Battlefield 2042 Review in Progress

Battlefield has always been the industry's largest, loudest, and most chaotic multiplayer experience. It's the Texas of video games, and its bombast cannot be emphasised, whether you like it or not. Battlefield 2042, for better or worse, continues this pattern, with a dizzying quantity of on-screen explosions, firefights, and objectives to take. The game's 128-player contests and massive maps ensure spectacular moments – and some of my favourite gaming highlights from 2021 – but the line between spectacle and bewilderment is razor-thin.

Conquest, the hallmark mode that pits two opposing teams against each other to seize and defend objective zones across the map, has never been absent from a Battlefield game. The popular match structure is still alive and well in Battlefield 2042, but it's not my favourite way to play the game. Conquest's large battles frequently appear unorganised without the presence of a Commander (an organising role from earlier editions), especially when compared to Breakthrough, a multiplayer mode that replaces Rush from previous games. Breakthrough divides the map into many pieces, each with two Control Points, allowing for more focused engagements. The attacking team can compel the defending team to retire to the next region if they successfully capture all of the objectives in a zone. Breakthrough is one of my favourite shows.

Hazard Zone, a fresh new multiplayer format released in 2042, sets eight four-person teams against one another with the goal of rescuing data discs from satellite crash sites strewn around the area. Opposing AI forces are stationed at each area and will attack your team on sight. Unless your teammates have a Redeploy Uplink, there is no respawning in Hazard Zone. You're out of luck else. Only a heavily disputed Helicarrier, which only visits the map twice during the game, can win one of these matches. It's game over if you miss the flight or die before getting on board. On more than one occasion, our crew rushed to the extraction location in a last-ditch effort to recover our valuable data discs and earn a large number of Dark Market Credits. You spend this meta currency on weapons and secondary gear before every battle, so not getting a return on your investment might be a disappointment. I was wary of Hazard Zone at first, but it's been the highlight of my Battlefield 2042 experience so far.

Each Specialist has a fun role to perform, whether it's using a grappling hook to swing above the competition like Spider-Man, flying through a lethal storm in a wingsuit, or shooting from the backline with the rest of your squad behind moveable barricades. Each of these operators can be fine-tuned to your liking, and you can even change weapon attachments in the middle of a fight without having to respawn. Battlefield 2042 offers a wide range of customisation choices, resulting in a hugely diverse first-person shooter. I found myself face to face with the pilot of an armoured tank while playing as Dozer, a hefty character with a full-body shield. The canon on the ship slowly turned over to face me, creating a comical moment of stillness before he fired his shot. My protection, though, saved both of us from being killed by the explosion. A friendly tank launched a shell from off-screen seconds later, blowing out the enemy tank and providing enough of a distraction for me to score a triple kill by shield-bashing each member of the vehicle crew. This amusing interaction is one of my favourite gaming moments of the year, but I only had my shield on because I couldn't aim down the sights of any of my weapons due to a horrible issue.

Unfortunately, in its pre-launch stage, Battlefield 2042 lacks a layer of polish. Don't worry, nothing compares to Battlefield 4's launch issues. Most of the issues I've run into are minor, such as the grappling hook's zipline clipping through the front of the device during animation or struggling to call in air support on an arid map like Hourglass due to a navmesh bug with the sand. Others, such as sniper sights losing magnification after engaging with secondary devices or not being able to resuscitate downed teammates in Hazard Zone, might have a negative impact on gameplay.

While I've spent the previous three days at a virtual review event playing Battlefield 2042, I still need more time with the game on post-release servers before I can provide my final opinion. In addition, I'd like to learn more about Portal, the game's community-driven platform that promises epic fights with elements from previous Battlefield titles. This entry is an easy recommendation for lovers of the series, given the range of fascinating stuff to play, including Portal's six famous levels like Battlefield 3's Caspian Border and 1942's Battle of the Bulge. If you're on the fence about buying Battlefield 2042 when it comes out, keep an eye out for my comprehensive review in the coming days.

Overall impressions

Battlefield 2042 feels like the most full Battlefield game yet, thanks to Battlefield Portal's enormous depth and the brand new Hazard Mode, however, it's unclear whether it'll be enough to entice new gamers to the genre.