Intro and Gameplay
I'll never forget my first true LAN party. An old paint shop, stripped and converted into a virtual battlefield. 25 vs 25. BAWLS energy drinks. Doritos. Cheap Chinese takeout and the smell of 50+ geeks duking it out for prizes ranging from bargain bin DVDs to the big prizes like sound cards and speakers. Autumn 2002 holds a special place in my heart as the first time a large scale online shooter really caught my attention and kept me up way too many nights. I have fond memories of those caffeine and junk food induced nights yet as of late, I've honestly grown quite tired of the Battlefield series. Maybe it's the modern setting that was wearing me down or just more of the "same ol'" with a fresh coat of paint. Regardless, I had pretty low expectations going into the latest by the wizards at DICE, Battlefield 1...
Goodness. Look how far we have come since Battlefield 1942!
Immediately, I was impressed at how slick, polished, and FRESH the whole experience was after booting up the game. Nary an issue to report on our PC gaming rig and to say the least, DICE has learned their lesson by getting rid of the horrid web interface, brought back the server browser, and has polished everything to an absolutely gleaming shine. Interfaces are slick, game modes are fun and varied, graphics and performance are just stellar; it's Battlefield done oh so right! The gameplay is tight and furious from the suprisingly good single player campaign to the various multiplayer modes, especially Operations, as you duke it out across multiple maps in campaigns that feel like epic versions of Rush. Either way, despite some questionable sniping mechanics, I'm so pleased that DICE went backwards to truly move this series forward in the best of ways.
Graphics and Sound
Ummmm... yeah. Just take a gander at our 4K screenshots and video below to behold the true artistry that is on display here. Green grass sways on an oceanside cliff. Red sand blows and feels like it's stinging your eyes. Raindrops gather upon your rifle. Not only is this game an absolute artistic masterpiece, it's a technical marvel as well. I had absolutely no issues playing at 4K maxed out on our gaming rig. It looks and runs like an absolute dream!
Audio in these types of games and in fact, the series, has been rock solid over the years. I can't believe I am saying this but Battlefield 1 may be the pinnacle of audio for the series. Almost every weapon, vehicle, and booming effect sounds spot on. With Dolby Atmos support, multiple speaker settings, and tons of different sound bites in multiple languages, this is as good as it gets folks.
Fun and Conclusion
Battlefield is back peeps. After the complete letdown and lost potential that Battlefront was last year, we have been rewarded with our patience as this is the best game in the series, IMHO, in a long, long time. Is it perfect? Nope. It's too chaotic in some maps where various checkpoints are nothing but a clusterf&#$. Some rounds are just way too long and the same disorganized online play, without a clan or group of friends, feels pointless. That being said, it's the most polished and fun we've had in some time for an online shooter. I just hope the online community lasts a lot longer that Hardline, Battlefront or any of the other money grabs in the series. For now, me and my house will play the crap out of Battlefield 1 and love every minute of the chaotic yet brilliant warfare.
