Battlefield is a household name in the first-person shooter gaming category that has rivaled Call of Duty for years among a field of ever-increasing competitors. Since the release of Battlefield 1942 in 2002, the franchise has taken expectations of large-scale online first-person shooter games to new heights thanks to the intense competition with Call of Duty. However, of late, the tide seems to be turning for the worse for the Battlefield franchise, with new releases from the Call of Duty franchise like Modern Warfare 2 garnering so much attention. Battlefield has had a rougher time in recent years, as Battlefield 2042, Hardline, and Battlefield 5 have not made nearly as much headway in the gaming industry, lagging behind Call of Duty in relevance.
Some gamers have preferred Battlefield in the past due to its more strategic and grounded gameplay, in contrast to the breakneck pace of Call of Duty. Despite its past successes, Battlefield may 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 of Battlefield'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.
Battlefield 5 And Its Historical Inaccuracies
Battlefield 5 struggled 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 as Battlefield rewriting history, a drastic change from what the franchise had prided itself upon in its heyday. Some gamers took exception to the female soldiers in Battlefield 5, and others focused on gameplay issues like poor multiplayer execution and the inability to use guns.
While Battlefield 5 did okay in its reviews from 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 accused Battlefield of abandoning everything that made it different from Call of Duty, with the franchise electing to implement some elements from its rival's games. This decision didn't sit well with Battlefield loyalists, who played Battlefield games because they used to be markedly unique in the first-person shooter scene.
Hardline's Episode Experiment
Battlefield Hardline brought polarizing new ideas to the Battlefield franchise, 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 for Battlefield 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 spin took away the traditional Battlefield aggressive gunplay in favor of a narrative experience, and such bold moves required execution to be near-perfect for Hardline to 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 of Battlefield 2042 has proven tumultuous to say the least, as an overwhelming majority of fans hate the game. Some players even started a petition for refunds on their Battlefield 2042 purchases, 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 of Hardline and Battlefield 5 enduring tough times in the market, DICE elected to shake things up with Battlefield 2042. It's fair to say it didn't anticipate the level of pushback from fans the game would receive.
Not only did Battlefield 2042 remove 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 bugs Battlefield 2042 contained at launch was enough to turn most gamers off. The game brought a few redeeming features like Battlefield Portal, but overall Battlefield 2042 was another flop in a series of disappointments for the Battlefield franchise.