Battlefield Hardline Beta - First Impression

Visceral Games' newest rendition of Battlefield is without a doubt targeting a different demographic than its DICE counterpart. To any Battlefield veteran, the mere idea of a different company leading a sequel is gaming heresy; let alone a company that has made Battlefields since 2004. Visceral Games is new to the MP scene. They have games with multiplayer modes but the majority of their games are single player based. With that being said, we can expect a strong single player campaign with stunning graphics.

The Hardline Beta was solely multiplayer and will therefore be gutted and served accordingly.

The Bad

(Because they need mentioning and continue to appall me)

Buildings in the beta were not destructible and remained in a fixed, boring state after countless RPG or C4 barrages, etc. – this is Battlefield. Not Call of Duty. That was always the differentiating factor between the competing series. One was for prepubescent teenagers with way too much anger, raging at spawns and when someone camps in a house, while the other game was tactical, team-oriented and slow-paced (comparatively). Movements were measured and made with care and campers would (to their distress) find the walls exploding behind them.

Lastly, SMGs seem to own Battlefield. As it has become more run and gun oriented, the great majority of people seem to be using more run and gun/spray and pray tactics. To Battlefield veterans: you can no longer cap pilots of helicopters (at least in the beta).

The Good

(Because surprisingly enough there is some creative innovation)

Hotwire (mobile vehicular conquest) is a very entertaining game type which allows for a wide assortment of hilarious and destructive car chases. My favourite Hardline moments usually included sitting and firing out the back of a van at the stubborn bastard intent on destroying the big obnoxious yellow van.

Also, blasting the driver-controlled radio to your ideal shoot-em-up music while hanging out the windows for drive-bys has a certain raw appeal to it. Lastly, the addition of gadgets adds a variable of unpredictability into play; something that is hard to find within the endless depths of the FPS industry.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I feel like this Battlefield has some serious content to offer to its fans, but it just needs more confidence in its genre stance. Because while the beta had a strong release with Battlefield undertones, its lack of destruction ensures that I will not be forking out money until a definitive identity has been established.

I mean, what is Battlefield without one of these?