Battlefield V Review

Since its debut, Battlefield V has faced an uphill battle due to its poor marketing campaign. However, Battlefield V successfully captures the essence of what makes this franchise such a monumental hit with fans and critics.

The single-player is unexciting and serves as a passable tutorial for the multiplayer, but like past entries in this franchise, Battlefield V is about large-scale multiplayer combat. And that's where Battlefield V's best moments exist: on large maps against dozens of players in destructive warfare.

Battlefield V's single-player campaigns follow a series of soldiers during World War 2, similar to Battlefield 1's campaign, War Stories. The campaigns open with an incredible series of opening sequences ranging from large-scale battles to tank-on-tank warfare, making you feel like you are a soldier playing a part in this war. Then, the actual campaigns begin, and the single-player takes a nosedive.

Players take control of a convict who is given the choice to join the army or serve his sentence, a freedom fighter in Norway, and a black French soldier seeking to prove himself and his people's worth. The cutscenes look amazing, with character models looking particularly amazing with detailed skin and lightning effects. Unfortunately, none of these adventures are truly marvelous and are quickly forgettable, mostly due to the campaign's heavy use of stealth and marksman-like enemies.

Each campaign follows a formula seen in other military shooters, kill targets and take key points. What the developers have decided to double down on is stealth, a mediocre mechanic from Battlefield 1 that is somehow worse here. Enemies have absurdly good sight and accuracy, with enemies able to detect you with ease regardless of whether you're crouched or prone.

While stealth is optional, players who get caught will have to face enemies with near-perfect accuracy who will always know where you are. Enemies can easily shoot with precision with automatic weapons and tank-mounted machine guns across the map, leading to a lot of unfair deaths.

The developers do try to mix things up by providing open-ended segments where the player can pick and choose which objective to take on first. However, due to the enemy's insane sight and accuracy, things become frustrating the more you progress. Added to the frustration are the weapons and gear needed to take out vehicles.

Most missions start you off with inadequate weapons, such as a lack of explosives and unsilenced weapons. You can scavenge these, but it seems strange that the game doesn't provide the player with these weapons and items at the start of the mission.

Each mission is about 1 hour, and once completed, you can return for collectibles. However, there's little reason to come back to these missions. The poorly implemented stealth sequences made the entire campaign a frustrating trial of guessing if the enemy could see you or not. It should also be noted that graphical issues are present throughout the campaign.

These ranged from graphical issues to game-breaking moments. During the second campaign, I was unable to continue forward because the NPC that was supposed to meet me at the bridge glitched twice, forcing me to restart the entire campaign again and again. It was also common for the game to load between cutscenes.

Multiplayer fares better, providing much of the same systems Battlefield fans know. Players choose from 1 of 4 classes, each with their unique tools and weapons. Weapons are plentiful and can be further customized using a skill tree and its progression. Using the weapon more frequently gives you customization options, a massive step up from Battlefield 1's launch selection.

You can even customize your soldier, including its race and clothing. Vehicles have their progression tree similar to the weapon upgrades, but cosmetic customization will come at a later date.

Coins serve as the game's primary currency at the moment, where players can unlock cosmetics for their weapons and soldiers. You can earn these by completing assignments that are provided daily and selected specifically. The special assignments can earn you coins or bonus experience, depending on the task.

The issue is that players have to manually select each assignment instead of having the game track them in bulk. If you don't have the assignment selected, you won't get credit for it.

Multiplayer is divided into three categories: Conquest, Grand Operations, and Infantry Focus. Conquest is domination, in which two teams of 32 players capture points and kill the enemy players. The first team to lose all its tickets loses. It's one of the more beloved modes in the Battlefield franchise, and it still holds up here.

Infantry focus is a smaller-scale option featuring Domination, Frontlines, and Team Deathmatch with up to 32 players. It still captures the excitement of large-scale fights and makes it much easier for players to get into the franchise for the first time. Grand Operations is an extensive multi-tier multiplayer mode with two teams of 64 players facing off in multiple matches to take territory.

It's long and brutal, with multiple modes consisting of Conquest and Rush. Unfortunately, Rush isn't available as a standalone mode, but players can choose specific servers for particular maps. 

Each of the eight maps is incredibly designed and intricately crafted to include a myriad of chock points and open areas. Players must remain on constant alert and cover every possible angle or risk getting ambushed.

New to Battlefield is the fortification-building system, which allows the player to actively build defenses such as barbed fences and walls. The system adds another layer of strategy as you attempt to block an enemy's path, forcing them into another path or having them climb over, waiting to be surrounded.

Teamwork is still essential here, with the squad leader playing a much larger role in Battlefield V. Not only does the squad get more points for assisting one another and following the Squad Leader's orders, but the squad gains points that can be used for special actions such as calling in supplies, vehicles, and tactical strikes.

Battlefield V's multiplayer provides enough enjoyment that both veterans and newcomers can join in the action and start unlocking new items and gear, and with future content updates, players can expect more over the months. However, the single-player is a mediocre tale with very few memorable moments.

Even with the promise of a new campaign coming this December, the current adventures showcase the single-player in a bug riddle light. Battlefield V excels at large-scale multiplayer combat, just like its previous installments; just don't expect a gripping single-player adventure.