There was no era in history more dramatic than the first world war. More footage exists of the second world war and therefore that makes it more widely known about. But never before in history was our society so fundamentally changed.
For this reason Battlefield has a huge amount to live up to.
The Atmosphere
I can say without a doubt that Battlefield One delivers in this area in spades. In fact, I would venture to say that it sometimes over-delivers in this area. Imagine taking all the drama of the first world war and then distilling it down into a small area. Everywhere you go in the game you find drama and devastation taking place.
What is more, a lot of this is created by the destructibility of the game itself. Buildings, vehicles and even the ground itself are shaped by the battle as it takes place. Therefore a bitter battle really does FEEL bitter because by the end you’re fighting, not over buildings, but over the rubble of what you empathize was once real people’s homes and businesses. Places they will one day come back to and try to rebuild.
That being said, the atmosphere is so intense that you can eventually become de-sensitized. And I suppose that also is part of what makes this game incredible. You really do become a battle-hardened soldier who no longer considers the tragedy that surrounds him.
The Weapons
This is one of the most interesting, if not eccentric, aspects to this game. During the real first world war there was actually relatively little variation in the weapons used. Most soldiers were armed with simple bolt action rifles.
A lot of experimental weapons did exist though, that saw incredibly limited usage on the front lines. Many of which would eventually evolve into the weapons used in the second world war.
Experimental weapons are one of the most exciting aspects of this game.
It was a stroke of pure genius for DICE to have included experimental weapons so widely in the game. Instead of the linear gameplay of most WW1 games we’re treated to an experimental and much more dynamic battlefield where there are no rules.
And the eccentricity of these very imperfect weapons also excites me. For example, you will find weapons where the ammo is fed from magazines on top of the weapon. As you can imagine, this makes aiming sometimes very difficult. Perhaps that’s an advantage my opponent can exploit? Or perhaps I will learn how to work around those limitations?
The Gameplay
It’s still early days since the release, so it’s understandable that there are still some imbalances in the game. Overall though I would still say that it is highly enjoyable in every sense of the word. The pacing is consistent and enjoyable.
What is more the wide range of classes and weapons means you can tailor your play style in exactly the way you want, whether that be according to your mood or personal approach. For example, when I’m feeling like less intensive gameplay I may play in a sniper role. However, the game will always challenge you and try and take you out of your comfort zone at times.
Conclusion
We highly recommend this game to anyone considering the title. It will be well worth your investment and you are bound to derive many hours of enjoyable game play from it.
Although there are still problems with the game, particularly around balancing issues, we believe based on previous Battlefield titles that DICE will resolve these issues in time.
Playstation NewsWire 