Xbox One and PS4 review: 'an authentic experience'

In the distance a towering AT-AT Walker approaches. Mustering up some courage, I make my move - sprinting across Hoth's snow-covered battlefield as legions of my Rebel comrades fall around me.

In the skies, amidst a flurry of green and red lasers, an Imperial TIE fighter tries to dodge an X-Wing missile - only to crash next to me in a flaming ball of mangled metal.

Without doubt, these first five minutes you'll play of Star Wars Battlefront are spectacular, a glorious indication that Swedish developers DICE - behind the brilliant Battlefield games - were the right team for job. But soon, the sheen wears off, revealing an experience that feels slightly stale.

DICE have to be commended for just how much effort they've made to create the most authentic Star Wars experience to date. Whether you're meandering through the harsh, barren canyons of Tatooine, or weaving in and out of trees on Endor, you'll be blown away by the visuals.

This is a true 'next generation game' and doesn't feel parred down or limited by last-generation software. Everything from dust clouds, dynamic lighting and impressive draw distances help bring these worlds alive.

Coupled with just the right amount of motion blur and you'll feel like you're watching a new Star Wars movie rather than playing a video game. It's helped along by some fantastically authentic sound effects that render the rather mediocre score redundant.

Drawing on their experience from Battlefield, DICE have developed an abundance of multiplayer modes - nine in total. These range from 40-strong battles called Supremecy and Walker Assualt, to smaller, fast-paced modes catering for eight players. However, not all of the modes hit the right notes.

While Supremacy, playing very much like the traditional Conquest mode in Battlefield, is a riot, Air Supremacy feels like a missed opportunity. After spending the first five minutes fighting motion sickness, you'll fly around aimlessly trying to pick each other off. It doesn't feel as epic as it should do and comes across as nothing more than a dogfight training school. In contrast, Droid Run - where two teams of six fight to hold on to three GNK Power Droids sounds much less thrilling on paper, but proves to more enjoyable.

Level design is also a bit of a mixed bag. While Tatooine offers intricate caves, canyons and hills to explore and take up firing positions, Endor lacks cover and sniping positions. This results in battles feeling more like a session of 'laser quest' than a strategic game of chess. Coupled, with the inability to lie down (as per Battlefield) and gameplay isn't catered for those who prefer sitting back and sniping. Spawn points are slightly limited too, making you a prime target for spawn campers.

A nice touch is a Gears Of War-style reload mechanic, where you can press a button when your weapon overheats to force a quick 'reload'. Get it wrong, and it'll overheat and slow you down - leaving you vulnerable. It's nothing new, but it helps build tension during some of the game's more frantic firefights.

You're also able to purchase unlocks from new blasters to Jump Packs that let you to boost up to previously unreachable areas. Plus, you can even call in momentum-shifting characters such as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

Vehicles, too, have been given a lot of attention. You'll pilot X-Wings, TIE fighters, AT-ST Walkers... even the Millennium Falcon - they're all here, looking and feeling exactly how they should. During Supremacy missions, you 'unlock' the ability to call in and pilot vehicles, rather than opting to hop in them at the start of a level.