Honorable Mention: Battlefield 1
DICE’s answer to the ever growing futuristic FPS setting is going back to The Great War. This World War I shooter embodies everything that has made the Battlefield franchise so successful. However, it goes beyond just polishing the mechanics already in place and adds some new twists to an existing formula that helps creates some truly memorable multiplayer game experiences . The shooting has never felt better with each gun having a sense of weight and impact, their models rendered with an excruciating amount of detail.
While this title has less weapons than previous entries, they all feel balanced and suit a variety of different playstyles. Each of which are tied to one of four classes that serve a variety of different tasks during matches, such as Support’s ability to repair armor or a Scout’s talent to shoot up a flare and spot multiple enemies.
All the levels are gorgeously rendered and masterfully designed, with every map feeling far different from the other. No map feels like it forces a specific type of play, but instead encourages users to get creative and play around the different architecture offered. As usual, the environment is destructible (as it should be in a game about the first world war) and it’s fascinating to watch how much a map changes from beginning to end. The destruction is amped up by the inclusion of the new Behemoth vehicles, massive war machines that can turn the tide of an entire match alone. Taking down your first zeppelin and watching it crash in a blaze of fiery glory will forever be cemented as one of the most memorable moments in the series.
Yet, by far the best addition to this series is the new Operations game mode, which drops small 30 minute excursions in favor of matches that can last well over an hour. Set across multiple maps, this attack/defense mode sees waves of soldiers crash against each other in an attempt to capture and hold various positions. Each of the different Operations offers an interesting historical context that can add more depth beyond a bunch of people fighting over arbitrary flags. It’s one of the best, if not the best multiplayer mode introduced in 2016, and is worthy of recognition.
