Battlefield 2042 (Xbox Series X) Review

Patience is a necessity…

by Ian Collen
MSRP: £69.99
7
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

Battlefield 2042 (Xbox Series X) Review

Battlefield 2042 is a game that we found to be 25% amazing and 25% painfully annoying, with the remaining 50% in the middle taken up with merely satisfactory progress towards slightly bigger and better things. The action can be fast, intense and wonderfully chaotic, but at the same time tedious and ruthlessly punishing – so whether that love-hate relationship adds up to make the bulk of your overall experience 75% exciting and worthwhile or 75% frustrating and pointless will most likely depend on how much you’re willing to commit and persevere with what little is currently on offer.

Field of Dreams

  • Some epic encounters
  • Freedom to adapt
  • Portal’s custom creations

Battlefield Earth

  • Only three main MP modes
  • Can be brutal on newcomers
  • Still needs work/polish

Overview

With no single-player campaign at all, EA and DICE has made the not exactly huge leap of faith that the reason most people have been enjoying Battlefield of late is because of the multiplayer. If you’re old enough to remember the likes of Modern Combat and Bad Company, then you may well care to differ, but certainly in recent years – and with the far from memorable Battlefield V – multiplayer is where the series has excelled. As so with 2042 the developers have upped the online ante, delivering huge 128-player conflicts across large scale maps and with crossplay available on PCs and new-gen consoles.

Battlefield 2042
Most vehicles can be absolutely deadly in the right hands. Which is not so much fun when you're the foot soldier in their sights...

Of course, the lack of a campaign is going to be a big miss, and yet with only three core game modes and other limitations in terms of weapons and in-game options, there’s an argument that the impressive technological feat in scaling up the field of combat does little to fill the void. However, the addition of Portal, a place where the community can piece together its own custom-made multiplayer experiences, tying in some classic elements from Battlefield 3, Bad Company 2 and 1942, is home to plenty of fun potential – even if relying on your audience to deliver longevity and some of the more creative gameplay options may seem a little cheap.

2042 can be quite spectacular when played to its strengths… but in its current state it is still far from a well-oiled machine

As you’d expect, though, what DICE does deliver is largely impressive with some truly epic encounters and 2042 can be quite spectacular when played to its strengths. But at the same time it’s also a game that can be shot down by technical issues and glitches, which were commonplace during our week in Early Access and have seen only a few smaller fixes in the launch day patch. No doubt more patches will follow but, in its current state, Battlefield 2042 is still far from a well-oiled machine.

A Rocky Start…

With a week’s worth of Early Access open to many before its launch, you’ll no doubt have seen more than a few opinions about the game already – some of which will gloss over its failings, while others will surely focus on them. Having put in a week’s shift of our own, and seeing the minor changes made by the Day One patch, it’s safe to say that there’s merit in both arguments, although whatever way you look at it, it’s still disappointing to see yet another mainstream release with a huge price tag (£110 for the Ultimate Edition!) released in such an unpolished state.

Some of the quirks are simply design options, such as the new Specialist set-ups replacing the standard character classes or the ‘bloom’ effect where bullets don’t always hit the exact spot you’re aiming at (adding a tiny random factor that arguably balances things out away from the dead-eye snipers or mouse-wielding maestros). Others are simply tech failings, such as the ‘rubber-banding’ where the game fails to accurately place you on the map and so you stutter around like you’re experiencing lag on a dial-up modem (kids, ask your parents), and we found plenty of other annoyances, not least routinely having the wrong loadout allocated and then not being able to modify it before or during the match as you're otherwise able to.

Battlefield 2042
Boris can be a good choice as he packs a portable sentry gun. Plus, he reminded us of Moscow from Money Heist...

The aforementioned switch from classes to the new Specialists is already proving pretty divisive. Although they’re still tagged as being tied to the usual Assault, Engineer, Recon or Support classes, each of the 10 specialists available to play at launch is only tied to a single speciality (typically linked to a gadget they carry) and one performance trait (often relating to that gadget). Other than that, you’re absolutely free to customise them however you see fit – so you can arm your sniper to the teeth with an assault-heavy loadout, jump into the action with your Medic geared up with a shotgun and rocket launcher and so on.

This does leave 2042 feeling far more like a battle between 128 individuals rather than tightly-knit squads

The upside to this is that you’re absolutely free to shape a series of characters however you see fit, perhaps swapping specialists and/or their loadouts before respawning, or even changing your weapon attachments in the field using the new Plus system to adapt your kit to each evolving scenario. The downside is that this does leave 2042 feeling far more like a battle between 128 individuals rather than tightly-knit squads that rely on the expertise of others you might have enjoyed before, as many will have very similar set-ups (the grappling hook for maximising the game’s verticality being one common example).

You’ll still be placed into a squad before each match – and some will embrace this team element, perhaps more so in the weeks ahead as preferred tactics emerge – but there’s fresh appeal in simply going it alone and finding random fleeting encounters or just following the nearest crowd into battle.

Going Big

As the title suggests, the game is set 21 years in the future, using climate change as a design ethos behind its seven launch maps (with a further six classic maps in Portal taken from the aforementioned older BF titles). The maps are huge, featuring some wide-open spaces that can take a while to navigate – meaning sensible use of the ridiculously over-powered vehicles can be a good tactic – while also combining plenty of ‘cluster’ spots where players are funnelled together or a few objective markers overlap to draw a wider crowd, making some huge firefights all the more likely.

Battlefield 2042
This map, Renewal, features one obvious cluster point but the battle for the buildings on the left can also lead to some intense action.

As for game modes, the two main ones come under an ‘All-Out Warfare’ banner, featuring 128-players – restricted to 64 players on Xbox One and PS4. Conquest is a typical capture-the-flag affair, only with larger sectors that often feature two objectives to be claimed, one of which may be atop a towering skyscraper. Breakthrough adds more of a Rush-like set-up, pitching an attacking force with limited lives against a defence with infinite reinforcements on a scaled-down variant of the map. Both modes provide the capacity for some great action and seeing 63 comrades steaming out to battle as helicopters, planes, tanks and more rush past is quite some introduction – even if it can be quite some trek to your first objective.

The third mode is called Hazard Zone, which is the only real squad-based offering. It pitches up to eight teams of four players to navigate a landscape in search of data drives stored in crashed satellites, while dodging death from the other squads or various AI units looking to protect the intel. Crucially, you only get one life (though limited redeployments can be bought or found to resurrect dead comrades) and so working together can be vital if you’re to be one of only two teams that can make it out alive. It also delivers an interesting tactical angle – do you embrace conflict and actively hunt down enemies in high-risk areas with greater rewards, or do you work around the edges, staying in the shadows and maybe letting your gun-hungry rivals whittle down the numbers more into your favour for a late smash-and-grab?

Rookies may be in for some brutal beginnings, where it only takes a split-second to die with absolutely zero warning

Whatever your mode of choice, getting started can be quite a grind, as only a few basic weapons are unlocked at the start, with XP and certain actions unlocking more guns, vehicles, attachments and so on as you progress. In the early stages this can feel hugely unfair as it does reward the better or longer-serving players with bigger and better guns (including Hazard Zone, which uses an in-game currency to boost your loadout), and vehicles that can be absolutely deadly in semi-competent hands. This means rookies may be in for some brutal beginnings, where it only takes a split-second to die with absolutely zero warning. Persistence is far more than just a virtue, but if you can make it through some relentlessly punishing early stages then the game does begin to open up once your loadout options get that little bit more kick and you start to find your rhythm.

Battlefield 2042
Sundance's speciality is her wingsuit, which offers a lot more aerial ability than your standard parachute, making it a lot easier to jump from helicopters or skyscrapers into the heart of the action.

The Safety Net

For the newcomers, there are several very welcome ways to either play your part or get to grips with things outside of the online carnage. One rather understated feature is that you can play both Conquest and Breakthrough entirely on your own, or with a small co-op collective, in a match filled up with AI allies and enemies. It does scale down the map and the size of the battle but it is a great way to get used to different weapons and vehicles, try out new characters or just bag a lot of XP to unlock those new toys without facing the merciless wrath of seasoned Battlefield pros with maxed-out kit – and technically it does mean that 2042 does have some single-player content!

If you do dive into the multiplayer, you can choose to stay a little more out of the action, perhaps adding support playing as Falck; a Medic who has a neat gun that fires health injections into your colleagues. We also got a lot of satisfaction using Casper’s drone to tag enemies from the sky (they can be really difficult to spot on the ground), once spending almost an entire match face down in a skip while offering constant support during a ceaseless battle for a key part of the map. It might not be as exciting as popping off headshots, but it’s one of the differing ways you can find to contribute and bag a decent haul of XP without always running into what feels like certain death.

Battlefield 2042
You don't always have to be the battering ram to make a worthwhile contribution to your team.

There’s also Portal mode, as mentioned. With a growing number of community creations to choose from there are plenty of fun distractions to lose yourself into. One perhaps predictable example is the wealth of ‘Zombies’ variants, typically pitching players against a horde of AI that have had their speed and health ramped up, but are armed with only a knife – giving you and your team of survivors a relentless onslaught to fend off that can be brutal, intense and a lot of fun in bitesize chunks. Plus, there are plenty of welcome throwbacks to those aforementioned BF titles, and some fun crossovers, too!

Graphics

Being a Battlefield title, it’s no big surprise to hear that it looks great for the most part, even if not quite at the level we’ve seen in some of those more cinematic set-pieces in previous years. The vast maps can be a little sparse in places, but there’s plenty of variety going on and some nice detail in the textures and lighting, especially when you factor in the dynamic weather, including savage storms that can tear across the landscape. Coupled with the vast array of destruction on offer, from the subtlest particle effects to entire buildings crashing down around you and an already impressive backdrop can be transformed into something that feels almost alive – and quite deadly to boot.

Battlefield 2042
Portal offers up some great opportunities to relive classic moments from some Battlefield games of old - or combine them with 2042's roster for some very interesting match-ups!

There’s HDR at play, although the real benefits might depend on how you tweak your own set-up to best accommodate the brightness and contrasts as the game doesn’t give up too many options, but at a very tidy 4K on newer consoles you shouldn’t have to work too hard to get a pleasing look. The game does max out at 60fps, which is no mean feat but obviously not if you’re comparing it to those dabbling with 120Hz. Although in fairness, with 128-players and the consistent amount of destruction blowing up in your face, it’s no surprise why DICE couldn’t really push this further.

Seeing 63 comrades steaming out to battle as helicopters, planes, tanks and more rush past is quite some introduction

Indeed, though fairly steady throughout, there were still a few issues with some intro sequences stuttering into action as textures were loaded up a little late and the framerate couldn’t always keep up. In-game it wasn’t so much an issue, but it’s certainly not flawless and it wasn’t rare to see remnants of destroyed vehicles or buildings doing weird things in a way that should lead to an unflattering array of YouTube videos.

Audio

Such is the vast and frequently intense nature of the gameplay that a good audio set-up can be a lifesaver – and 2042 certainly has the tools to provide a terrific surround performance. There’s an almost constant barrage of explosions and the tell-tale pings and whistles of bullets flying all around, so a good 3D headset can go a long way in picking out where those are coming from and deciding whether you want to run towards, or away from, their direction of origin. There are a few options to help tailor things to your system, whether it's a simple stereo set-up or if you’re looking to use a custom mix for your headset, but whatever you’re using it should deliver a vibrant wall of sound to keep you posted on how, and where, the action is going.

... the audio does a lot of the heavy lifting in helping to really build up those intense, high-pressure firefights

The lack of voice chat right now is obviously disappointing, although a handful of controller prompts are on offer and there is an in-game text chat if you’ve got the tools and quick fingers, but it surely has to be on the somewhat sizeable list of fixes and things to be dropped into the game in the near future. That aside, the audio does a lot of the heavy lifting in helping to really build up those intense, high-pressure firefights as the shouts of your squad-mates or the groans of your fallen friends calling out to be revived are almost drowned out by an impressive oppression of artillery, swooping helicopters, screeching fighter jets and more. It’ll keep your neighbours awake, that’s for sure.

Battlefield 2042
One poignant feature of the game is one of the last performances by the great Michael K Williams, reprising his role of Kimble 'Irish' Graves from Battlefield 4.

Conclusion

Battlefield 2042 (Xbox Series X) Review

While delivering some absolutely memorable multiplayer experiences, it’s hard not to be left a little disappointed with Battlefield 2042 in its current state. Portal has plenty of potential, but the limited choice of game modes relies a lot on the 128-player battles having a different ebb and flow from one match to the next, which might be the case right now but maybe not so much after a month or two; and so there’s the question of its longer-term appeal (or how you judge 100 hours of largely repetitive multiplayer against a more varied 10- or 20-hour campaign mode).

However, on the other hand it’s also a game that’s quite easy to immerse yourself into, and if you can commit to levelling up and finding your place in its world, then there’s a rich and rewarding gaming experience to be found. It’s a tough grind to begin with and you’ll need a fair amount of tolerance and perseverance to reach any kind of comfort level, but those of you who are already fans of the franchise will find much to enjoy. And if the price tag or tech issues are putting you off right now, then it should remain one to keep an eye on into 2022 because there’s certainly room for both improvement and growth.

Trailer

Scores

Gameplay

.
.
8

Story

.
.
.
.
.
5

Graphics

.
.
8

HDR

.
.
.
7

Audio

.
9

Multiplayer

.
.
8

Longevity

.
.
.
7

Overall

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.
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7

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The games console used in this review was kindly supplied by our gaming partner Smyths Toys Gaming, the No.1 choice for next-gen Gaming


7
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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