Battlefield 1 review

Multiplayer

Battlefield 1 multiplayer is exactly what you’d expect from the series. Battles are epic, long, and take place over gigantic (and varied) landscapes. From the valleys of Italy, to the forests of France, to the dunes of the Sinai desert, the game sees players travel the world to the theaters of the First World War.

Each map is distinct and hosts environments conducive to different playstyles. The base game only contains 12 maps, but they are so large and malleable that you won’t tire quickly.

Customizable classes return from previous games, with Assault, Medic, Support and Scout, all featuring distinct upgrades and weapons. The progression system isn’t anything special – helpful upgrades are few and far between, and players will likely find themselves clinging to their most effective gear for extended periods of play. Thankfully though, the stellar gameplay is engaging enough to overlook the slow progression.

Mode

While most players will spend hours playing the classic Battlefield Conquest mode, there are a few additional game types. Most notably, War Pigeons is Battlefield’s team version of Halo’s Juggernaut mode. Teams must capture a carrier pigeon, which will send a message to allied artillery if players can safely write their message.

Additionally, Battlefield 1’s Operations mode is particularly thrilling, where teams fight in a tug-of-war for a whole series of matches. These sessions can take a long time, but they are extremely engaging.

Criticism

However, the game isn’t flawless. Battlefield 1 features the dreaded loot box; however, they only provide cosmetic rewards and do not affect combat balance. Let’s face it: loot boxes in full-price games are unforgivable. At least Battlefield 1 has the courtesy to keep them from being intrusive.

Battlefield 1 also offers ridiculously long load times, even though the game is three years old and DICE’s online shooters still have the same problem today. Sure, there’s a lot to load up for the game, but waiting nearly 10 minutes to get into a game with moments left is a headache. It’s been so long since Battlefield 1 was released that most of the obvious bugs have been fixed.

Final verdict

No game is perfect and Battlefield 1 wasn’t at the time of release – search online for some hilarious glitch compilations, because there are a lot of them. But today the game is smoother than ever. It is certainly not the only online shooter on the market and already has a following.

However, if you’ve never picked Battlefield 1, it’s easily one of the best entries in the series since Bad Company 2. Battlefield 1 isn’t revolutionary and doesn’t try to be, but it has aged well enough to hold up against any shooter in 2019.