I think it’s fair to say that Battlefield 2042 was a bit of a mess. The game was marred by technical issues, the map design was a mixed bag at best, and then there was the whole controversy over the class system (or lack thereof). Despite the availability of countless updates in the four years since release, Battlefield 2042 never really recovered from the fumbled launch. It’s for this reason that Battlefield 6 feels like such an important game for Electronic Arts, and one that the company can’t afford to get wrong.
Fortunately for long-suffering Battlefield fans, this is very much a case of mission accomplished, despite the game featuring a lacklustre campaign, which is its one major flaw.
That’s not to say the Battlefield 6 campaign is terrible, it’s just extremely generic.
The opening level, in particular, gave me an enormous sense of deja vu, featuring many of the same set piece and story beats as rival military first-person shooters from the past couple of decades. This includes a sudden and unexpected attack on your base; a failed evacuation attempt complete with downed helicopter; and a deadly last stand that doesn’t end well for your squadmates.
Perhaps if we were treated to this particular campaign 20 years ago it would feel more revolutionary, but in the here and now, it’s very much a case of been there, done that.
Another problem is that the campaign doesn’t reflect what the Battlefield series is famous for, which is all-out warfare on a grand scale. It feels much smaller in scope and far more controlled compared to the almost overwhelming size and absolute chaos of the multiplayer experience. It really is night and day.
For all of its flaws, however, I will give the development team credit for the way the game looks, how it sounds and the overall performance.
From the opening attack on your base, to the customary night vision stage and tank warfare level, Battlefield 6 is a seriously good looking game with lots of impressive visual effects and some excellent character models.
It’s also nice to see a triple-A game performing so well at launch, and not beset by game-breaking glitches and immersion-breaking bugs.
And it’s because the game performs so well that players are really able to appreciate the sheer spectacle of the Battlefield 6 multiplayer experience, which is undoubtedly where the game shines brightest.
With bullets whizzing by from all angles, tanks turning buildings into rubble and jets falling at your feet, Battlefield 6 multiplayer matches are as exhausting as they are exhilarating.
It helps that the boring, bloated battlegrounds of 2042 have been replaced with a far more engaging set of maps with fewer deadzones and superior encounters.
From the streets of Manhattan, to the trenches of Mirak Valley via old-school oil fields, Battlefield 6 is a varied game with something for everyone, including Call of Duty fans.
Indeed, smaller scale maps like the gorgeous Saints Quarter feel like they’ve been designed with Call of Duty fans in mind, making it the perfect battleground for players making the switch from one famous first-person shooter franchise to the other. It’s also a good map for improving your shooting skills and for understanding how the game’s impressive destruction mechanic can be used to your advantage.
Speaking of destruction, arguably no map does it better than the aforementioned Mirak Valley, which is where Battlefield 6 is at its biggest and best.
While the single-player campaign suffers from a lack of new ideas, the multiplayer experience feels like Battlefield of old, and is all the better for it.
It’s a spectacular multiplayer game that captures everything we love about the iconic first-person shooter series, albeit with flashier visuals, more destruction, and improved performance.
With the promise of more maps and game modes to come, Battlefield 6 could very well dethrone Call of Duty as the number one first-person shooter franchise.
Indeed, with the Call of Duty series seemingly on the ropes, Battlefield’s return to form couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
VERDICT: 4.5/5