I waited awhile to review this game because it had a rocky start. After three and a half months the game finally feels polished and patched up to where it should have been when first released (a sad trend in modern gaming).
I don’t know what it is but Battlefield 5 seems like the shallowest BF release I have experienced. I’ll say strait away that the game is great fun and I’ve already put over 120 hours into it and play fairly regularly. I’ve played pretty much every Battlefield that has come out on Console since Bad Company. I am definitely more of a Battlefielder than I am a Caller of Duty .. I like both games for their different mechanics and styles. I’ll discuss some things I like and don’t like about Battlefield 5 as it stands .
Battlefield 5 is military shooter with an emphasis on large open maps complete with tanks, trucks, jeeps, and even planes. The BF series has different class roles which each play differently and have different equipment to help out on the battlefield. Assault class carries explosives and anti tank weaponry, the Medic class can quickly revive fallen team mates and restore health and bandages. The support class is great for defense and can restore ammo and equipment to team mates as well as build fortifications twice as fast. Lastly the Recon class is best used for spotting enemies with their spotting scope or as counter infantry at any distance. A good BF player will learn each class and be able to switch if the situation calls for it.
To begin the game plays really good now. I have had no severe instances of freezing or being booted from servers. Battlefield 5 definitely captures the intensity of warfare better than any other Military Based Shooter. I know it’s not a “simulator” by any means but there are some truly epic moments in BF games that I have never experienced in any other shooter. This is the main reason why I keep coming back to this series. You feel like you are part of a small army running across a field with other human players, while shells rip into tanks several yards from you. Having to dive in a fresh crater to avoid gun fire and popping smoke so your squad can advance on a target never gets old to me.
The sound in BF games has always been a sheer cut above the rest in terms of oomph and quality. I play on a small surround sound system and most of the guns have a distinct punch and boom when you fire them, not to mention the wonderful echo effects in open areas versus the muffled bangs when firing indoors. The sound design in general is pretty stellar to me. Hearing the roar of gunfire and artillery grow steadily louder as you run towards it is a reminder, to me, of how terrifying it must have been for soldiers throughout the world who had to live through it.
I really enjoy the WW2 setting. World War 2 has been an object of fascination for every generation that came after. I’ve read about extensively.. Today we are only reminded by video games and movies that show heroic characters doing epic things.. I appreciate how BF5, and BF1 before it, captured the more somber and hopeless sides of war. After all it was primarily young men who lost their lives in those savage wars. BF1 definitely took itself a bit more seriously in terms of feel and emotion but I don’t mind too much because after all it is just a video game.
I enjoy what they added to the gameplay mechanics. Every class being able to revive is a blessing. I have been on teams where it seemed like myself and a good squad turned the whole tide of battle, because we had someone playing each class well and supporting each other. It took DICE a minute to get the medic class balanced but now I feel all the classes are fairly useful each to their own and have their own play styles. The emphasis on team play is strong and goes a long way toward winning matches or having more fun in general.
The smoke in BF5 is actually pretty great. The medic class automatically comes equipped with two smoke grenades, which are used with great success in this game. I use the smoke both to safely revive fallen soldiers and also practically as a smoke screen to block the view of snipers, tanks, or when advancing on objectives. To me it adds a small sense of realism to the game that feels genuine. Smoke and cover fire are huge parts of war fare and I feel the small addition of a functional smoke grenade is awesome. I know the smoke nades are in the other BF games as well but I believe this is the first time they are issued as a base gadget. For some reason this helped me notice them and it’s the first time I have ever found them really useful in game.
Although the game plays well now there are still some things that I don’t like or that put a bad taste in my mouth.
Among various bugs and glitches the game felt very empty on launch. There was a huge lack of maps, gadgets, vehicles, and game modes. Many gamers expressed their displeasure with this aspect. Without the 50 dollar premium pass, Dice and EA are hoping that micro transactions will provide enough money to continue development. However the past couple years and other popular titles have shown that this ultimately leads to a weak trickle of content that doesn’t have much of an impact (think star wars Battlefront 2?). Battlefield fans are skeptical if BF5 will ever become the game that it deserves to be and I share in their skepticism.
Another big turn off came after the game launched. There was a problem with the in game currency that allows you to unlock cosmetic items and specializations. The glitch prevented anyone at the already low level cap of 50 from getting the company coins needed to progress.. This left me with a “why the hell even play then?”, attitude as this made it very difficult to advance and specialize my weapons. Worst of is the fact that this bug persisted for over 2 months..
I feel there is a problem with balancing the teams. Often times it’s either mashing or getting mashed. I’ve been in very few matches where it comes down to the wire and the points stay close the whole time. Those matches definitely happen, maybe I just wish there were more of them.
Lastly, customization for your weapons are purely cosmetic beyond what type of optic you use. To me this feels kinda cheap.. I get that it is probably going to be one of their only extra sources of income at this point.. One of my favorite BF games was BF3 because the customizations that you unlocked actually effected the way the gun behaved. You unlocked barrels, grips, stocks, extra attachments, and sights that niched out the weapon. I guess they have “specializations” that you can unlock for specific weapons to better customize a play style. I don’t know.. I just don’t care to have my WW2 guns painted in chrome and gold plating or with bright green and blue colors.
My overall opinions and thoughts vary pretty greatly on this game. I love the gameplay overall. Now as it is, the game sounds great, looks great, and has exhilirating combat. The maps are large open and for the most part pretty balanced (except Hamada, just make it normal conquest?)..
However there aren’t many maps yet and worse yet only 1 new map slated for release by the time four were releasing for BF1. This is an ominous sign of what is to come as far as map content.
I highly recommend this game if you like more in depth online shooters. There is more depth and strategy at play due to vehicles and and different classes. Like I said it is one of the only video games that regularly gives me those “holy sh!t” moments of epic gameplay. There were some issues in the beginning but most of them have been corrected or patched up. I am eager to see what becomes of this game, for it will be telling of the overall trend in gaming as a whole as more and more games move to a “games as as service” model. I’ve already written about my disdain for this in another article.
Hope this article was a little bit useful if you were on the fence about the game.. If you are interested in Battlefield 5 I would highly recommend it now. You can purchase the game for under 40 dollars. I play regularly so feel free to join a game or add me on PSN if you ever want a great squad mate! , my id is: SL_Blank
As always thanks for reading.