After many months of long waiting, EA finally released the next chapter of “Battlefield”, and it seems that it will shine in the new generation of game consoles to expand the term of the series. “Battlefield 2042” is a futuristic shooting game, it is expected to usher in many firsts, for example, for the first time it will bring 128 players to battle and fully customizable loading. Recently, we had the opportunity to participate in an exclusive pre-release event (virtual of course), to learn more about the upcoming shooting game, and the opportunity to have a good chat with the game’s co-producer Marie Granlund.
“Battlefield 2042” adopts a different bold strategy from its predecessors; it does not have a single player campaign, but only focuses on multiplayer games. This is the method adopted by the “Decisive Hour” series in “Black Ops 4”, and even the story point of “Battlefield V” is actually very limited, with only 3 playable campaign missions. I asked Marie why she decided to retire the battle plot mode in Battlefield 2042. She told me: “When we look back at the previous games, the multiplayer gameplay has always been our most specialized, and this is what we think our players do. I think the best thing “Battlefield” can provide.”
There may not be a series of tasks for players to complete, but this does not mean that the bloodshed will lack background. As the name suggests, the background of this game is set in 2042. The situation does not look optimistic, because the shortage of food, water and electricity has led to the worst refugee crisis in human history. The whole world is turbulent, Russia and the United States have taken up arms and flames, and the whole world is forced to choose sides. This certainly sounds like an interesting battle plot, and I am still very happy to have any excuse to play some futuristic technology in the “Battlefield” game.
In addition to reducing the campaign part, the other detail that resonated most with me was that this game will allow 128 players to fight on the new generation of consoles. In order to meet the needs of more players, the map here is almost 4 times that of the previous game, and these seem to definitely lead to some truly chaotic moments. When I asked Marie about these larger maps, she told me: “Personally, I think the scale of the map will provide different types of intensity depending on where you are going. So if you want to start an action, you You will know which areas to go to. So if you want a slower tempo, you want to be on guard and take a step back, you can do the same. The new generation of Frostbite and larger scales can support different types of player styles.”
Speaking of maps, these spacious playgrounds can even serve as death traps, because natural disasters such as tornadoes and sandstorms may occur when you are in a tense action. Tornadoes may engulf players and vehicles and throw them into the air violently, so you need to be vigilant and look back at all times. Marie mentioned to me that these natural disasters happen randomly and you will not encounter them on every map, so they are unpredictable, just like in reality.
You may ask now, what about the previous generation of game consoles? Well, this part of the situation is a bit unclear, because some details about cross-platform play have not been made public. During the show, it was revealed that owners of previous generation consoles will also be able to access the same batch of maps available to owners of new platform consoles, but these are relatively small in size and limited to 64 players. It is fair to assume that the cross-generational gaming functions between hosts of different generations may be limited or non-existent, but EA will only share information about cross-border gaming when it tells us the details.
Some of the changes seem extremely controversial, but I can foresee that most fans will be satisfied with the vehicle adjustments. Now you can call the trolley by using the tablet, so you no longer need to trek between targets. Interestingly, I learned that if you don’t stay vigilant, you can even summon the car on top of other players and kill them easily. Another change is the role players can assume. Every player in the vehicle now has a clearer role, as there are gunner seats, anti-aircraft seats, and observer seats. This should be enough to ensure that no one is just sitting there boringly waiting to reach the next goal.
Another change that I think will be welcomed by the community is the addition of experts. These experts have their own special gadgets, but they are different from the professions in the previous games, because these allow you to fully customize the loading equipment. In the previous “Battlefield” game, there were only 4 playable occupations (assault, medical, support, and reconnaissance), and specific weapons and projectiles are also closely related to these occupations. It is said that there will be 10 different experts open for selection at the time of release, and we can view 4 of them at this preview event.
The loading equipment can be very flexible, but each expert has his own specialties, which are unique to them. For example, one of the experts we met was named Webster Mackay, and he was equipped with a set of grappling hooks-a perfect tool for climbing buildings and destroying unsuspecting snipers. Another expert we are happy to play is Maria Falck, she is a support role who can easily heal allies by firing healing ammunition from a distance.
We have also learned that “Battlefield 2042” will see this series switch to the battle pass model, including free and paid premium Pass. According to the EA team, the first year will consist of 4 seasons, with 4 battle passes, 4 new experts and several new locations. So the alarm bell in your heart may have started ringing loudly, but we are sure that the paid level of the battle pass will only include decorations. Fortunately, we can assume that the new map and experts will be provided as free content, and to avoid differences in the player base due to the pass-level content.
It’s great to see the series make a comeback quickly after the rugged start of “Battlefield V”. “Battlefield 2042” seems to be one of the biggest leaps we have seen between the works in this series, with 128 players in large-scale battles, flexible loading, new natural disasters and more. I also appreciate small changes such as improved vehicles. Having said that, I can also foresee that the lack of single-player gameplay and the seeming lack or limited cross-play between console generations will become pain points for some long-term fans. When “Battlefield 2042” launches on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series on October 22, 2021, be sure to check back for our complete thoughts.