I’ve always been a fan of the Battlefield franchise and appreciate its more grounded approach compared to recent Call of Duty titles. But I unfortunately must admit that Battlefield 2042 didn’t hold my attention for very long.
As a result of that game’s lacklustre critical and commercial success, the team at Battlefield Studios have decided to bring things back to a more modern, traditional setting, that, while not perfect, is a far superior experience overall.
Be it the simple inclusion of a campaign mode, new multiplayer offerings and the return of the Battlefield Portal, there’s simply more to love, no matter what type of Battlefield fan you are. This review comes a little later than expected, as we were not able to access the Portal feature before launch, but we’re also going to run through this a little differently.
Our review will be split into three parts, covering the campaign, multiplayer and finally, Portal. So let’s dive in.
Campaign
If we’re reviewing Battlefield 6 as a whole, then the campaign is unfortunately the weakest link. It’s not terrible, so to speak, but ultimately feels all too predictable and at times, strangely convoluted.
Set in the near future, the campaign follows the story of NATO taking on Pax Armata, a fictional private military company. Players take the reins of the Dagger 1-3 unit, taking control of a handful of characters depending on the mission and location. As Pax Armata attempts to peacefully take the state of Georgia, the United States of America are soon pushed to the brink of war, as our protagonists fight to push back Pax Armata, while digging to the bottom of the political landscape, and the internal decisions that caused tensions to stir in the first place.
The real problem here is the 5-6 hour runtime. The campaign can’t decide if it wants to throw you into chaotic situations to bring out the best of the game’s combat and destruction, which, at times, is riveting. But it also tries to build emotional moments between characters, which don’t really land as we don’t really spend much time with them to really care. There are a couple of moments towards the end that attempt to pull at some heartstrings, but as I couldn’t really differentiate between any of these protagonists in terms of personality traits, most of those sequences missed the mark.
The campaign also seems intent on pulling you out of the action at certain points to initiate a sequence that plays out in the first-person. But while I was watching a circumstance of my character taking cover and watching jets fly by overhead, I was left wondering, why can’t I just do this myself? I can understand the customs that involve dialogue and cinematically curated sequences, but these just felt unnecessary.
I will say, though, that the campaign’s handful of missions does a decent job at creating a blockbuster-style experience, where every mission feels like a showdown of sorts. The action is loud and consistent, and you’ll come to grips with all types of weapons, gear, vehicles, environmental destruction, and even get to command your squad mates to attack enemies, throw grenades and destroy portions of the level.
While the story itself is a little nonsensical, it’s definitely far from boring, as far as the overall gameplay is concerned. Thankfully, it’s not that long and isn’t really tied to the rest of the experience in any meaningful way.
Multiplayer
Before we dive into the multiplayer offerings of Battlefield 6, it’s worth taking the time here to point out just how it all plays. It’s bloody awesome. Time to kill is quick, gunplay is responsive and snappy, while guns feel weighty, and thanks to some incredible sound design, they sound incredibly mean and loud as well.
Multiplayer, thankfully, is an absolute blast and where I can only imagine players will spend most of their time. There’s a huge variety of maps and modes to jump into, and I’m sure everyone will find something they love sooner rather than later. There are nine maps at launch, most of which bring a certain sense of size and scale with them, depending on your mode of choice.
You’ll fight across multiple countries, giving each of the maps a unique look, and I’m a fan of almost all of them. Liberation Peak, Empire State and Iberian Offensive are all great for something like Conquest, for their sense of scale and verticality. The Siege of Cairo, on the other hand, while large, is better suited to something like Team Deathmatch, for its narrow streets and smaller courtyards.
All the standard modes are here from previous Battlefield titles, and while I’m a fan of Conquest specifically, I would also recommend giving the Breakthrough mode for its more direct approach and tighter pacing. Players will be able to enjoy Conquest, Breakthrough, Escalation and Rush modes on medium to large maps with up to 64 players, and Squad Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill and Domination on smaller maps with up to 16 players.
There’s obviously plenty of weapons to try across the game’s four classes, which consist of Assault, Engineer, Support and Recon, each with its own unique gear and abilities. While these classes can now all wield various types of weaponry, I would strongly encourage you to find and master your own playstyle to have the best chance out in combat.
For example, the Assault class will generally push and attack, but it might be more important for the Engineer to run around fixing surrounding vehicles and taking out larger enemy vehicles like tanks. The Recon class would likely then hang back and snipe, while sneaking around to plant C4 traps for vehicles. Finally, the Support class should usually follow allies when out and about, but focus on healing and throwing medkits down for everyone to use. There are subclasses here as well that grant each class new types of gear, but these won’t really make or break the experience for anyone.
While the gunplay is fantastic, I will admit that a few of the assault rifles feel very similar and are somewhat overpowered for both close and ranged combat situations. I’ve already noticed a few people running only assault rifles and shotguns across most maps, which might limit some sense of synergy between classes.
Finally, the sense of destruction and chaos is on full display in almost any mode or map. Buildings can be ravaged in multiple ways, and certain maps even have specific destruction-based events that can be triggered at any time. They’re certainly a sight to behold, but I’m already finding players are going straight to these areas to get the party started. Players who have seen the crane in Mirak Valley will know where I’m coming from.
It all looks fantastic and runs super well, and while I’m incredibly excited to play more with friends, I feel as though their approach to take things back to a modern setting has ultimately given them the solid ground and steady footing they have needed for quite some time.
Portal
The Battlefield Portal is something they released back with Battlefield 2042, but it definitely feels like something else entirely now. We were unfortunately unable to access this feature before launch, but I’m personally glad my experience, along with this review, gets to incorporate just how important the community is to this feature.
The Portal in Battlefield 2042 was a more basic map and mode builder, which saw you lugging around assets in the form of blocks. It was functional, but a little bland. Players can now change the elevation of maps for even more creative options to create modes and invite players in for the fun. The UI is also customisable, which is a nice touch, as there is so much you can actually do that I can understand it could feel a little confusing and intimidating to some.
But at the end of the day, it’s been great to see what people are coming up with, going as far as to recreate Call of Duty’s iconic Shipment map. The sky really is the limit here, and while you have to jump online on another device like a phone or PC to access these features, I would certainly recommend giving it a go, or at least exploring what the broader community has to offer.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Battlefield 6 feels like a strong return to form, mainly thanks to its fantastic multiplayer experience and unique opportunities made possible by the Portal builder. While the campaign brings the overall package down a notch, it’s thankfully not an essential aspect, and won’t really take up too much of your time if you decide to check it out.
Either way, it’s great to see the franchise on its feet again, and I have a feeling I’m going to be hanging around for the long run this time around.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Satisfying gunplay; Strong multiplayer; Portal will provide depth for the long run
Lowlights: Lacklustre campaign
Developer: Battlefield Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 Pro with a code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image also provided by the publisher.
