Fighter Jets roaring across the sky, Buildings Collapsing, a ferocious storm engulfs the Island..Welcome to Battlefield 4.
EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE) latest offering has hit the shelves, will it be a HIT or MISS
Read on..
Gameplay
On the main screen during Gameplay, there is a Compass for Navigation and a Mini map, together with an objective note above it. These are located in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. The Mini map shows the the location of the three kinds of entities, these being Blue = Allies, Green = Squadmates and Orange = Enemies.
A vast selection of weapons are available, some of these have the option to fire single shot for more accuracy, or automatic fire when you just want to spray the enemy with lead. This is easily switched from one mode to the other using the 'D' Pad.
There are also plenty of Vehicles available, Land, Sea and Air, which are to say the least impressive.
The menu's are pretty easy to master, with good use of the trigger and bumper buttons to aid navigation.
Campaign mode
The year is 2020, Russia and the USA are on the brink of all out war, and China is on the verge of destabilisation as Admiral Chang a staunch opponent of the regime is about to overthrow the Government. How will this affect the US and Russian conflict? The simple answer is that The Chinese will join Russia in their pursuit of Destroying the Americans, which will have catastrophic consequences!
You play as Sergeant Daniel Recker, fondly known as 'Reck' to his buddies. Reck is a US Special Op, and in his team we have 'Dunn', 'Irish' and 'Pac'.
To begin with its much like your first day at school, feeling a little apprehensive along side experienced old timers! But very quickly the 'lads' make you feel welcome, and by the end of the first mission you are 'one of them'.
Without giving too much away, there are some harrowing moments, tinged with in some cases sad moments where you take time out to reflect on events.
But this is serious business, the job has to be done if we are to survive!
The missions are pretty tough, the action is relenting, this all complimented with some impressive cut scenes.
I do not generally enjoy offline gameplay these days, but Battlefield 4 Campaign certainly is addictive, and importantly an engrossing storyline
Multiplayer Modes
Play with up to 24 players, there are various game modes, all enjoyable in their own right.
Conquest
Capture and hold objectives with the help of armoured vehicles, Aircraft, Jetskis, speedboats
And much more.
Team deathmatch
Team deathmatch where killing your opponent is the only objectIve.
Obliteration
Gain possession of the bomb and destroy your enemies objectives
Rush
Warfare on a medium scale, attackers versus defenders two objectives that make up each defending base
Squad deathmatch
Close quarters infantry combat your squad fights three other squads, the Squad with the most Kills wins.
Domination
Capture and hold objectives.
Defuse
This is close quarters infantry combat, no redeploy, no vehicles, multiple quick rounds of attackers versus defenders with one bomb and two objectives.
There is a Tutorial which demonstrates how each Game mode works, this can be found on the multiplayer menu screen and is very helpful.
Before taking to the battlefields with anger, it is advisable to visit the test range. Here you can try out the Land, Air and Sea vehicles.
You can also try out the vast array of weapons available.
Battle log Missions
You can invite up to four friends and create a mission by selecting the Main Objective, such as most kills or most dog tags etc.
The Maps
There are ten maps in all, my favourite being 'Paracel Storm'. Air and Sea combat is the main focus of this map, the Dynamic weather adding to the atmosphere, where a raging storm gathers during the heat of battle.
Zavod 311 is set in Russia, the action takes place at a Russian tank factory, close combat aided by various vehicles there is plenty of opportunity to improve you kill/death ratio. Blowing up buildings alters the dimensions of the map, a clever addition.
Siege of Shanghai urban warfare in this historic Chinese City, the battle aided by multiple vehicles at you disposal.
Flood Zone is another impressive map. When you think you are in control on the ground, the Dam is blown up by the opposition and before you know it the Flood is upon you. All of a sudden the Naval forces are critical to your survival!
Lancang Dam is as the title suggests is based around the huge Lancang Dam. Air,Sea and Land combat at its best. This map is particularly enjoyable in the Conquest game mode, where holding onto objectives is definitely a challenge.
Golmud Railway is a large map, consisting of huge open fields, patience is the key here, where air support is a key component if you want success on the Battlefield.
Rogue Transmission is based around a Chinese Observatory. Air support and armoured vehicles are important to gain the upper hand.
Hainan Resort set on an idyllic Island, this map has less focus on vehicles and more on 'in your face' combat. A hotel gives much needed cover, and control of this area is important.
Dawnbreaker is the only map set in relative darkness, at first it appears quite a challenge, but as you get used to it, it definitely works. Urban combat in the City is the setting, with Air and Land support vehicles on hand.
And finally Operation Locker, you don't have to look far for action here. Strategic use of the various tunnels is key. Also The terrain is Snow covered which adds a different feel to the other maps.
Overall
When starting out, I was guilty of trying to compare different aspects of Battlefield 4 to Call of Duty. There is no comparison. Battlefield 4 is a game based on strategy rather than full blown shoot em up scenarios.
The selection of Weapons is impressive, with some powerful offerings from the word go.
The maps are on the large side, maybe a little too much space at times as you can run for literally minutes before engaging the enemy.
The selection of Multiplayer modes are good, the difference between them enough to make the choice of equipment important.
Graphically I was expecting a little more. Some of the buildings appeared 'blocky' in places and the action often takes place at a distance, where your target is but a speck on the landscape.
But don't let this put you off, this is an excellent game, both online and offline, it deserves a place in your collection.
