This might be a reskin of the game, but going back to Hoth, one of the trilogy’s most iconic settings, even in that quasi-Isaac from Dead Space getup has me intrigued. At least intrigued enough to fire up my old copy and toss around some palette-swap Wampas, I mean, Wookiees as practice.

Exclusive Ultimate Sith Gameplay [Gametrailers]

The new Hoth level, which brings one version of the game’s branching plot beyond a new downloadable Tattooine level to an Empire-Strikes-Back-era level with AT-ATs and Luke Skywalker, will only be available in a new version of The Force Unleashed, according to LucasArts.

But on that disc, the Hoth level will be easily accessible.

A LucasArts rep told Kotaku today that the three extra levels that extend beyond the original release of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed — meaning, the already-released Coruscant DLC level plus Tattooine and Hoth — will all be accessible from the new edition’s front menu. That means players who have finished the original release of the game won’t have to worry about transferring their save file or even playing the game all the way through again, in order to reach that level. Of course they’ll still have to get a copy of The Ultimate Sith version. It just sounds like renting or borrowing may be an option for those who merely want to play Hoth and be done.

The new version, Star Wars: The Forced Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition, ships for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this holiday season.

The forthcoming Tattooine level, unlike the Hoth mission, will be downloadable later this year for Microsoft and Sony’s consoles.

Honestly I’m a bit surprised this wasn’t already in the game. I thought the first thing developers did upon starting up a Star Wars project based on the original trilogy was get the Hoth battle out of the way. Odd. Hit the jump for some very white screenshots.

And we do mean very white.
LEGENDARY BATTLE OF ECHO BASE COMES TO LIFE IN NEW STAR WARS GALAXIES CHAPTER

New Hoth Encounter Lets Players Experience One of the Most Memorable Battles in Star Wars History
AUSTIN, Texas — Nov. 20, 2008 — Choose your side and prepare for battle — the epic fight for Hoth is now yours to be waged! Sony Online Entertainment LLC and LucasArts today announced the latest addition to Star Wars Galaxies™, Chapter 11: The Battle of Echo Base, that brings the epic action and excitement from one of the most gripping fights in Star Wars history to fans and players in a way they’ve never experienced before.

This latest chapter in the Star Wars Galaxies saga lets players relive pivotal combat missions on behalf of either the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance. The breathtaking heroic encounter adds vehicular combat, so players in groups of up to eight people can jump into the fray at Echo Base and take the controls of a Rebel snowspeeder or Imperial AT-ST.

The fight for both sides begins on the icy North Field, where the battle between the forces of good and evil are joined, and continues all the way to Evacuation Point, the site of the Alliance’s desperate, harrowing escape from the menacing Imperial ground assault.

About The Battle of Echo Base
After picking up the mission at the Adventurers’ Guildhall in Aurilia, players who have chosen a side in the Galactic Civil War will need to accomplish various objectives. Under the command of General Maximilian Veers, Imperial players must infiltrate Echo Base, taking out at many Rebels along the way as possible. Rebel players, led by General Carlist Rieekan, will need to evacuate Echo Base with as much manpower and material as can reasonably be preserved.

Feature Set:
• Multi-stage battle with exciting objective based-missions for both Imperial and Alliance players.
• Exciting vehicular combat featuring iconic Star Wars vehicles including snowspeeders and AT-STs.
• Massive gameplay area with endless replayability.
• Appearances by major characters of the battle including Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2.