Ahead of the public reveal of the latest Battlefield game from EA DICE today, PSU (and other invited guests) enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at the shooter in all its glory in London, including gameplay and details that weren’t shown during the global reveal.
Battlefield 1 set in World War I
Speculation has been rife for months that the next Battlefield would take place during World War I, and that has now been officially confirmed. There were also rumours that players would battle across an alternate setting, which hasn’t been mentioned at all in the press briefing and subsequent gameplay videos seen by PSU Editor-in-Chief, Mike Harradence.
EA says that the main campaign will feature more gameplay choices, more choices for the player, and will be designed around big “battlefield moments.” It will be a “story about destinies about different people, how they react to the world,” with destruction once again playing a huge part in the mayhem.
First Battlefield 1 screenshots
“The game will deliver a fresh experience full of what makes Battlefield great, with a multiplayer sandbox, immersion, epic scale, authenticity, team play and an ever-changing world full of unexpected Battlefield moments,“ said Aleksander Grøndal, Senior Producer, DICE. “We’re inviting players on an epic journey across a war-torn world, taking them to the Great War and providing something both varied and unique in Battlefield 1.”
The locations of Battlefield 1
There will be many different front-lines for players to battle across, including the Western front, Arabian desert, Italian Alps, and the open fields of France. Other information that we now know as fact include:
- The inclusion of planes, tanks, horseback, gas & gas masks
- Land, sea and air combat, which includes artillery strikes against trenches
- Close-quarters combat which includes flame-throwers and bayonets
- Huge variety of vehicles; light tanks to heavy tanks, fighter planes, bomber planes, horses, plus battleships of all sizes
- Sniping out of a bi-plane
- A variety of different classes, such as medic support and scout, as well as dedicated vehicle classes, including tank officer and pilot
- Campaign will be “grittier” than previous games – built through rock, paper, scissors mentality. Need to adapt style and load out to meet situations.
- Melee combat pushed to the next level
- Enhanced weapon customisation (more details to follow)
- Early access to beta if you sign up to Battlefield Insider
- Battlefield 1 release date confirmed as October 21, 2016 on PS4, Xbox One and PC (pre-order and get it three days in advance)
Battlefield 1 trailer
Check out the PS4 packshot, which confirms a special edition, named Battlefield 1 Edition Deluxe Premier Au Front (translates as ‘First to the Front’).
We also know from an earlier leak that Battlefield 1 will also feature the Harlem Hellfighters, “an African-American infantry unit in WWI who spent more time in combat than any other American unit.”
Stay tuned. We should have lots more information shortly!