Summary
Battlefield, the long-running first-person shooter franchise from EA, has been one of the more prominent first-person shooter series in the genre, and the heart-stopping multiplayer matches within the game have kept the franchise alive and kicking through the years. As a majorcompetitor to theCall of Dutygames,Battlefieldattracts many players with its exciting online matches, but one popular form of multiplayer would fail to be a good fit for the franchise.
The landscape of online multiplayer is always evolving, and one of the most popular forms of online multiplayer in recent years has been found in hero shooters. This specific form of multiplayer has been popular for a while, but the release of heavy hittersOverwatchandApex Legendshas made the genre skyrocket in popularity in the past few years. Although theBattlefieldfranchise’s planned future is a mystery, the series needs to avoid steering the game toward a hero shooter play style.
Battlefield Should Stick to What It Does Best
Although there are no current plans known about whetherBattlefieldwill dive deeper into hero shooter territory or not,Battlefield 2042dabbled in this enough to make it clear the franchise should stay away from the sub-genre. The introduction of Specialists inBattlefield 2042was the franchise’s attempt at emulating the hero shooter formula, but it ultimately fell flat with many ofBattlefield’s longtime fans.
Hero Shooters Don’t Work With Games of Battlefield’s Size
When it comes down to it, matches inBattlefieldare simply too big for a hero shooter formula to work properly. The lobby sizes ofBattlefieldgames are too large for the mechanics of a hero shooter to feel natural, and this was definitely felt by many players when it came toBattlefield 2042’s Specialists. The reasonheroes inOverwatchwork so well within the game is due to the small match sizes, but this method just muddies the experience in aBattlefield-sized lobby, making everything feel messy and confusing.
InOverwatch, a match is a small 5v5 battle, and this allows players to clearly identify their teammates and be aware of which player is an opponent. Having a match full of Specialists that all look similar inBattlefield 2042made the game’s matches incredibly confusing for many players who were in much larger lobbies. Also, when a match consists of only five players per team, like inOverwatch, it’s much easier to balance out one’s squad, so every player has a defined role within the match. InBattlefield, this just creates chaos.Battlefieldis at its bestwhen it focuses on what made the franchise so great in the first place.
Battlefield Doesn’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel
Battlefieldhas consistently been a popular first-person shooter since its genesis in 2002, and sometimes it’s just best to stick to what has proven to work in the past. Growth is great, but that evolution can be done with the game’s settings and timelines changing instead of the multiplayer formula. There are rumors ofBattlefieldreturning to its roots, and that is ultimately the best decision for the series. Future games in the series could possibly add a 5v5 mode to try and capitalize on the hero shooter hype, but that wouldn’t feel likeBattlefieldat the end of the day.
AlthoughBattlefield 2042’s attempts at adding Specialists to the game were arguably a miss, all hope isn’t lost for the franchise and its future. The nextBattlefieldis caught between a rock and a hard place, but if the franchise chooses to return to its fundamental basics and build around the features that made it so great to begin with, the long-running series could be able to bounce back.
