Battlefield 4 review

(360 / PS3 / PC)

War. What is it good for? Erm… blowing your mates away in online multiplayer games, apparently.

The Battlefield games have always been about the multiplayer mode. In fact, the first game in the series didn’t even feature a single player campaign. The world of online war-based shooters is an extremely competitive one, and most die-hard gamers either opt for Call of Duty or Battlefield. It is with a large smile and sore thumbs that I can report that this multiplayer tradition is carried on richly the fourth time around.

The multiplayer mode really is a polished product, being both exciting and addictive enough to keep you coming back for more and more. It’s just a shame the single player mode doesn’t shine as brightly. Still, for the five hours or so that it lasts for just enjoy the ride, as you get to play in a myriad range of environments, with a stupendous amount of weapons and vehicles at your disposal.

The Frostbite 3-powered graphics are one of the games high points, and bode well for the PS4 and Xbox One releases. The numerous cutscenes are of a cinematic quality, and the in-game action is a splendid thing to look at. Gawp, admire and then shoot. The visuals featured here will stay with you for a long time. Beautiful.

The game features a good use of sound as well, with superb voice-acting and ultra-realistic sound effects. The sound is also used to good effect in many other ways as well, as the footsteps of any enemy behind a wall can alert you to their whereabouts, and their distant chatter will let you know when they are nearby.

Being part of a squad of hardened soldiers, in single player mode you soon learn that each one has their own distinctive personalities. If you wait nearby for a few seconds at a quiet point in the game, you will soon hear them start to talk amongst themselves. The scripting here is more than a little cheesy but will have you chuckling away to yourself the first few times you hear it.

You can’t fault the multiplayer mode, but singletons will felt a little hard done by here. But then this is Battlefield we’re talking about, and to be fair the single player mode has never exactly been a high point of the series. Nope, it’s all about the online gameplay, and when it comes to shooting the bejesus out of your mates, you couldn’t find a better means of doing so. Now get out there and kick some pixelated backside.

Mark Pilkington