Dice made the Battlefield series a thrilling experience to play since they developed Battlefield 4. From that current era, we’re taking our jet back to the past, jumping to the period of the Second World War. WW2 had a great impact on the current state of the world which made it an important chapter in our history. Maybe Battlefield V will claim its name as an important “change” within the Battlefield series…
If you know the Battlefield series, you’ll know that these games made “Personal action movies” great again. Battlefield is a game where you as a player constantly plays his/ her part in these large-scale wars during different eras of battle: Afghanistan, WWI and now we’re jumping towards WWII. Battlefield V also has these large-scale battles, like the previous games but they don’t leave that great of an impact which is petty. It was because of these kinds of life-changing events that set the Battlefield series apart from all the other war shooters like Call of Duty.
“It’s something we’re not used to seeing when it comes to Dice.”
Battlefield I tried to change its perspective on the personal story by creating different War stories which were great to play. After a War Story, you had to recapitulate these events and understand that this has been the reality for a couple of years. Battlefield V tries to do more of the same thing, trying to tell the different sides of this gruesome tale but even when these different stories start with the right foot, they quickly lost their conviction to keep you interested during these missions. The large-scale battles from previous games are now turned into these little missions where the focus is more of being part of a party, hoping that Lady Luck will turn the tides into your favor. They often start very good but end up with the same kind of ending than previous missions. The single player campaign consists of 4 stories that take you to all sorts of unknown places that played an important role within World War II. The first mission is called Nordlys and takes place in Norway that’s being held captive by the Germans. You take on the role of a woman from the resistance that wants to uncover the German’s secrets and to rescue her mother. Under No Flag is another story where you take on the role as a criminal named Billy Bridger that gains a second chance to use his demolition skills for the greater good. Then there’s the “Tirailleur” mission where the Senegalese Units of the French Colonial Forces have but one mission: free their “homeland France”. Then there’s the “Last Tiger” which is a very challenging chapter, to say the least. This will take the player to the German side of the story. It’s the moment where some Germans begin to question their ideology. Unfortunately, we still have to wait a couple of days before we can actually play this chapter. It’s a bit odd to see that the developers shipped the game with an unfinished War Story. It’s something we’re not used to seeing when it comes to Dice.
The mission objectives are also very linear and even when the game focuses on team play, the single-player missions feel like you’re your own army. This feeling doesn’t feel right when I’m playing a Battlefield game. The missions are most of the time, sneaking and killing the right amount of guards to trigger an effect. Also, after the sneaking part, it’s all about exploring a sandbox environment where you have to blow up stuff to eliminate the enemy’s occupation. It becomes dull after a while. Also, the sneaking part could have been designed better because all the enemies have like ultrasound with a 3-kilometer radius which makes sneaking a bit impossible. You’re often shooting your way out. There’s also no feeling that you’re part of a group. Nobody’s helping you, it’s all up to you and the world’s survival is all in your hands. It would have been a bit more interesting if the game teamed you up with a squad of your own.
Battlefield V also wants to focus a lot more on “Being part of a Squad” than just “running and gunning solo” which is actually a great direction for the franchise. Of course, previous games had different combat roles as well and Battlefield V continuous with the 4 classes legacy we’ve grown accustomed to. You have Assault,Medic, Support and Recon. Medics can revive players that have been shot down and Support will have the ability to drop ammo packs for their teammates or even have the ability to strengthen his/ her position by building several fortifications faster than all the other classes can. Assault is for the run and gun type of player that doesn’t stray away from some CQB while Recon will have you spot and redeem the foe from far away. All classes can now also be divided into 2 different combat roles each that’ll make your character a bit more unique with different perks to tailor the experience within each class. That brings the total of roles up to 8! Experiment with the different roles and choose the one that’ll be most enjoyable for you. Choosing a role that looks the most fun will give your team a certain boost because each of your squad members can benefit from your capabilities. Next to the different combat roles that’ll help you create a very unique character, is the equipment you’ll be using. Each outfit or equipment can be adapted to your liking and are purely cosmetic. Experience points can be gained by playing multiplayer and complete Special Assignments or even Daily Orders. Gaining levels is key if you want to access the better equipment. Talking about “gaining levels”, you’ll quickly feel like your doing the same old thing like before. The multiplayer aspect of the Battlefield series has always been the most important part of the game’s development. Dice used to be very innovative and often challenged themselves to create this immersive gameplay experience that’s very close to the reality, but I can’t help but feel that the developers have been a bit lazy when it comes to Battlefield V. There are no new groundbreaking aspects that’ll launch the game into space to find its place among the stars. Battlefield V will quickly be compared to Battlefield I since they’re feeling more of the same. The only noticeable change within the game is the introduction of “Grand Operations”. This mode can take up to 4 hours when all the right pieces fall into the puzzle. These are missions with a more dynamic flow that contains different levels before a team has achieved greatness.
“It’s a great way to become more invested and give more of your everything”
These big missions all have different levels and build-ups which makes it one of the most fun multiplayer modes of Battlefield. Grand operations will confront two teams with each other and it’s their job to fulfill their objectives as fast as they can and as best as they can. Depending on what stage has been completed, the advantage will shift between the different teams. It’s the perfect mix between the different multiplayer game modes. It’s a great way to become more invested and give more of “your everything” because there’s a lot more at stake than your normal game modes.
When you’re looking at the graphics, Frostbite 3 is still an amazing engine because it gets the job done. The engine did surprise me a couple of times when the terrible War panoramic is being punctured by the beauty of the maps and atmosphere. The sound and technical systems work perfectly together to create this grand immersion. There’s nothing more exciting when you’re taking cover from tanks that are blasting their way through the town. When things get rough, that’s where Battlefield V truly shines as an amazing immersive World War shooter.
The maps look good and the developers definitely have built these maps with the multiplayer aspect at the back of their head. Even though the battle seems lost, there’s nothing that a great strategy can’t fix. The maps are big enough to approach the objectives from a different angle which heightens the success rate of your team. Being there, at the right time and the right place can change the course of the battle for good. Every aspect of the map can be used to your advantage if you’re willing to learn from your mistakes. Getting to know the “spots” in a map, makes you almost invincible.
Even though the game is enjoyable, it’s far from perfect. The game hasn’t even been shipped at its full potential. The single player campaign isn’t complete because the last mission can only be played within a couple of days. The Firestorm mode, which is a Battle Royale rip-off, is also not available. There’s still no gameplay or a lot of information to go through. Battlefield V doesn’t feel like it’s new, it’s more of the same but enhanced and a different focus. It’s painful to see that the game offers an interface that’s full of “coming soon”, especially when you paid the full price for an “unfinished” product. The only good news about this mess up is the fact that every DLC will be made “free”, so everyone can enjoy the full package.
“It does feel like the game has been rushed.”
Yes, the game has been optimized to the player’s standards which weren’t an easy task, but the developers managed to do so. The shooting mechanics are great, and the flow of the battle is amazing. Battlefield V is a fast-paced action combat game but on a larger scale. Battlefield V is a great enhancement of Battlefield I: improved gunplay, improved movement capabilities, excellent sound design, … Battlefield V is okay, but it doesn’t bring a lot of innovation to the table. The game also suffers from minor bugs that can be fixed with a couple of patches. Some bugs I’ve encountered: a dead body floating in the air, a ridiculous knockback of some weapons, AI running towards your last seen place, even if their five kilometers away, enemies running through different objects, the revive button that doesn’t work accordingly, key objectives that aren’t appearing during your play sessions… it does feel like the game has been rushed.
Conclusion:
Even though Battlefield V is an amusing World War shooter, it does feel like a bit of a “Hit-and-swing” kind of game. They enhanced Battlefield I and created Battlefield V which doesn’t always feel good… If something is “right”, why change it? However, innovating is the key to success and that’s where they fail. I would also like to point out that the game has been shipped as an unfinished game. It’s not okay to ask people the full price when you’re only receiving 75 percent of a game that has been recycled so many times. Developers have become lazy and greedy. I do have to mention that the graphics and sound design fit the game perfectly. It’s an amazing feeling to break through the fog of war and see these amazing landscapes. Multiplayer’s Grand Operation is an amazing mode that makes Battlefield into an all scale war, just like a real battlefield should be. If you have money to spare and you’re looking for a great war game… This might be the one for you!
