The Battlefield franchise has taken something of a backseat over the last few years. While it has long been the biggest rival to the ever-popular Call of Duty series, Battlefield has gone through a bit of a slump across its last few entries. Meanwhile, the latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, has served as a massive resurgence for the first-person shooter franchise following a weak entry in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Battlefield could absolutely use a comparable bounce back from its latest entry, 2021's Battlefield 2042. After a title loaded with issues at launch that followed it even as its player base has stabilized, the next Battlefield game will certainly have to work a little harder to win back the trust of hardcore fans. Thankfully, publisher EA and developer DICE have an avenue that they can take that would differentiate this game from Call of Duty.
If Battlefield 6 Wants to Succeed as a Live Service, It Should Go All-In On a Rising Trend
While Battlefield leans on its realism for success, balancing this approach with trendy elements could bring greater success.
Battlefield Could Move Away From Where Call of Duty Went
Battlefield Larger War Emphasis Would Be A Change Of Pace From Call Of Duty
Compared to the Call of Duty franchise, Battlefield has largely succeeded in that it’s followed more large-scale wars and battles. Call of Duty, on the other hand, has largely stuck to smaller-scale stories with more of a spy-based feel. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a perfect example, as while it takes place during the Gulf War, it exists as more of a spy-action thriller that goes in several directions beyond the war.
Battlefield, on the other hand, has largely stuck to more conventional war stories in some of its recent games. 2016's Battlefield 1 took place in World War I, whereas 2018's Battlefield 5 moved ahead to World War II. With that in mind, Battlefield’s focus on larger-scale battles and war stories would help it to fill a void as a more conventional war shooter compared to where Call of Duty has gone as of late.
While Call Of Duty Experiments, Battlefield Could Stick To Convention
To that end, a Battlefield campaign sticking to conventional a bit more would be a change of pace from Call of Duty. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s campaign was notable in how it really changed gameplay styles and story concepts throughout its campaign. While this was one of the more exciting aspects of the Black Ops 6 campaign, its existence shouldn’t mean the end of conventional war stories in first-person shooters.
After all, it can be said that over the years, Call of Duty has somewhat abandoned the “war theater” stories in favor of Spec Ops and undercover operations. Thus, there’s room for a modern shooter that focuses on a cohesive warfighter-based story without overstaying its welcome. It could be refreshing for Battlefield to take this route with an upcoming campaign, especially since the franchise could use a strong single-player campaign that Battlefield 2042 was sorely missing.
Battlefield’s focus on larger-scale battles and war stories would help it to fill a void as a more conventional war shooter compared to where Call of Duty has gone as of late.
Battlefield Could Fill A Void Larger Than Call Of Duty
A conventional war-based Battlefield story could also be welcome since a lot of its similar war-based contemporaries have fallen by the wayside. The Brothers in Arms franchise hasn’t gotten a proper new game in well over a decade, and even with a new title in development, it’s hard to tell when it will be ready. Meanwhile, EA’s fellow war shooter Medal of Honor has largely been out of the spotlight for over a decade, creating a further void that a new Battlefield title could fill.
Between the struggles of its latest entry and the incredible bounceback that Call of Duty has seen, Battlefield could use a return to form with its next entry. Thankfully, EA and DICE have an angle to take that would help differentiate a new Battlefield from Activision’s shooter. With a greater focus on larger battles compared to Call of Duty, the next Battlefield game could be the shot in the arm that EA’s first-person shooter franchise desperately needs.
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
Battlefield 2042 is a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise. With the help of a cutting-edge arsenal, engage in intense, immersive multiplayer battles.
Lead your team to victory in both large all-out warfare and close-quarters combat on maps from the world of 2042 and classic Battlefield titles. Find your playstyle in class-based gameplay and take on several experiences comprising elevated versions of Conquest and Breakthrough. Explore Battlefield Portal, a platform where players can discover, create, and share unexpected battles from Battlefield's past and present.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items.
- Engine
- Frostbite
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
- 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
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 84 GB (June 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
