Game Review: Battlefield 1 (Xbox One)

Fans of the first-person shooter genre began to rapidly become disenchanted with the increasingly futuristic direction that game series like Call of Duty were continuing to take. Despite the disgruntled fan base, Activison pressed on with the release of “Infinite Warfare” in 2016. This particular game took things a step too far for some. It was set primarily in space and introduced laser weapons as well as placing a heavy emphasis on the usage of jump-jets. EA, the publisher of rival series Battlefield swooped in and gave fans exactly what they wanted. Battlefield 1 sent the genre back in time, to the First World War.

Similar to its predecessors, Battlefield 1 is a first-person shooter game that emphasizes teamwork. It is set in the period of World War I, and is inspired by historical events. Players can make use of World War I weapons, including bolt-action rifles, automatic and semi-automatic rifles, artillery, flamethrowers, and mustard gas to combat opponents. The game’s multiplayer mode supports up to 64 players.

During the single-player campaign, the player controls six different characters from a first-person perspective over six different chapters. Unlike previous campaigns in the series, Battlefield 1’s single-player story mode is composed of six separate “War Stories”. Each is shown through the eyes of separate allied soldiers from different nationalities. “Storm of Steel” – the prologue of the game which is set in France through the eyes of several Harlem Hellfighters,.”Through Mud and Blood” – set in France though the eyes of a British tank driver. “Friends in High Places” – France and the UK as a Royal Flying Corps fighter pilot. “Avanti Savoia” – Italy as a mournful survivor and member of the Arditi. “The Runner” – the Gallipoli Peninsula (the European half of Turkey) through an ANZAC runner. Finally, “Nothing is Written” – set in Mesopotamia through the eyes of a Bedouin warrior under the command of Lawrence of Arabia.

Battlefield 1 delivers an authentic, heartfelt and respectful experience that demonstrates the horror of war. It is right up there as one of the best games of this type that I have ever played. Firstly, it’s absolutely stunning visually with some series attention to detail. Secondly, the sound design and soundtrack is incredible. Guns feel weighty and deliver a satisfying punch.

The World War One setting is one that hasn’t been explored as much as other wars. This helps make the whole game feel extremely refreshing or new. We’ve never seen a game based on this subject matter at such a scale and it doesn’t disappoint.

The six campaign missions each deliver stories from different parts of the battlefield. You’ll ride with a crew aboard a Mark V tank, blasting your way through devastated landscapes. Then, you’ll fly through the skies and battle destructive zeppelins. After that, you’ll stealth your way through a golden desert. What I’ve described simply scrapes the top of the barrel. Each Campaign is fun and memorable. However, I cannot praise their length. I played this game for free with EA access. Those that paid full price have every right to feel short-changed. Still, it gives the player a positive yet sombre message about the loss and sacrifice of those that fought in the battle.

I have to say though; there is definitely something to be said about the game being rather biased. All of the stories take place from the perspective of the “allies” which is disappointing.

Anyway, most of the people that bought Battlefield 1 did so for the multiplayer alone. Well, I can safely say that it is awesome. My favourite mode has to be the classic “Conquest” mode. This is one of the standard game modes in the Battlefield series. Teams capture objectives across the map, earning points based on the number of objectives they hold. If a team is suffering from a major point deficit, a Behemoth-class vehicle (such as a Zeppelin, an armoured train or a Dreadnought) becomes available for their use.

These matches are made up of 64 players and can sometimes go for 30 minutes or more. However, it never fails to be a complete blast. They take place on huge, well varied maps that each adds something different.  The matches even include Tanks, Horses, Planes and other ways of getting from one end of the map to the other.

I almost exclusively stuck to Conquest but I tried others such as: Domination which can be delightfully chaotic fun.

Overall, Battlefield 1 is a great game. I highly recommend it to those that have tired of the futuristic direction of the genre. (I know there are a lot of images in this review but I’m sorry, this game is beautiful).