About a hundred years ago, Earth was bang in the middle of World War 1. Also called the Great War, it brought together all superpowers in an exercise known for the senseless loss of life in the trenches, large zeppelins and the dawn of aerial combat. And now, a century later, we’ve got Battlefield 1 harking back to that time. With several games showing off their futuristic settings, will this game be able to stand its ground with its medieval weaponry? Or will it appeal to the gamer who wants something different? It’s a big risk creating a military shooter in a war fought so long ago, especially when this gaming season sees titles like Call of Duty Infinite Warfare and Titanfall 2 that look deep into the future of war and how battles will be fought. Let’s see if 1.. can survive its competition.
What’s it about?
War is terrible and Battlefield 1 , instead of celebrating it like most war shooters do, gets very real about it. Rather than tell a story of heroism or valour across a single big campaign, the game chooses to tell a series of shorter stories. The game is an anthology, with each level featuring an individual soldier of different ethnicity.
The game kicks things off with the legendary 369th Infantry Regiment, an all-black American squad known as the Harlem Hellfighters, in France during the German offensive.
Then the gameplay shifts to that of a tank driver, then fighter pilot and messenger, letting you step into various shoes.
The stories range from brutal to hopeful. The underlying theme is the horror of war. It’s a fresh take on the genre: no big bad guy to be defeated, just an overwhelming feeling of being lost on the battlefield. It’s refreshing to not have over-glorified ideals and to be force-fed patriotism.
How does it play?
The single player campaign does a fantastic job of capturing the frantic, confusing, fast pace of battle, as grenades shower you with dirt and shrapnel and guns sometimes take a backseat to melee combat. In comparison to several shooters today, the dated weapons, tanks and bi-planes of Battlefield 1 seem like no fun at all. Thankfully, the developers have paid attention to the weapons, and combat is a blast. The signature Battlefield experience is ever present with slick visuals, smooth run and gun gameplay along with the Battlefield Hardline’s stealth system.
As a series, Battlefield... is all about the multiplayer experience, with the single player campaign serving as one large tutorial to prepare you against real players online. The multiplayer mode lets you select from four classes, Assault, Medic, Support and Scout, letting you spawn in a plane, tank or on a horse. Each multiplayer match is a 64-player extravaganza with several game modes, a favourite being Conquest. Bear in mind, though, like all Battlefield games, you will need to purchase the season pass to gain access to new content.
The graphics and presentation of Battlefield 1 is top notch, making this one of the best-looking games this year. The Frostbite graphics engine powers the game, and one of its best features is the real-time destruction it offers.
Buildings get completely demolished as bullets and shells rip across the terrain. It’s because of Frostbite that the single player campaign gets so real and human. And the cherry on top is the sound design, using Battlefield 's signature ‘War Tapes’. With a great surround sound system or a capable pair of headphones, you will hear the battle, from the trickle of gravel after every bomb to the moans of dying soldiers and enemies. It’s all very real.
Should you get it?
Battlefield 1 is every bit the same Battlefield you love, despite being set a century ago. The fresh setting also makes this game stand out. A must-buy for the upcoming holidays.
The author is a freelance tech and lifestyle writer
Battlefield 1
Developer: DICE
Publisher: EA
Price: Rs. 4,299 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox one
