Summary
- Battlefield 2042's Portal mode didn't live up to its potential, but the next game in the franchise should prioritize improving and expanding on it.
- The mode allows players to create custom game modes using assets from past Battlefield titles, offering a great tool for community-led creation and celebrating the franchise's history.
- To enhance Portal, future Battlefield games should include assets from more past games, like Battlefield 1, and DICE should take a more active role in highlighting popular community creations to encourage more player engagement.
Although Battlefield 2042 was marred by its problematic state of launch, the title still possesses a lot of great qualities that could boost the next installment of the iconic franchise. The game has done well in recent months to make its core experience far more enjoyable, but one of its more longstanding game modes still remains as something deserving of an extra push.
Prior to release, one of Battlefield 2042's most anticipated features was its Portal mode, which gives power to the players to create some fascinating in-game experiences using assets from a variety of past Battlefield titles. Sadly, Portal did not reach its full potential whatsoever in Battlefield 2042. This is something that the next addition to the franchise should aim to change with its own interpretation of the mode.
Future Battlefield Games Should Take 2024's Portal To the Next Level
Battlefield 2042's Portal mode allows players to use assets from the following past titles:
- Battlefield 2042
- Battlefield 1942
- Battlefield Bad Company 2
- Battlefield 3
Players can then pull from these releases to create custom game modes and experiences that can then be shared with and accessed by the wider community. These assets include things like maps, weapons, vehicles, and classes from some of the most iconic Battlefield titles, being an excellent tool for community-led creation while celebrating the best of the franchise's history.
Portal Was a Diamond in Battlefield 2042's Rough
Sadly, Battlefield 2042 was impacted by controversy from the get-go thanks to things like its lack of a traditional single-player and the absence of scoreboards and the iconic four-class Battlefield sytem at launch. This initial negativity saw Battlefield 2042's player counts drop drastically only weeks after launch, with this mass exodus from the title having a clear impact on the success of Portal.
At its best, Portal could have offered thrilling time-bending experiences using equipment over a 100-year period, but it is fair to say that the mode never really found its feet in the unsteady home of 2042. While nothing is currently confirmed in terms of a new Battlefield project, it is clear that the next game for the IP should prioritize carrying the torch of Portal and giving it the polished feel it deserves.
Battlefield Should Use its Full Breadth in a Future Portal Mode
An obvious way that a future Battlefield release could improve on Portal is to bolster the amount of past games it offers assets from, with Battlefield 1 being a very popular title that would offer equipment and maps as far back as 1914. This would only increase the wacky possibilities of futuristic versus historical warfare, with Battlefield 1 still possessing a thriving community that almost rivals 2042 to this day.
DICE should also take a more direct role in the management of Portal in a future Battlefield game, shining clear spotlights on the most popular community creations to encourage a larger playerbase to engage with them. Of course, a smoother launch for the next Battlefield release will also ensure that players are not focusing too much on required changes for its base experience, allowing the playerbase to organically explore Portal away from any stigma of standard gameplay.
Players noted Portal as a mode of great potential ever since it was announced prior to Battlefield 2042's release, making the lack of real success for the mode all the more disheartening. However, this setback should only be used to fuel the creation of a more complete Portal in any future Battlefield projects, with a wider selection of games and more direct promotion from DICE hopefully making the mode one of the most engaging that the franchise has ever seen.
Battlefield 2042
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 65 /100 Critics Rec: 32%
- Released
- November 19, 2021
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- Battlefield
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 84 GB (June 2023)
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
