Battlefieldis a household name in the first-person shooter gaming category that has rivaledCall of Dutyfor years among a field of ever-increasing competitors. Since the release ofBattlefield 1942in 2002, the franchise has taken expectations of large-scale online first-person shooter games to new heights thanks to the intense competition withCall of Duty. However, of late, the tide seems to be turning for the worse for theBattlefieldfranchise, with new releases from theCall of Dutyfranchise likeModern Warfare 2garnering so much attention.Battlefieldhas had a rougher time in recent years, asBattlefield 2042,Hardline, andBattlefield 5have not made nearly as much headway in the gaming industry, lagging behindCall of Dutyin relevance.
Some gamers have preferredBattlefieldin the past due to its more strategic and grounded gameplay, in contrast to thebreakneck pace ofCall of Duty. Despite its past successes,Battlefieldmay have to revisit the drawing board to ensure its future as a franchise doesn’t turn completely bleak. Its struggles have been well-documented, and despite the fierce loyalty of members ofBattlefield’s fan base, patience might be running thin for the franchise to reassert its position as a top player in the first-person shooter market.
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Battlefield 5 And Its Historical Inaccuracies
Battlefield 5struggled right from its announcement trailer release, which received about 300,000 dislikes on YouTube before the streaming platform removed visible dislikes. The astonishing number of dislikes stemmed from what viewers perceived asBattlefieldrewriting history, a drastic change from what the franchise had prided itself upon in its heyday. Some gamers took exception to the female soldiers inBattlefield 5, and others focused on gameplay issues like poor multiplayer execution and the inability to use guns.
WhileBattlefield 5did okay in its reviewsfrom critics, the game endured horrendous ratings from gamers, as the misrepresentation of history proved too much for players to withstand. In addition to historical questions, gamers have accusedBattlefieldof abandoning everything that made it different fromCall of Duty, with the franchise electing to implement some elements from its rival’s games. This decision didn’t sit well withBattlefieldloyalists, who playedBattlefieldgames because they used to be markedly unique in the first-person shooter scene.
Hardline’s Episode Experiment
Battlefield Hardlinebrought polarizing new ideas to theBattlefieldfranchise, turning away from the customary multiplayer main attraction combined with almost afterthought single-player campaigns often seen in the franchise and committing to a total single-player game. However, single-player campaigns must have a captivating plot and characters to be successful, and unfortunately forBattlefield Hardline, it lacked both. The episode form of the game was great for fast pacing to keep gamers entertained, but very little attention was paid to landscape layouts, resulting in a bland mix of buildings.
Battlefield Hardline’s police-focused spintook away the traditionalBattlefieldaggressive gunplay in favor of a narrative experience, and such bold moves required execution to be near-perfect forHardlineto stick a landing with the fan base. While the ideas behind the game were innovative, it wasn’t enough to gain substantial traction in the gaming industry.
Battlefield 2042
The aftermath of the release ofBattlefield 2042has proven tumultuous to say the least, as an overwhelming majority of fans hate the game. Some players even started apetition for refunds on theirBattlefield 2042purchases, and they have ample reasons to feel maligned.Battlefield’s endearing characteristic since its inception was the ingenuity behind the character designs, weaponry, and movement featured in the series. Perhaps feeling pressure due to its earlier releases ofHardlineandBattlefield 5enduring tough times in the market, DICE elected to shake things up withBattlefield 2042. It’s fair to say it didn’t anticipate the level of pushback from fans the game would receive.
Not only didBattlefield 2042remove the solo progression feature, but the game felt as though it was released years before completion. The weapon selection was pitifully scant, player movement was unnatural, and the maps didn’t have much content. In addition to these shortcomings, the sheer number of bugsBattlefield 2042contained at launch was enough to turn most gamers off. The game brought a few redeeming features likeBattlefield Portal, but overallBattlefield 2042was another flop in a series of disappointments for theBattlefieldfranchise.
