Battlefield V

Battlefield V serves as a remarkable look at World War II. If you played and were a fan of 2016’s Battlefield 1, then you will be happy to know that there’s enough changes and ideas implemented in Battlefield V to make it worth checking out.

Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, the newest iteration of the series returns to it’s root as we take an intimate look at war.

Battlefield VBattlefield V Details

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC
Developer: EA DICE
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: First-person shooter, battle royale
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)

Battlefield V

War through the eyes of the soldiers of WWII

Continuing with what Battlefield 1 introduced, War Stories return. These are smaller and bite-sized tales about the war. The campaign lasts anywhere from 8 to 10 hours. The anthology format works for the series in a way that previous campaigns were unable to do. Granted, some War Stories are better than others.

Of note, the final episode of Battlefield V’s War Stories is missing. The Last Tiger, is post-launch content, puts players in a German’s perspective of the World War II. Taking place within a Tiger tank, you’re in charge of a veteran officer. The final episode is due to launch in December.

Battlefield V

On a positive note, the characters you encounter in each mini-campaign are interesting. Nordlys, the first story in the campaign, introduce us to Solveig—a woman working with the Norwegian Resistance. The second episode, Tirailleur, follows Deme—a solider in the Senegalese French Colonial Forces during their landing in Southern France. Under No Flag is set in North Africa and tells the tale of Billy Badger, who is part of the Special Boat Services.

Although the War Stories offer a great experience, I just can’t help feeling that not including the last episode of War Stories makes the game feel rushed. It’s quite surprising for such an illustrious franchise.

Battlefield V

Improved gunplay and gameplay

Most importantly in a shooter, is how well the gunplay is and how well each gun handles. I am happy to say that combat in Battlefield V is faster and better paced than previous entries. For the first time in ages, gameplay and gunplay hit a peak point and bounce off each other in a way the series has never seen before.

DICE has tightened up the game’s class-based gameplay, which is one of the staples Battlefield V is known for. Each class have enough differences that there is a clear purpose to them. Working with others and sticking to different roles is crucial to survival and success. Health and ammo are scarce, and during several matches online, I learned just how important ensuring my squad always had both a Support and Medic role filled.

Battlefield V

In fact, as someone primarily plays as a Medic in this series, this is the first time I felt that explicitly serving as a healer was key to gaining the best progress. By healing others and reviving them, my score increased exponentially, and I was more than happy saving soldiers rather than killing them.

Not only that, but each class now has a specialization available that further enhances the gameplay. For example, the Medic class now allows you to choose between a Field Medic or a Combat Medic. The latter includes instant melee takedowns with faster sprinting at low health. The former class doles out more Requisition Points when healing teammates, and faster sprinting to downed soldiers.

Battlefield V

One of the most visually stunning games of 2018

Graphically, the tech running this game is stunning. Everything looks phenomenal from the snowy peaks In Norway all the way to the besieged city of Rotterdam. Grass fields sway and paint vivid pictures of Arras, France.

Occasionally I’d stop and look around at the environments, which feature some of the most realistic locations I’ve ever seen. In the heat of the moment, you might be hunkered down in a building waiting for the best moment to move out. The next thing you know, the walls get blown out and you’re exposed to enemy fire. Those moment to moment action pieces are some of the best things about the Frostbite engine.

Another thing that caught me off guard was the sound engineering Battlefield V features. Coming off so many high-profiles AAA games, you forget how crucial exemplary sound mixing is. With headphones on, hearing footprints in the snow puts you in those shoes. Without a doubt, sound in a shooter like this pushes the experience to a new level.

Battlefield V

Classic multiplayer fun

As it is with most first-person shooters, the majority of your time spent is within the multiplayer modes. Battlefield V comes with eight maps across numerous modes included. Conquest is your standard game of attrition where both sides aim to capture and hold the battlefield. Frontlines is a mix of Conquest and Rush and both sides fight over one objective at a time, with the winning side pushing the frontline further into enemy territory.

Domination is similar to Conquest but with smaller maps. Team Deathmatch is frantic and exciting and a personal favourite of mine. Grand Operations is Battlefield V’s take on Operations from Battlefield 1. Players engage and compete across a series of in-game days where each day plays out on a map.

Battlefield V

What you and your squad do, what the enemies do, everything has an impact on how the narrative plays out, the gameplay the next day. It’s like a ripple in the water that gets bigger as the week goes on. One day might see you have supple amounts of ammo. The next, depending on whether your side won or lost, gives more ammo or less ammo.

Sadly and quite surprising, the much talked about and highly anticipated Battle Royale mode called Firestorm does not ship with the game. The mode pits 64-players against each other but with a Battlefield spin. It’s currently scheduled to launch in March of next year.

Battlefield V

Battlefield V implements enough gameplay changes and new ideas to make it a worthy successor

Battlefield V is one of the best-looking games this year. However, that doesn’t excuse launching the game with missing content and modes. That said, there’s some good single-player content worth checking out and the multiplayer modes included pack exciting gameplay scenarios that are hard to replicate elsewhere.

DICE is dropping main parts of the game in incremental pieces and that leads me to believe that Battlefield V was rushed to the market for the holiday season. There’s a ton of potential for Battlefield V to be an even better game than it is. With that being said, if you are a fan of the Battlefield franchise, Battlefield V is a worthy purchase and a game that will only get better as time goes on.

+ Incredible visuals
+ Gunplay and gameplay have been improved in new and exciting ways
+ Each class have enough differences to give them a clear purpose

– War Stories are good but not great
– Battle Royale mode delayed until March 2019

OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF BATTLEFIELD V

Gameplay: 4/5
Graphics: 4.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 4/5

Overall Rating 4.1/5 (82%)

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Jon Scarr
Jon is the Gaming Editor and is based in Toronto. He is a proud Canadian who has a serious passion for gaming. He is a veteran of the video game and tech industry with over 20 years experience. You can often find Jon streaming the latest games on his YouTube channel. Jon loves to talk about gaming and tech, come say hi and join the conversation with Jon on Threads @4ScarrsGaming and @4Scarrsgaming on Instagram.