Battlefield V – PS4 | Review

By James Perry
| 20th November 2018
| PS4, Review
| 0

Since the E3 launch trailer for Battlefield V, I have been looking forward to getting my hands on it. I have always enjoyed the Battlefield series as many others have, Hardline might have been seen as a low but even that story was great. So how does Battlefield V stand up in the love Battlefield series?

Now depending on what version of the game you bought you might have been playing this game for a week or today might be your first look at it. Regardless of when you got Battlefield V, it is quickly obvious that there is still plenty to come in this game. The locked content has been published as the post-launch roadmap, but it is hard to not see it as just missing content regardless of the marketing cover-up.

War stories return as you play through 3 different single player characters each focusing on a different untold story. These stories do a fantastic job of showcasing the individual heroics in a World at War. These are emotional stories that draw you in and take you on a roller coaster ride across beautiful maps and detailed environments.

Each mission starts with a focus on stealth but in my case quickly turned into chaos. The maps are large like we are used to with the online games and offer a range of approaches if you so wish. The levels despite their size are extremely detailed and are well worth exploring. I managed to get through all 3 stories in about 6 hours, but it has to be said they could take much longer given more attention to a stealth approach. Each story also has a number of collectables which will have you searching every building for letters and other items.

Battlefield V uses these stories to really show the devastation this war had on everyone regardless of who you were or where you were. The most interesting part of these stories is despite how you play the level every character will die at the end of it. An interesting choice and I am looking forward to continuing the war stories when the next ones are updated.

Once you have pulled yourself together after completing the war stories it is time to step into the multiplayer which is where the fun really kicks in. As you would expect from a Battlefield game the online mode is where you will spend most of your time and rightly so.

You have the choice of playing across different modes that vary in player numbers, map size and estimated game time. It was not uncommon to find myself on a Grand Operations map for 30 minutes as we battled it out across a number of different scenarios. You can also select more infantry focused battles on smaller maps in Domination and Team Deathmatch modes which are quicker games or these large-scale games where vehicles are just as important as your snipers on Breakthrough.

Regardless of what mode you prefer to play the online mode remains fun, chaotic, tense and an amazing experience, even in defeat I didn’t find myself annoyed or frustrated. Teamwork is what creates wins in Battlefield V so being in an active squad that works together can really make a difference in each match. The maps are built to be destroyed which means the map is constantly changing as you progress. That sniper spot you had 5 minutes ago might not be there anymore as a tank just blew it up.

The basics 4 classes we have come to expect which are assault, medic, support and recon remain. Each has access to a set of weapons that compliment that class and a number of gadgets that will help you perform your role on the battlefield. However, there has been a few changes this time around which I think adds new dynamics to the gameplay.

Anyone is able to revive teammates now, yes the medic can do it faster but with everyone having access to this ability team play is rewarded. Each class can now choose between different combat roles as they level up. For example, the assault class can choose between being more effective at killing infantry or vehicles depending on what role you pick as each comes with added benefits. This means that having two of the same class in your squad can bring multiple benefits.

A wonderful array of vehicles return in Battlefield V and the joy of re-spawning with the option of taking your tank is still fantastic. Tanks vary from fast moving light tanks to your heavy slow moving beasts. All of which you can customize to your own liking depending on how you like to play. There are a number of aircraft options as well with nimble fighters or slower bomber style being your main choices. As well as your personal vehicles that you can select there are a number of transport vehicles that just spawn on the map that you can use to get around as these maps are big!

There is also an endless amount of cosmetic items you can equip onto your soldiers to give them a more personal look. This may be a gas mask with the Union Jack on it or a cool jacket that you just need to have. All of this can be managed in the ‘Your Company’ section of the menu where you can view how your classes look for both the allies or axis. Each class can be customized to look exactly how you want it to with each item being changeable rather than every item matching a skin selection. This does mean that you need to change each class separately across both sides but you get used to that.

In game, currency is earned by completing special assignments or daily objectives. Over the last few days, these have been pretty simple tasks such as complete a match of Team Deathmatch or score X amount of damage with an LMG. These points then let you buy extra cosmetic items such as weapon skins or outfits. So far I haven’t found myself jumping at making any purchases but it is still early days. I believe this is where micro-transactions will sit but I avoid those as best as I can and haven’t found anything pushing me to buy currency yet.

Overall Battlefield V is a fantastic experience that I expect most fans will enjoy. The subtle additions to your online company with combat role options and reviving open to everyone are welcome and add to the gameplay. The single player tells great stories but perhaps focus on stealth a bit too much. Luckily you can still complete every mission with a non-stealth approach as well. This game will offer hours of gameplay as you unlock more and more items for your company or push to collect every item in the war stories. Plus there are difficulty trophies so you will need to go back and attempt Hardcore mode at some point if you want that platinum.

Final Impressions

Battlefield V takes the Battlefield series to the next level with its great gameplay and enjoyable chaos that is multiplayer. There are subtle changes that you may not even notice while playing but improve the overall gaming experience. Regardless of whether you see the content as missing or coming soon, there is still plenty to do in this game and the depth of the online world will easily keep you busy till the Battle Royale mode arrives in March.

*Code kindly provided by the publisher for review*

Developer: DICE / Publisher: EA
Release date: 20/11/2018
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One
Platform Reviewed on: PS4 Pro