At the back end of 2013, Battlefield 4 was released. It suffered so badly with launch issues and server problems it managed to seriously damage the reputation of the series with the fans and critics alike, and ruined the fantastic ground work laid down by Battlefield 3 before it. The release date of Battlefield Hardline was pushed back beyond the usual annual release window. Let’s hope then, that this delay allowed for enough time to allow for a smooth release of Hardline.
Battlefield Hardline takes a step away from the usual military shooter that the franchise is well known for. It focusses on something a little closer to home, the war on drugs – Police vs Criminals, and in principle, it is a fantastic idea. It gives the opportunity for fresh ideas for both campaign and online multiplayer, but they unfortunately aren’t fully realised.
Firstly, let’s look at the campaign. When I heard that there was going to be a complete overhaul to how the campaign would be in Hardline, and that it would take inspiration for TV shows, I got quite excited. I’m the sort of person who will play the single player modes on these FPS games before venturing online, so the more interesting and original they are the better. The premise of the game is refreshing. Venturing away from overused global warfare scenario and turning its sites to the war on the streets is a solid move, and one that could set Battlefield up for the future. However the implementation of the idea is somewhat lacking.
During the first few levels you’re introduced to key characters that will develop throughout the story. Each mission is split into an ‘episode’ format, and the whole story will take 10 episodes to complete. It is a nice touch, and even including a ‘previously on...’ and ‘next time on…’ when you start and finish a session harks to the television world from which the influence has been drawn, and it serves as a reminder if it has been a while since you last played. The first few levels of the game really drew me in to what Hardline was trying to do. But it quickly becomes a repetitive game, even if the story itself remains somewhat interesting – if not a bit predictable.
It is strange seeing Battlefield take a stealthy approach, which doesn’t allow the usual practice prior to online play. You’ll find that your police badge is an all powerful weapon, flash it at enemies, and they will stop in their tracks and be at your mercy – even if the odds are 3 on 1. It’s a bit strange to say the least considering we are talking about a ‘war’ on drugs and crime, and not one criminal is willing to take a risk once they are in the radius of the badge wave. What is an even more odd decision, even when you are no longer in the police force, you can still get enemies to ‘freeze’ and arrest them with the seemingly unlimited supply of handcuffs you’re carrying around – WTF is that about!? The whole arresting scenario got very boring around half way through, and I found myself trying to shoot my way through areas – this is not an option which can be pursued on harder difficulty level – go stealth or go home. There is also evidence to be gathered by walking around with your phone out to highlight items that can be scanned to put together enough evidence to close a case. Again, another good idea, which breaks down to pointing at bits of paper on a desk and holding ‘A’ for at least half of them.
Now let’s move to online. This is very much Battlefield by numbers, which for some maybe a good thing, others may be bad. I’m personally somewhere down the middle. I honestly feel that there was an opportunity here to do something different, make the online feel…new? But it just feels like a reskin of BF4 which in turn was just like BF3. In fact it feels a little less like Battlefield purely because taking the game away from the military side of things takes away both tanks and jets. Yes there are still plenty of vehicles, but most will be taking from A to B, or driving which another person hangs out of the window. There are some nice game modes aswell. Conquest is obviously still here and present – it wouldn’t be a Battlefield game without large scale objective capturing. But there are also new modes such as Heist, Hotwire and Rescue. All of which are new takes on the objective style gameplay. Heist will see the criminals trying to infiltrate vaults full of cash- two bags of cash to get to two different points on the map, with the cops trying to stop them. Hotwire is all about capturing vehicle and driving around to keep them. The longer you drive, the better your score. Rescue involves the cops trying to save hostages from the hands of the criminals. Other game modes include Team Deathmatch, Crosshair and Blood Money.
Map design is strong as usual in Battlefield games, catering for large scale games along with smaller, up close and personal encounters. Overall the online side of things is a success, even if it does have the ‘same old Battlefield’ feeling. I imagine that hardcore Battlefield veterans will feel a bit let down by the lack of tanks and jets fighters.
Battlefield Hardline is a game chock full of potential, and doesn’t quite utilise that potential to its fullest, which is a massive shame. There is plenty of gameplay available with online multiplayer – which has been running smoothly every time I’ve tried. If things were done a bit differently this could put Battlefield back on the map, as it is, COD is still king.
**Thank you to the Xbox Community Network for the opportunity to review this game**