Battlefield V E3 2018 Preview

Battlefield V was the main focus at EA Play 2018 being present for a large number of players to enjoy. I didn't really have anything going on that day and had a Diamond VIP band so I played it twice, because why not. In this setup players are working within the Grand Operations multiplayer. This is a large scale battle where teams take turns battling for positions. It's epic and feels intense as you attempt to flank to gain map control. It gives a sense of progression as well since "days" pass between side changes. This is a small scale version of what the final release will have, but gave a good indication of what to expect. It was quite fun to play and relatively competitive as players worked as squads to move forward.

There were new mechanics showcased as well such as building. You could create things such as walls or bits of barb wire. I tried it once, but didn't see anyone else care for it due to how fast gameplay is. One thing that did stick out to me while playing was the destruction elements, they've been toned down considerably it seems. I recall the good old days of knocking down houses, but here the flak cannon only smashed the snow off the roofs despite repetitive hits. I'm not sure if it's just in this early build, but for now that aspect was disappointing.

Everything in Battlefield V plays well, it's a beautiful game though very similar to Battlefield 1 visually. I'll need to see it played on consoles to see how much of a step up it is, though I didn't see anything too wildly upgraded. They've instead focused on polishing the smaller things and adjusting gameplay. I found the medics to be entirely nerfed now, it has always been my favorite class though I found it hard to get revives. Putting that aside, it's just gruesome now when you're downed as your character calls out for help. You're also limited to just a few health packs, more realistic yet at the same time I felt useless out there. You now resupply at certain checkpoint areas on the map, you'll fun out of resources quickly if you survive for even a minor bit of time.

It may sound as though I'm complaining too much, but I'm mostly just pointing out some of my thoughts. I've played Battlefield for a long time and some of the changes are odd. They feel progressive in terms of the game becoming more realistic, yet the changes are going to take some time for me to get used to. Battlefield V is looking good, the visuals are excellent like in the previous entry and the theater of war feels vast. It should be great to see the fresh locations they appear to be presenting as so many fronts were fought, yet few are ever showcased. I'm very interested to see how the final release is and how much they've expanded upon the last game as some may feel it's too similar.

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