Bullets ricocheting off metal, tank shells exploding off of the sides of hills, the screams of death all around. The sound of war is authentic in Battlefield V, one of the many facets which have been tuned for an experience unparalleled in comparison to other first-person shooters.
Cementing itself as an immersive shooter primarily, the Battlefield series relished in the authentic history it’s attempting to represent. The vision of the series has been placing realistic depictions of war on a grand scale, and Battlefield V continues this temperament by taking the series back to World War II.
Battlefield V Preview: The Grand Operation of War
I was able to get a chance to have hands-on with the game and also speak with the game’s director about the new multiplayer features that will be introduced in the title, as well what to look forward to with the single-player story of the game and the progression system.
For my multiplayer hands-on of Battlefield V, I was able to try the Grand Operations mode. In this mode, 64 players fight against two sides of the war with a variety of different game modes. At the end of each match, the team which has exhausted its respawns loses, and the team that had won affects the next match of the multiplayer marathon.
Battlefield V felt quite familiar in my hands since I had played the previous entry, Battlefield 1, for quite a while. There was still the spawning into various vehicles and choosing separate types of tanks to roll onto the battlefield. I was able to still choose which class I got to play as (Assault, Recon, Medic, and Support). And there were immensely destructible environments.
Battlefield V Preview: Breaking Down, Building Up
There were also quite a few features which set this Battlefield apart. In contrast to the destructible environments, there was also the ability to construct environments (thanks Fortnite). These opportunities can include anything from building up sandbags for cover or building back up pathways for mobility. However, while like with mostly everything in Battlefield the construction earns you points, it does leave you wide open for a considerable amount of time.
This multiplayer marathon involves the winning side pushing forward in the war, leading the next map farther into the opposing side. Ultimately, it’s a best of four matches in the final release of the game, with some campaigns possibly ending in a stalemate. If a stalemate is met, the teams go into a final match called Final Mode with limited ammo and very few respawns.
For the multiplayer demonstration in which I got to participate in, we were able to only do best of two matches. Resulting in a draw that led us to this incredibly stressful mode. Since there’s no way to refill ammo or respawn tickets, conserving resources and your own lives is nerve-wracking. The only way to pick up more ammo is to take it from the dead bodies of fallen players. My only saving grace was playing with a mouse and keyboard against people mostly using controllers. It’s overall a great fit for Grand Operations and makes me excited for the game’s eventual Battle Royale mode.
Battlefield V Preview: War Stories
The game’s director Daniel Berlin mentioned that he wants to make sure that those playing Battlefield V will be able to invest themselves into each play session. The Grand Operations are mentioned to be rewarding for those that stick with the current group of players and play what could be four matches in a row for a large amount of progression experience and loot. This loot and progression system is to go hand-to-hand with introducing various options for player customization. Customization including the ability to manipulate anything from the gender to the face-paint of your character.
He also stated there would be a lot there for those who mainly pick up Battlefield V for the story. As with the Grand Operations, there would be a dynamic campaign present. One that enhances the overall investment for players the longer they spend playing the operation. As well, touching on the story of the game, Daniel was also excited to share expectations for the war story vignettes in Battlefield V. Mentioning that the team is most excited to share the stories from the war which hadn’t typically been explored before. You can see this reflected in the Battlefield V story trailer shown at Microsoft’s conference, which depicts a Norwegian woman named Nordy attempting to hide from Germans.
Overall, Battlefield V is another step for the series to continuously polish itself. Promising multiplayer modes that engross players, by including a dynamic campaign and better progression system that encourages longer play sessions. Considering the feel and authenticity of World War II, in ways that they hadn’t with previous entries taking place in that era. Telling important stories, ones that history should never forget. All of these features contributing to each other to create one of the most fleshed out shooters coming this holiday.
