Review: Battlefield 1

G’day there guys and gals!

I have always considered myself a history buff, and a nerd for facts, and Battlefield 1 immediately left an impression on me as soon as the announcement was made. Rare is the title set in World War 1, even more so in a AAA developed title, and thus it has captured the attention of many gamers worldwide. While its campaign is a slight stretch of the actual events of the First World War, the accuracy in places, its setting and tone are masterfully done and executed.
Battlefield 1 features multiple stories set across years and borders of the conflict in the early 20^th century, and is intended to prepare players for the multiplayer, while also shedding light on the horrors, tragedies and cost of human life in such an event. From the Alps to the shores of Gallipoli, each character has their own exclusive story to be told. 

To put it bluntly, from its campaign to its multiplayer, Battlefield 1 is a title any gamer should try.

First and foremost, the gameplay itself is by far the best in the series, and stands apart from other shooters currently at release. The shooting mechanic is smooth and clean, with controls in the game just as so. Mantling and manoeuvring throughout the maps and world is simple, yet easily done nearly across the board of every map. Each weapon has an adequately different recoil, sound and look, all the way down to even the smallest of animations on the weapon including bullets and reloading. Sound effects and musical score is incredibly well done, the return of a classical score is beautifully done and suits the tone and setting in both modes. Finally, the graphics; in a word – magnificent. Cutscenes move fluently and add much needed backstory in the campaign. While the gameplay sadly isn’t as detailed, it is still just as impressive, with just the right amount make gamers stop mid fight and enjoy the view.

This brings me to the campaign itself; despite being short, it is an incredibly well done campaign. While it does stand as a preparation for the online portion of the title (introducing the multiple classes you can play as), the short stories of each person are unique to their own and are well planned out. I must mention now the addition of playing as an Australian in Gallipoli as an incredible moment for me as a gamer; few are WW1 title games, and I can name only one that even mentions our contribution to the war, let alone view it from their eyes. The jokes, the references, the accuracy (when applicable) were all incredibly written and performed. This goes across the board for all the campaign moments: a British tank driver, an American plane operator, multiple named KIA soldiers and so on, each story ties around their journeys in the war. In saying this, their shortness was something to be noted, with the entirety of the campaign easily completed in six hours, it did leave more to be desired, which is where the multiplayer comes in.

In a simpler word, the multiplayer is flawed, but gallant. Players have the option from multiple modes, most of which revolving around holding ground ala King of the Hill style, with the exception of two modes; Team Deathmatch and Carrier Pidgeon. Team Deathmatch has teams of ten fighting in restricted parts of each map, allowing a decent amount of both long range and short range opportunities. Carrier Pidgeon has two teams fighting over a Pidgeon coop containing coordinates to fire upon the enemy’s position. One team fights to release the pidgeon, the other to stop it.

The multiplayer does have its fair share of bugs, many of which are screen tears, but the biggest issue is the weaponry and the menu options. While weapons aren’t nerfed, they are all brought up to mostly the same damage. Single shot rifles will take three hits to kill, snipers two, machine rifles fifteen, etc. This does create a lot of unbalance in the classes, with the easiest weapon to score kills off of being the pistol; all are at the same damage, with the exclusion of one. Obtain that one, and your K/D ratio will skyrocket.
However, your ratio does not determine how well you can level up. Playing well in your class can aid much faster than killing many people from the opposite team. For example, choosing the medic, you can kill three people and revive 30 allies and earn more than the top five players. Of course, killing multiple enemies and reviving more would be preferable, but is incredibly hard to pull off, in Medic or any class.
The only real true complaint is the menus in the multiplayer being incredibly hard to navigate. Beginning matches is simple enough, but it is exiting them that becomes the hassle; players will only have the option to leave a match a few seconds after the ending of each match, and navigating away from the ending menu to see the scores or waiting for the unlocks to appear will render this option useless.

It’s rare that a game comes out where I can only nitpick the smaller things, such as these complaints and small issues. There are those in the community that are experiencing issues with their game, such as freezing menus, multiplayer never loading and so on, but as I have never experienced them, I cannot attest to them nor add them to my final verdict on this title.
It’s hard to place a game such as this in a spot that it deserves. As an Australian, I want to rate it for its graceful use of the ANZAC legend. As a gamer, I want to praise its gameplay. As a reviewing journalist, I want to point out its flaws and make sure my audience knows what to expect. Finding that balance between objectivism and being partisan.

So I must be both; Battlefield 1 is a brilliant first person shooter with the right elements for one of the best multiplayer experiences yet this year. Its short campaign leaves you wanting more, its microtransations and locked skins will discourage many, but the content available now – its large maps with terrific gameplay – is definitely something any gamer should try, whether they’re a history fan or simply enjoy first person shooters. Battlefield 1 has enough character for all.

Battlefield 1 - 8/10