Battlefield V Review

For those who aren’t sure, Battlefield V is the fifth entry into the Battlefield franchise. Usually I’d think of something a bit funnier to say for an opener, but I refuse to put in more effort than EA did with their overpriced, flashy, cookie-cutter shooter. Of course, I’m only joking (backtrack, backtrack). No, Battlefield V does a much better job at actually feeling like a sequel or evolution of the series, instead of just doing the same thing over and over again. The visuals, the sound, the gameplay, the story arcs, all of these aspects come together really well and make for a rather wonderful experience. That being said, however, there are things about this game that really piss me off, like that bullshit ‘Firestorm’ battle royale mode. Nothing like trying to milk those extra dollars, eh EA? I’ll give you this, though, you do have more originality than Black Ops 4 had. The name ‘Firestorm’ is, at least, fairly interesting compared to ‘Blackout’. Anyways, I digress.

So Battlefield V, where to start with this? Considering the sheer amount of modes alone, it can be a bit difficult getting into things or just wrapping your head around it in general. The easy place to start, in multiplayer anyway, would be the Conquest mode. Conquest is the tried and true, go to option for veteran fans of Battlefield and in this newest installment, I’m happy to say that Conquest does not disappoint. Boasting eight maps, each more enjoyable than the last, players will get a nice sense of variety as they go about with their rooty-shooty fun. Oh, pro tip actually, this might come as surprise to some players but don’t stand around to gaze at the gorgeous scenery in these maps as you will find yourself respawning quite regularly.

Conquest aside, some of the other modes that players should check out (if they haven’t already) are ‘Frontlines’ and ‘Grand Operations’. Now, I’m not usually big into multiplayer oriented games, but Battlefield V’s ‘Grand Operations’ mode is pretty damn fun, if a bit lengthy. Taking place over four days (not four actual days of course), players are put through several different objectives and modes as they compete to win it all with grueling determination. I have to say, I think this one of the best modes because it offers multiple flavours of gameplay instead of the basic ‘Conquest’ formula, if you will. Not that Conquest isn’t exciting, but it’s very plain. If it were a bag of chips it would be original.

Moving along, though, we get to ‘Frontlines’. A hectic, 32-player game mode, ‘Frontlines’ returns from Battlefield 1 in all of it’s amazing, action-filled glory. This time, however, it includes aircraft vehicles which is just kind of a nightmare, especially when there’s already 32-players running around. Mass carnage that will lead to inevitable death aside, ‘Frontlines’ accomplishes what it sets out to do with its hardcore, capture the flag style gameplay. Again, more interesting than Conquest, but that doesn’t mean Conquest is bad.

Stepping away from the multiplayer and diving into the single player now, I just have one thing to say; “Hey Black Ops 4! Look! You can still have an interesting and dynamic single player while also incorporating multiplayer elements!”. I’ll be honest with you readers, I almost want to give Battlefield V a 10/10 just because it has single player, regardless of the overall quality. I’m nothing if not a professional, though, so I will do my best to be as critical as possible when discussing Battlefield V’s single player, titled ‘War Stories’. Long story short, it seems that, once again, a great deal of care was taken by the fine people at DICE and EA. All of the campaigns in this title are definitely worth playing, for sure, but they’re also emotionally draining in many ways.

Heading to the end now, the last thing I wish to discuss in regards to Battlefield V is the lastability of the title. In other words, will Battlefield V stand above the rest of the franchise and be an enjoyable shooter for years to come, or will it be just another entry into the library of FPS’s where it waits for its server to shutdown. Honestly, and this hurts considering how much I do enjoy the game, but I think Battlefield V is destined to be just another above average shooter. Solid in several ways, certainly, but nothing that’ll keep fans glued to it. As soon as Battlefield 6 comes out, V will be another copy on the shelf, another combination of ones and zeros that, despite being quite excellent in several ways, will probably never be played again. Mind you, this is how it’s worked for years in the competitive FPS market, so I can’t really expect things to change.

With that in mind and everything taken into account, is Battlefield V worth picking up? I would say it certainly is, despite the obvious cash-grab ‘Firestorm’ mode and the inevitable day one glitches that’ll need to be patched out, Battlefield V does a wonderful job at making a game players won’t soon forget (at least until the next one comes out). With interesting modes like ‘Grand Operations’, ‘Frontlines’, and the always classic ‘Conquest’, coupled with the heartfelt campaign’s the game as to offer, Battlefield V is definitely worth checking out.