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I've been playing a bit of Star Wars Battlefront on the EA Access trial on Xbox One. My favourite thing so far? The death animations. When you get a kill, the enemy soldier falls over in a shower of sparks with a melodramatic "aaargh!" - just like an overenthusiastic extra taking a tumble in the movies, making the most of their three seconds of fame.It's another very authentic touch in a game that is, overall, an adoring tribute to the original trilogy of films and their battered late-70s, early-80s look. (It even uses the famous Wilhelm scream.) But it's significant in another way, too. It just doesn't feel very violent. There's no popped head, no splash of blood, of course - but there isn't even as much as an impact animation to send them reeling, or a blown-off piece of armour. The blaster fire sort of splashes off them and they crumple to the floor.
DICE's animators exercised some self-control here. It would have been easy for them to add elements the practical stunts and painted SFX of the films couldn't achieve, in order to make the combat more visceral, more physically convincing - even staying within the bounds of what would be acceptable to the licensor, Disney, and its audience of kids.
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