Campaign:
Battlefield 6 sees a return of the campaign, this time set in the year 2027. Dagger 13 is tasked with fighting the rising threat in this global war, PAX Armata, a private military corporation unafraid to cross any lines. Dagger 13 is an elite US Marine squad, comprising Haz, Gecko, Lopez, and Murphy. Each of the squad members has their own role: Assault, Recon, Support and Engineer. Each character was given time under my control, which was interesting as it allowed me to experience each of them and their role in various missions, thereby gaining a broader understanding of the squad. My squad, Dagger 13, is a small cog in the big war machine; however, their tasks could change the outcome of this war.
The campaign itself was filled with twists and turns, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I completed it over the course of a few nights, and it runs around six to eight hours. It reminded me of playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which was one of my favourite Battlefield campaigns before this. The campaign was broken into approximately nine missions, ranging from about thirty to sixty minutes, which was great as it gave me time to stop, process the previous information, and take a break.
One of my favourite features of the campaign was the multiple weapons, tech, and vehicles I was able to utilise. Each of the guns felt unique, and I had to adapt on the fly to the different ways each gun handled when switching between them mid-mission. The sound of the guns, in particular, was fantastic, as was the sound of the world, tanks, and battles. It is hard to describe the thrill of dodging a rocket as it flies past my face and hearing the building behind me explode and crumble. Hearing the whistle or thump of a bullet missing or hitting the cover I was hiding behind. Climbing into a Tank or APC and crushing cars and enemy soldiers as I unloaded rounds into the enemy’s vehicles had the appeal of pure power. In saying this, I never felt untouchable or that I was shrouded by plot armour. Each engagement had me on the edge of my seat, and I was hooked. Only the need to rise early prompted me to put down the controller.
I played the campaign mostly with mouse and keyboard, which is a new experience for me on the PlayStation 5. I went and found my compatible devices after feeling like I was getting overpowered while playing multiplayer. However, the game just worked, and it worked well with this setup, with the prompts adjusting on the HUD in-game, even if I switched on the fly. The game controls well with either control option, and it was rather handy when sniping. I enjoyed the campaign, and I will play it through again to collect the items I missed while I was too focused on the story.
Multiplayer:
Battlefield has been one of my favourite types of multiplayer games for a long time. This personal discovery I arrived at years ago, while playing with friends and having an absolute blast. The idea of not needing to be a perfect shot if you were contributing to the mission always hooked me. I always enjoyed the roles, and those roles worked well when combined with a squad. Battlefield 6 has reinvigorated the importance of squads and roles, and it has had me wanting to play with friends all over again. There is something satisfying about running around as a medic, reviving your squad or teammates, and seeing the contributions rack up, or changing a seemingly certain loss into a win with practised coordination.
BF6 has expanded on these roles and created missions to build them out and further them. Training paths that include missions to ensure that players get the most out of the multiplayer experience and level up their characters. Roles take on a more significant role within the larger battles, with signature weapons, traits, gadgets, and active abilities being added to the four available roles. Upgrading these roles means players also get the most out of their desired play style. Training paths for assault roles branch out to breacher or frontliner, both with their pros and cons, whereas an engineer might choose from anti-armour to a combat engineer. Maintaining their own vehicles with more efficiency rather than removing the enemy’s vehicles from the battlefield.
Returning favourites of all-out warfare modes such as Conquest, Breakthrough, Rush, and the new addition, Escalation. BF6 introduces some smaller modes inspired by other FPS games and elevated by Battlefield’s fundamentals. These modes are Squad Deathmatch, Domination, Team Deathmatch, and King of the Hill. These smaller matches are infantry-only, whereas all-out warfare includes all the accoutrements, such as jets, tanks, helicopters, and other vehicles. The most significant addition and one of my favourite modes is Escalation. This mode features two teams competing to capture territory until the last point is secured. Each control point is removed from the map till only one remains. This forces teams into ever increasingly tough battles, and it was a blast.
Battlefield 6 introduces a variety of new maps that span the globe, enhancing the campaign experience. The designs of these maps are well thought out, providing an immersive gameplay experience. Additionally, BF6 features a new system called Kinesthetic Combat, aimed at enriching player engagement. Kinesthetic Combat includes several enhancements, such as improved gunplay, the ability to peek, lean, roll, mount weapons, hitch rides, drag and revive. Below is a brief overview of these features:
- Gunplay: The mechanics are now more predictable, allowing players to learn weapon recoil and range through practice.
- Drag and Revive: Players can drag teammates while healing them, helping them return to the action more quickly without solely relying on the medic.
- Peeking and Leaning: These techniques enable players to spot and shoot without exposing themselves as much.
- Combat Rolls: This feature reduces fall damage and helps players dodge enemy fire.
- Weapon Mounting: Allowing for reduced recoil and steadier aim when players mount their weapons.
- Hitching a Ride: Additional players can now join vehicles, allowing for more team members to enter battle beyond the standard seating capacity.
Together, these features combine to create a more dynamic and engaging combat experience in Battlefield 6.
Returning to the spotlight is Portal, where creative types can make their mark. The sandbox building tool has returned and has been enhanced in its capabilities. From simple game modes that focus on weapons, maps, and players to custom builds of whatever players can think of. With simple tools as easy to adjust as sliding a slider, and more advanced tools that allow for unprecedented controls, including the movement and scaling of environments and objects, as well as custom scripting for NPCs and UIs, which will enable entirely new game modes. I am pretty keen to see what people come up with, as well as have a decent play with this.
Conclusion:
Battlefield 6 looks and feels exactly as I wanted, and it has been amazing to play. The various game modes I have participated in have been quite fun. Visually, it’s fantastic, and the return of destruction has brought about a significant change in how the game is played. Destructible environments mean that the environment is forever changing, and hiding isn’t always the best option. The proper return of the squads and roles has me very happy, as it was something I missed from the previous instalment. The stunning soundscape has me wearing my headphones again to immerse myself in its majesty fully. The return of a campaign, along with it being a respectable challenge and a great bit of storytelling, was a welcome return to form.
(Review code provided to Explosion Network.
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