Battlefield fans, your wait is over. The latest installment in the triple-A war franchise, Battlefield V, is dropping on November 20 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The previous entry in the series, Battlefield One, took players back in time to the first World War. In Battlefield 5, players will be jumping ahead a few years and navigating the conflicts of World War II. Battlefield V will have all the traditional multiplayer elements fans have come to love, but of major note is the heavy emphasis this entry is placing on the single player campaign mode… and the introduction of Battlefield’s own Battle Royale mode.
Battlefield V: What we know so far
Focus on Story
BF1 veterans will remember the popular single player campaign entitled War Stories. War Stories put players in the shoes of different warriors fighting across the globe in the varied conflicts of the war, from a stealth-focused bedouin huntress in the Arabian deserts to a con artist turned fighter pilot ace in France. War Stories is returning in BFV, and it’s been given an upgrade.
Whereas the War Stories in BF1 were more compact vignettes than actual campaigns, in BFV they’re longer and much deeper, allowing players to delve into the story and form more meaningful connections with the characters. Gameplay styles vary between the different campaigns, ranging from more stealth-focused Resistance fighters to chaotic vehicle combat. This time around, the focus is on authenticity and telling the forgotten stories of the war. In a mission set in Norway, for example, there’s not a single line of English dialogue spoken: all the voice acting is in either Norwegian or German.
So far, EA has confirmed the following campaigns:
- Tirailleur- This story has players taking control of a soldier in a French colony in Northern Africa, fighting to liberate France from the grip of the Nazis. Tirailleur will tell the story of the soldier’s struggle with allegiance as he fights to free the country that colonized his homeland.
- Under No Flag- Players will join the Special Boat Section, an elite British special forces unit specializing in amphibious assaults. This campaign will focus on a British ex-convict on a mission for redemption.
- Nordlys- Set in the cold arctic climates of Norway, this mission focuses on two female resistance fighters, attempting a dangerous rescue mission and discovering a sinister Nazi plot to build a nuclear weapon.
Battle Royale
Like its cousin, Call of Duty, Battlefield will also be venturing into the crowded Battle Royale stage. Here’s the catch: the Battle Royale mode won’t be coming until later. The mode, entitled Firestorm, will release in 2019 as part of the game’s third batch of DLC. Fans who were hoping to play the mode on launch will have to be patient.
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Read Now ►Fortunately, it seems like Firestorm will be worth the wait. Battlefield’s take on Battle Royale is exclusively squad-based, pitting 64 players against each other on the largest map ever introduced in the Battlefield series. Everything that characterizes Battlefield will be returning in Firestorm, from destructible buildings and environments to varied vehicle combat.
Squads will be divided into 16 teams of four players each. You’ll work with your squad to complete objectives within the larger battle, and doing so will grant you better equipment and bonuses. You’ll also have to keep an eye on the massive wall of fire that slowly shrinks the map and forces you into combat with other players. These objectives, specifically, are what makes Battlefield’s take on the genre unique.
Plenty of DLC
In addition to Firestorm mode, Battlefield V has huge amounts of free post-launch DLC content mapped into mid-2019, including some exciting new modes. So far, EA has revealed three batches of content:
- Overture- This first batch of content will arrive two weeks post-launch. Heading up the lineup is The Last Tiger, a single-player War Story mission focusing on a Nazi tank commander beginning to question his allegiances. In addition, players will be getting a new tank-focused map and vehicle customization options as well.
- Lightning Strikes- This will be a more mode-focused DLC. Most notable is the addition of a co-op mode entitled Combined Arms, which focuses on a squad of up to 4 players completing objectives across a variety of maps. In addition, it’ll add new live events, squad modes, and a redux of the classic Battlefield Rush mode to multiplayer.
- Trial by Fire-The final batch of DLC is noted for the inclusion of the much-anticipated Firestorm Battle Royale mode, as well as a map set on the battlefields of Greece and more multiplayer events and items.
All told, Battlefield looks to be the familiar experience fans have come to expect with a fresh new look that promises to take the franchise to a new level.
