Battlefield V review
Written by: Maud
Please note that this review may contain minor spoilers!
Having been a fan of the Battlefield franchise for a few years now, I was excited to get my hands on Battlefield V. Here is what I think of the single player and multiplayer game modes after playing for about a week. Battlefield V was released on 20 November 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. If you haven’t read our general pre-release article of Battlefield V already, you can do so here.
Having been a fan of the Battlefield franchise for a few years now, I was excited to get my hands on Battlefield V. Here is what I think of the single player and multiplayer game modes after playing for about a week. Battlefield V was released on 20 November 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. If you haven’t read our general pre-release article of Battlefield V already, you can do so here.
Single player
Battlefield V’s single player story mode is split into several separate War Stories. The introduction to Battlefield V is short and sweet. You try to get as far as you can and it will transition into a new scene when you die, similar to Battlefield I. Unfortunately, this gives you little time to get used to the controls. It seems like death is inevitable in some scenes, but it does give way for impressive cutscenes that flow into each other effortlessly. In each scene, you get to try out the different weapon classes and vehicles, like close combat, sniping, driving a tank and flying a jet, but I wish each segment was a little longer.After the short introduction, I decided to play the War Stories in a chronological order. As it had been quite a while since I had played a Battlefield game, I opted for the Medium difficulty, which ended up being the right choice for me. I have to say, I’m so glad Battlefield has kept the story mode. Though multiplayer matches are great and continue to be very entertaining for many months (even years) ahead, I think the single player story mode is an added value. It’s a few extra hours of interactive storytelling in which the beauty of this game really shines.
After completing the short introduction, I was happy to see that the War Stories are fully-fletched missions and not just short segments without any real objectives. Though there were quite a few cinematic cutscenes, I didn’t mind them that much. I really enjoyed getting into the story and completing my objectives. If possible, I usually go for a stealth approach, so in Battlefield V I took my time to map every enemy and plan my approach (though I sometimes diverged from my preferred method and went in blasting bullets in every direction).
Overall thoughts
To me, the War Stories were a great combination of beautifully designed stories and classic Battlefield gameplay. Though the objectives were set, at times it felt more like a free roam map with lots of room to explore. My favourite story was Tirailleur. The tale of segregation between Caucasian and coloured French soldiers at the front was very gripping. However, I do think the War Stories in Battlefield V were too short. Also, it’s a shame that the fifth part called The Last Tiger was not released along with the rest. I guess we will have to wait until December to find out more, but my expectations are high.
Multiplayer
After finishing the War Stories, I was ready to start my multiplayer journey. Having played for several days, I’m very satisfied with the online gameplay. There are many elements similar to Battlefield I, but there are also new additions to the game that improve the overall experience. First of all, Battlefield V has really changed my game strategy. As I would previously fly solo most of the time, and only occasionally group up with my squad for support, I am now almost always in close proximity to them. In Battlefield V, squads offer so much more benefits. Every player (of every class) can revive their squad members. A Medic can revive other squad members as well and is twice as fast in doing so. There are also more health packs spawned in various places, which helps you work towards objectives instead of standing still. In general, Battlefield V’s multiplayer game modes are excellent. The guns feel great and there is a distinct weight and impact per weapon, the progression system is rewarding, you have the ability to modify and enhance your weapons and vehicles, and I have to mention, the graphics are just stunning. The online system also works really well. The shooter system is skill based and there is no pay-to-win content that gives you an advantage in the game; it all comes down to you.In my opinion, the multiplayer gameplay does have some flaws. One of the first things I noticed is that the game is very fast paced in comparison to previous Battlefield games. On top of that, the maps feel a lot smaller and congested at times. Furthermore, the game does lack a true World War II feeling. Sure, there are some WWII elements captured, and the creator did mention that Battlefield V would focus more on the untold war events, but I would have liked to see more authentic WWII scenery, weapons and historically accurate events.