For anyone that pre-ordered Battlefield 1, the er, battlefields of the game are already open. We’ve spent plenty of time with our review copy so far, putting in the hours in multiplayer and journeying through the world and discovering fascinating stories in the campaign. So far, so good.
Before we send the typing monkeys out to write up our review (you can expect that sometime next week), I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the game that’s supposedly going to bury CoD once and for all as well as some things that aren’t quite sticking.
Let’s focus on the good. Here’s why Battlefield 1 might be worth the hype after all.
1. The intro sequence
After all the impassioned, patriotic messages you find in war games, it’s easy to become jaded. Whether it’s because World War shooters have been out of the spotlight for a while or it’s just that damn good, Battlefield 1’s jarring intro is as powerful as anything you’re likely to see in a video game this year.
Similarly to the end of Halo: Reach, death is inevitable. As you transition from soldier to soldier, it quickly becomes obvious that war, just like all the movies tell you, is hell. It’s a disheartening but rousing sequence that asks you to leave the controller where it is for a few minutes after it’s all over. One hell of a first impression.
2. The campaign might be the best Battlefield campaign yet
Excluding the Bad Company efforts, Battlefield games have never been famed for their single-player modes. Try as they might, DICE could never put all the ingredients into a filling meal with it instead coming off as an explosive, loud snack for the main course: the multiplayer.
That’s all changed for Battlefield 1. The stories told are all tightly-written and worthy of the era they’re based on. Unlike previous Battlefields, where the main character was about as likable as you would expect templated jock to be, all of the playable characters are worth caring about. For my money, as short as it may be, The Runner is one of the most emotional single-player sequences of 2016. It proves that not every protagonist has to be a thirtysomething white dude with a name like Zack or Adam and yes, that’s a lazy dig at Call of Duty.
3. The music. Good lord.
I don’t think I have ever heard such a majestic and heartbreaking score for any first-person shooter. Battlefield 1’s score is at times riveting, at others absolutely emotionally manipulative. It’s more than just loud bangs and horns – it could be played at a theater and most people wouldn’t even notice. I would probably pay to hear it played live and I’m probably not alone.
4. Operations
The new, big mode for Battlefield has almost been made for the bloodthirsty who just need a bit more death with their Conquest mode. If you’re going to play Operations, better clear your schedule for an hour as it can turn into a total onslaught.
Like a cross between Rush and Conquest, Operations tasks you with breaking down enemy defences across multiple stages or defending said positions. The attackers get three opportunities to defeat the defences and, although that might sound easy, it’s not an advantage. You will need a lot of grit to come out of Operations on top and it usually leaves me on edge for the entire battle. There’s a decent narrative to be found as well, as unbelievable as that might sound, especially in a multiplayer shooter.
5. Work together or die alone
Battlefield has always been subtly about teamwork, as much as the grandiose and ridiculous YouTube clips of people playing it alone want you to believe otherwise. For every great Battlefield player, there’s an even better squad of teammates behind him.
Going the Rambo route is the quickest way to stop being alive in Battlefield 1 as the game very obviously pushes you into grouping up with others from the offset. Although it doesn’t shout it at you, the game demands that you team up with others more than ever, owing to the limitations of the weapons available and the big disparity between vehicles and infantry. It’s welcomed.
What do you think of the game so far? Drop a comment.
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