Battlefield 1 Review

Battlefield goes to The Great War.
battlefield 1

Of course, for many, the main attraction of Battlefield 1 is the multiplayer. The game’s multiplayer also tries to properly represent World War I, albeit in very different ways from the campaign. It also features a diverse and engaging selection of modes that can easily keep you busy for a while. You have the selection of modes expected from a Battlefield game, with Conquest having you hold a majority of flags on the map while eliminating the enemy, Domination having you capture and hold flags, Rush having you attack or defend telegraphs, and Team Deathmatch. There’s also a fun twist on capture the flag that has both teams hunting down carrier pigeons on the map and holding them for an amount on time in order to send a message to your team’s artillery.

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The most interesting mode of all, however, is the brand new addition to Battlefield 1 known as Operations. These matches are multi-tiered rounds that have one team attacking to take multiple sets of points, and another defending. If the attacking team manages to take all the points and win, then both teams will move on to another map, and one of the Operations even has three different maps.

These 64-player matches also give you access to all the vehicles, tanks, and options you’d have in other modes. The attacking team has three battalions to attempt an assault with, basically three tries, meaning Operation matches can last a while, all things considered. These are huge battles with so much going on at once, and they almost feel on scale with what you’d see out of a real battle in World War I.

Battlefield 1

Whistles blare as the attackers charge, bullets and explosions pound you from every direction, and it’s a constant rush to safety. Operations and other modes are intense and suitably grand in scale. Of course, this is all backed up by the tight and fluid gunplay that Battlefield does so well. The rifles, machine guns, and other weapons of World War I definitely feel a bit different from the series’ modern entries but it all works well together.

You’ll need to account for the extra recoil and reload time on guns, and new additions like gas grenades, gas masks, and horses make Battlefield 1 feel distinct and unique. It all compiles into a stressful and hectic battle experience that can be fun and rewarding as well. Ranking your soldier up gives you war bonds that you can use to purchase new weapons and equipment in order to find your own style.

Battlefield 1 is also a drop dead gorgeous game, filled with both majestic landscapes and hellacious burning battlefields. Sometimes this difference can be jarring, but the game is truly a wonder to look at both in campaign and multiplayer. Explosions fill the entire screen, and the sound design works just as well to get you into the setting. Bullets whiz by clacking against stone and earth, while planes fly overhead and you’re constantly bombarded with the shouts and screams of both allied and enemy soldiers. The soundtrack for the game is filled with some stirring songs to get your heart pumping, that sound like they’d be right at home in a dramatic war movie.

Battlefield 1

Over the course of about 15-20 hours with the game’s multiplayer, I only encountered a few instances of bugs or crashes. Sometimes my character would hitch and get stuck on the landscape, and my game froze while trying to join a match a couple times. The technical issues weren’t something that really got in the way of my experience, although issues like bad spawn locations might pop up here and there. I did, however, experience quite a few more bugs in my time with the campaign. More than once I had visual glitches that saw my character buzzing around the screen or getting stuck on the environment. It happened enough that I could start to make note of it after a while.

Battlefield 1 is a hugely refreshing take on not only the series but the shooter genre in general. It’s exciting to see the series explore such an underused time period in video games, and properly represent not only the insanity of battle but the horror of it all as well. It features the best campaign the series has had in years, if not ever, and the multiplayer improvements DICE has been working on for years on top of new additions. The developer’s vision was clear with Battlefield 1, and they executed it well on all fronts.

SCORE: 4.5/5 – GREAT

PROS

  • Short and sweet set of campaign war stories feel varied and oftentimes emotional.
  • Well executed and unforgettable opening.
  • Multiplayer is stressful and hectic, while also managing to be rewarding and fun.
  • Top notch sound design that really helps put you in the setting.

Editor's Choice smallest

CONS

  • Some multiplayer modes take commitment, especially Operations, which can last over an hour at times.
  • Campaign has some issues with technical bugs and hiccups.

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Author
Hayes Madsen
A connoisseur of all things RPG related, and always looking for the artistic expression in gaming. His love of Gundam is only matched by his love of Pizza. Playing Games Since: 1991 Favorite Genres: RPGs, JRPGs, Strategy,