We attended the Battlefield World Premiere in London for the first look at the latest Battlefield game: Battlefield 1.
The reason why the game is called Battlefield 1 and not Battlefield 5 is because it is set in World War 1, the ”genesis of warfare”. DICE claim this is their biggest game yet in a number of senses.
The biggest change in the series is the change of location. Set on a global scale, Battlefield 1 will have players visiting the Western Front (as expected), the Italian Alps and even the Arabian Desert. Players will be able to experience the single-player campaign from multiple perspectives, giving you a real sense of immersion on the front line. The campaign has been developed from Battlefield moments, so we expect to see players taking down biplanes or destroying massive battleships right in time to save your teammates.
Its clear DICE have focused on the brutality of war, especially in close combat where the developers have introduced brand new melee weapons to the series. Players can attach bayonets to their rifles and carry shovels with them. In addition to this, Battlefield 1 features gas grenades and gas masks. If you notice someone throw a gas grenade, you will have to put on your gas mask to avoid being poisoned. The gas mask limits your visibility and affects your hearing, so you won’t want to have it on all the time. Furthermore, to go with the brutality theme, DICE have included flamethrowers in the game, once again. Unfortunately, the developers couldn’t tell us too much about them, but we’ll keep the website updated when news on them appears.
Now for the part most Battlefield fans care about: the multiplayer. DICE have brought back the classes we all expect: the scout, medic and support classes all return in this game. Another set of classes DICE didn’t expand on, but did confirm were the dedicated vehicle classes. However, what we do know about the vehicles are that there will be biplanes, light to heavy tanks, bomber planes, boats, horses and battleships. The developers claim this Battlefield game contains the largest vehicles they’ve ever created. One of the play-testers of Battlefield 1 said the battleships were incredibly powerful, but because the battleship is such a large target you should expect to die quickly.
The change in the location brings all new types of vehicles spanning air, land and sea. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll notice soldiers on horseback wielding scimitars. When asked about the horses, the developers revealed they could not say anything about them aside from “horses are awesome”. The vehicle play has changed dramatically in Battlefield 1, as the wide variety of tanks, planes and ships all move uniquely and each contain different weapons.
Another new feature in the multiplayer mode comes in the form of weapon customisation. Again, it’s another feature DICE wouldn’t comment on but they have at least confirmed it will be in the game. Fans of Battlefield: Bad Company may be disappointed to learn that the destruction aspect of the game has been toned down for Battlefield 1. Originally, the game started off having high levels of destruction, however it was soon toned down as play testers complained about the lack of cover on stages. DICE feel they’ve struck the perfect balance for destruction. The developers made a point of stating people that play ‘lone wolf’ style will still find the game to be enjoyable and balanced, despite the focus on squad play. Speaking of squad play, there’s a persistent squad mode that allows players to join up with their friends from presumably the main menu. Being in this mode allows players to stick together when jumping from each experience. DICE claim this will all happen seamlessly. The developers also confirmed that the game will have sixty-four players all battling on the same server at the same time.
If you want to get your hands on Battlefield 1, you can do so by checking the game out at EA Play in June. At EA Play, players will be able to try the game for the very first time at this event. You can get access to the Open Beta by subscribing to Battlefield Insider at [url-www.battlefield.com]Battlefield.com[/url]. The release date is a worldwide launch that will begin on October 21st. Players with EA Access will be able to experience the game a week early on PC and Xbox One. If you preorder a special edition of the game, you can also get access to the game a week early (October 18th).
