Battlefield V review – A rushed attack

When DICE dropped Battlefield I back in 2016, it breathed new life into EA’s flagship first-person-shooter (FPS).

The developer correctly gauged that FPS fans were fed up with the modern warfare setting so many military shooters were using. So tossing Battlefield’s theatre of conflict back to WWI not only seemed fresh, it opened up myriad changes in terms of fire-rate, strategy and how players tackled the multiplayer using the game’s asymmetrical specialist mechanic.

On top of that, the single player campaign told a series of fantastic stories that were genuinely respectful to the historic importance of the war and the sacrifices many made during it.

Battlefield V shifts the environment to World War II and again the single player campaign is well rounded and thoughtful, with none of the gung-ho bravado of this franchise in the past. Some of the stories it tells focus on characters who seem tangential to the main theatre of war, making them feel more intimate.

Much like its predecessor, Battlefield V’s shooting action is super-slick; weapons give a satisfying kick on the control pad when fired, the pace is smooth and fast without being frenetic and the game’s multiplayer maps are superbly designed, both in terms of their visual presentation and their dynamic events, which force players to switch up their strategy on the fly.

The only downside to the proceedings is the paucity of match types – Conquest once again is the highlight here – and this is endemic of the main problem facing anyone who shells out the requisite cash for Battlefield V: the whole game feels like it was rushed.

While the stories in the campaign are compelling, they’re over all too quickly; players find themselves ending their time with characters and plots just about when they feel like they were really getting into them.

Occasionally bugs and glitches can stymie the action in the multiplayer and can lead to matches ending in frustration rather than denouement. And then there’s the most glaring issue – Battlefield V’s nearest and dearest competitor, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 has a superb Battle Royale mode in Blackout, and Battlefield V lacks this mode at launch.

The game’s Battle Royale is coming, though, in the form of Firestorm, which lands in December, but it’s disappointing not to have it now. The bugs will also be ironed out as patches are on the way and all future maps will be free, so there’s more good news for players.

But in its current form, Battlefield V feels like it has the potential to be a great game, rather than being great at present. As it stands now, DICE feels like it rushed this game to market, and players may be advised to wait a while before purchasing it.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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