14 DAY TRIAL // Battlefield 4 is a cruel, cruel game, especially for a player who fails to deliver a good kill to death ratio in a public setting in a 64-player match at E3 2013.
I was that player and, even if I failed to be a solid member of my team, I had a lot of fun playing the game and I was impressed by the Commander Mode, which is making a comeback this year.
The Frostbite 3 game engine is truly impressive and I can easily see some players spend a few days after launch just watching how it can be used to render in exquisite detail everything from urban areas to giant destroyed carriers.
The weapons feel weighty, and there are more customization options to keep players competitive regardless of their style.
The Commander Mode is a game in itself, and solid use of the various options, including the very powerful Tomahawk, is crucial to a squad’s success.
I also saw the team at DICE playing through the Angry Sea single-player level on the Xbox One, using a slightly different path than was shown during the Electronic Arts presentation.
The action seems a little chaotic a first, but the new scope options and the ability to spot for your own squad add a layer of extra tactics to the series.
More vehicle sections are also a welcome sight for fans.
I am still not convinced about the claims coming from DICE that the single-player will be all about emotional impact, but they still have to convince long-term players before release.
Battlefield 4 will be out on the PC, the PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360 on October 29 in the United States, and November 1 in Europe.
The game will also be launched on the Xbox One from Microsoft and the PlayStation 4 from Sony before the end of the year.