Battlefield 1: here's five things you need to know
Battlefield 1 is big news, and our resident expert Westie has some information on the game which you may have missed during yesterday's reveal.
Battlefield 1: here's five things you need to know
In the video above, Westie breaks down a few important changes made with this installment in the series. Some DICE upon during the livestream - melee and vehicles being two examples.
But subjects such as changes to class roles in Battlefield 1 weren't discussed yesterday during the stream. Luckily, those who attended the learned more on this front.
Melee
DICE has fleshed out melee combat, allowing players to "literally destroy" enemies with the handheld weapons in the game. Each will have positive and negative aspects as some are lighter while others are heavier - as noted yesterday. Obviously, lighter weapons won't produce as much damage as their heavier brethren, but they will provide faster reaction time.
Planes, tanks and automobiles
Vehicles in the game such as tanks and biplanes were still in their infancy during World War I, and DICE has taken this into consideration through multiplayer progression. During battle, forces used what they thought was best at the time. Unlike Battlefield 4 where tanks "all felt the same," light and heavy tanks in Battlefield 1 have unique abilities and players will need to learn how to use each one to the best of its ability. This applies to all vehicles in the game, not just the tanks.
Five minutes of extra gameplay was shown during yesterday's reveal, which the audience was able to see once the livestream ended. The footage showed a couple of extra vehicles, one was an armored transport car on the desert map.
Multiplayer Classes
In the five minutes of extra gameplay those of us at home didn't get to experience, changes to class roles in Battlefield 1 were touched upon. Players will now choose between Assault, Medic, Scout and Support. Players will notice the lack of an Engineer class and Assault and Medic have been split up into two separate classes.
Assault, for example, is the class with access to explosives, anti-tank mines and other weapons which will help them take down vehicles. Medics meanwhile, will be the class with exclusive access to health and revive skills. In other words, the Assault Medic class from Battlefield 4 is no longer an option.
Support acts similar to what players are used to at present. They have access to heavy machines guns to lay down suppressive fire. Scouts provide intel, scoping enemies out with sniper rifles
Westie is under NDA so he couldn't go into much more detail on the classes, but did state the lack of an Engineer class probably boils down to the fact there probably weren't many in WWI in charge of maintenance on tanks as the machines were a new addition to armed forces. Whether there will be a class similar to the Engineer able to fix broken tanks or not remains to be revealed.
Destruction
Those who played Battlefield 3 and 4 who felt there wasn't enough destruction, or levolution if you will, should be pleased to know their feedback has been addressed. As you see in the trailer, the plane smashing into the windmill sends parts of the aircraft flying all over the place along side bricks. If you look at the two biplanes shooting it out in the sky above the battleship, pieces are breaking off as each plane is hit by the other.
As parts of a plane are blown off, it will affect handling. This adds another layer to destruction in the game, making it more personal for the player causing the damage.
Gas Masks
In the video, the section where the player puts his gasmask is really interesting. A freeze frame shows what appears to be the view seen once one is donned. Notice the restricted field of view. It will hard to see if an enemy is heading straight for the player. Imagine how frightening that was for troops in World War I.
Yesterday, DICE said players can decide which tactic to use when confronted with chemical warfare. They can put on their mask and charge through the gas, or choose to go around it via and alternate path. The latter sound like the ideal route, but that may not always be the case.
Battlefield 1 releases worldwide on October 21 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Those who purchase the Early Enlisters Deluxe Edition will be able to play three days early on October 18.
