Battlefield 1 multiplayer gameplay was ready to go at EA Play today, and I had the chance to give the new game a whirl. After playing around for a bit, I was impressed by many things I saw, but also felt a little lost and confused.
Our game session had us playing a map in the French countryside, with the teams fighting for control of six different points on the map. Despite being set in World War 1, gameplay still felt like Battlefield. Tanks were whirring by, planes were flying overhead and there were explosions everywhere.
Even though there are only four basic classes to pick from (Medic, Support, Assault and Scout), there were dozens of customization options available to adjust the roles exactly to your playing style already, with more coming once the game is actually released.
Visually, Battlefield 1 was stunning to watch. Water reflected beautifully on the ground, explosions caused craters to form and buildings were getting torn down. The biggest problem was I wanted to walk around and enjoy the views instead of blow up enemies. Hopefully there will be some times of relative peace to be able to enjoy the maps DICE has made.
Battlefield 1 felt like it took some cues from another recent DICE game, Star Wars Battlefront. At one point, a giant enemy-controlled airship appeared overhead. This felt like when the AT-ATs are bearing down on you in a game of Battlefront, a giant machine dominating the landscape. It was terrifying to see, but also fun to shoot at.
My biggest complaint was just how big the map was. This may seem silly to be upset about, but it felt like I spent most of my demo time running around not really knowing what to do. When I did figure it out, and took the time to make my way to a checkpoint, getting killed felt like a huge loss of progress.
Gunplay was everything you can expect from a Battlefield game. Aiming felt nice and tight, and there was no noticeable hitbox issues. Unfortunately, I was never in a situation where I could use one of the brutal melee weapons (I had my shovel ready and waiting, too), which was disappointing in light of how much emphasis these items were given in the promotional materials.
I did get the opportunity to fly an airplane at one point as well. I was excited for this, having had some decent success with flying in Star Wars Battlefront. I found controlling the plane to be pretty difficult, but could see it being much easier if I had a co-pilot manning the machine gun, so I can focus on flying.
One thing also made clear to us before playing was that teamwork would be a big key to success while playing. Due to how the demo was set up, getting your squad together to work strategically wasn’t going to happen. This will likely not be an issue when the game is released, seeing as how friends will be able to play together and use voice chat to coordinate.
Overall, Battlefield 1 left me impressed. The amount of destruction a battle caused was awe-inspiring, and seeing the huge airship come crashing down to the ground is going to be one of the year’s biggest gaming highlights. Once I get more comfortable with the game, I’m sure I’ll have more fun. Until then, this demo has left me excited to go again.
Battlefield 1 comes to PS4, Xbox One and PC on Oct. 21.
So what do you think? Are you excited to try out Battlefield 1 for yourself? Do you want to fly the airship or blow it up more? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
