Re: Battlefield 2042
Christian Erdmann
The game received mixed reviews from critics and a more negative reception from players for its technical issues, lack of features, and certain changes to the gameplay. The game failed to meet the sales expectations of Electronic Arts. A new Battlefield installment, under the head of Motive Studio, is in development.[1]
Similar to its predecessors, Battlefield 2042 is a multiplayer-focused first-person shooter. As the game is set in the near future, it features futuristic weapons and gadgets like deployable turrets and drones, as well as vehicles that players can control.[2] Players can request a vehicle air-drop to any location.[3] The game introduced a "Plus" system which allows players to customize their weapons on the spot. The class system is significantly overhauled and removes the four defined classes from previous games; instead, players can assume control of a specialist who falls under the four traditional Battlefield gameplay classes of Assault, Engineer, Medic, and Recon. These characters can wield any of the weapons and gadgets that a player has unlocked. Each operator has their own unique skills and gadgets. For instance, one of the specialists, Emma "Sundance" Rosier, is equipped with a wingsuit, while another, Maria Falck, is equipped with a healing pistol.[4] Levolution and destructive environments from Battlefield 4 return in Battlefield 2042, and extreme weather effects such as tornadoes and sandstorms which may affect gameplay.[5] The game featured seven maps at launch, including 'Breakaway', the largest map in the history of the Battlefield franchise.[6]
The game has three main gameplay modes. "All-Out Warfare" encompasses "Breakthrough" and "Conquest", two staple modes of the series. In Conquest, two teams combat against each other to capture control points; once all control points in a sector are captured, the team controls said sector. In Breakthrough, one team must try to capture another team's control points, while another team must defend them.[7] Both modes can be played with and against AI-controlled players.[8] The PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S versions support matches with up to 128 players, whereas the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions support up to 64 players.[9] For the first time in the series, Battlefield 2042 features support for cross-platform play with the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S versions. While the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also support the feature, it is restricted to only players on the two aforementioned platforms.[10]
The second main mode included in the game is a community-driven platform called "Battlefield Portal". Portal allows players to create customized multiplayer modes and features select maps from past Battlefield games such as Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Battlefield 3.[11] In addition, players can modify core gameplay elements such as health, weapon loadouts, and movement through a web-based scripting application.[12][7]
The third mode is a cooperative multiplayer mode called "Hazard Zone". In this mode, players are divided into teams, and they must compete with each other to retrieve and extract data drives from the debris of fallen satellites. These data drives are guarded by enemy combatants controlled by AI-controlled players. Players earn "dark market credits" after successfully extracting a data drive. These credits can be spent on purchasing new weapons and upgrades in this mode.[13]
Battlefield 2042 does not have a single-player campaign.[14] Instead, the story is told through multiplayer gameplay.[15] Decades of devastation caused by collapsing economies, rising sea levels and broken alliances (including the collapse of the European Union due to Germany's bankruptcy and subsequent refugees known as "No-Pats") come to a peak in 2040 when a Kessler syndrome event occurs, causing 70% of orbiting satellites to crash to Earth. The resulting permanent global blackout causes tensions between the United States and Russia to skyrocket, with war breaking out by the year 2042.
The game is developed by series developer DICE in Sweden, with Ripple Effect Studios, EA Gothenburg, and Criterion Games assisting development. It has the largest development team for a Battlefield game, and Criterion had to put the production of the next Need for Speed game on hold in order to assist DICE.[23] Unlike previous installments in the series, the game does not have a traditional single-player campaign. This allowed DICE to allocate more resources to develop the multiplayer portion, which was considered to be the studio's area of expertise. Instead, the story is told through the specialists, which are named and fully-voiced characters who have their own stories and perspective. The narrative was described as "evolving" as new operators and locations would be added to the game post-release.[14] While the narrative of the game depicts a world ravaged by climate apocalypse, DICE added that the game was not a commentary on climate change and the team only chose this setting for "gameplay reasons".[24]
As each match can now accommodate more players, the team had significantly expanded the size of the maps. However, instead of simply creating huge maps, the locations in the game were designed based on the idea of "clustering" in order to funnel players towards a particular direction where they can engage with other players. Daniel Berlin, the design director of the game, described the maps as "several smaller maps stitched together". The decision to include artificial intelligence for the All-out Warfare mode was made early during the game's development as the team believed that it would be a good entry point for beginners.[25] Ripple Effect, formerly DICE Los Angeles, led the development of Battlefield Portal. The game runs on the latest iteration of the Frostbite engine.[26]
A short work-in-progress demonstration of the game was shown at the 2020 EA Play Live event, teasing large scale battles and detailed facial animations.[27][28] The game was announced on June 9, 2021. An open beta took place from October 6 to 9, 2021,[29] ahead of the game's launch on November 19, 2021, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The launch was delayed from its original October 22 release date due to impacts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[30]
The game's first trailer was released on June 9, 2021; it featured a remix of Mtley Cre's "Kickstart My Heart" by 2WEI.[31] The trailer was noted for including in its climatic moment a "rendezook" - a classic Battlefield trick shot whereupon during a dogfight, a player ejects from their jet, shoots down their pursuer using a bazooka while airborne, and then re-enters their jet. [32]
EA plans to support the game extensively with downloadable content after launch; Battlefield 2042 utilizes the battle pass model.[33] Gameplay content would be free for all players, whereas players who purchased the battle pass would receive additional cosmetic items.[34] Before the release of Season 1, DICE released several updates for the game; Update 4.1 removed the 128-player Breakthrough mode, which was deemed to be too chaotic.[35] As of October 2023, DICE had released a total of six seasons.[36]On April 9, 2024, DICE announced that Season 7 would be the last official season, but it will continue to maintain the game.[37]
Battlefield 2042 received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms, according to the review aggregator Metacritic,[54][55][56] making it the lowest-rated installment in the Battlefield series.[70]
Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game five out of five stars, writing: "Battlefield 2042 brings the sandbox back to the series in bold and controversial ways. The new Specialist system might seem like sacrilege at first, but it opens up gameplay opportunities that weren't possible in previous titles. The massive, well-designed maps offer plenty of room for experimentation and emergent stories, and the modes are a blast."[58] Hardcore Gamer summarized its 3/5 review by saying: "Battlefield 2042 should have been a triumphant return of the franchise and developer. In some respects, Battlefield 2042 delivers on its promises thanks to fantastic gameplay, a suite of new features and improvements, and a presentation that looks as good as it plays. Unfortunately, the game falls short just as much, if not more."[62]
Jordan Devore of Destructoid wrote, "Battlefield 2042 feels like it could become a cool game, but it's tantalizingly out of reach today. There's enough promise with the satisfying-when-it-works gunplay, large-scale chaos...It didn't have to be this way though."[57] GamesRadar+ praised Battlefield 2042's All-Out War, the visuals, and the Portal mode, but criticized the Hazard Zone mode and the removal of classes.[60] IGN thought similarly, concluding, "For a game claiming to be the future of Battlefield, 2042's impressive Portal options make it clear that it doesn't stack up to the past. Instead, it's those same customization tools that could come to define it in time."[63] GameSpot felt the game had a lot of variety but that many of the glitches hampered the experience, especially on PC.[59] Christian Vaz of PCGamesN gave the game a 7/10 and criticized it for feeling rushed, stating, "This near-future sequel has all the components it needs to become a classic entry in the multiplayer series, but it feels like 2042 is many updates away from reaching its full potential."[66]
Phil Iwaniuk writing for The Guardian gave the game two out of five stars, feeling that 128-player matches were too chaotic and granted little accomplishment for individuals while noting criticism of the game's multiple bugs and netcode issues.[61] VG247's Sherif Saed also criticized the game's bugs and poor technical state, adding that many of the same bugs had been present in recent Battlefield games.[69] Chris Jarrard of Shacknews described the game's Specialist system as "befuddling" and described maps as "uninspiring" and "painful to traverse" on foot, further criticizing technical issues.[68] Writing for Push Square, Liam Croft compared the game to a starter meal, stating that what the game offered at launch was too little for the asking price.[67]
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