Additionally, from what DICE have mooted about the unorthodox structure of Battlefield 1’s story, we’re set for a campaign that spans multiple continents, and seeks to educate on the global impact of The Great War. Educationally, that’s certainly a boon, but it’s also a refreshing approach to FPS storytelling, in which we’ve seen far too many generic and tropey “hero” plots for far too long.
Battlefield 1’s plot will be told over multiple short stories that will span different nations and aggressors, introducing players to historical characters, and, hopefully, presenting a grounded and compelling picture of combat during WWI. Expect to fight alongside Lawrence of Arabia, and the Red Baron, or role play trench running as seen in Mel Gibson’s epic movie Gallipoli.
These mini-stories, however, will play to Battlefield’s strengths, emphasizing large scale environments, vehicle combat and multiple solutions, and that’s good to hear given that Battlefield’s previously linear campaigns always felt too far removed from its successful multiplayer formula.
But what of the other two titles in this 3-way joust for FPS supremacy? Certainly, much has been made of Titanfall 2’s inclusion of a single player offering, the lack of which was a source of frustration for many who felt it was a missed opportunity to expand on an interesting lore. Respawn Entertainment are, indeed, out to rectify that shortcoming with Titanfall 2, the story of friendship between man and mech that, despite being given huge priority as a focal point still feels a little shoehorned in. One can’t help but feel it’s going to be another formulaic tale of grunt saves the day, only this time with his sentient mech buddy. Perhaps we’re in for some twists in Titanfall 2’s plot, but from what we’ve seen so far it looks like a predictable and ultimately forgettable tale.
Infinite Warfare has recovered somewhat from the reveal of its shaky reveal trailer, as subsequent clips detailing its single player have shed light on what may well turn out to be the most interesting campaign we’ve seen from the franchise for some time. Despite the like to dislike ratio of its initial trailer, you just know COD is going to sell big, and its commercial success probably doesn’t hinge on its campaign as much as the other two games do, such is the magnitude of its fanbase.
That being said, how Infinite Warfare is received critically will have much to do with how its evolution as a series is perceived by the media and industry personalities. COD’s sales are still stratospheric, but it has been on a very slight downward curve since the abomination that was Ghosts. Gamers know what they are going to get with a COD game, but that has been both a blessing and a curse in recent years. Fans want to be surprised, they want a point of difference, and whether taking the franchise further into the realms of science fiction is a shrewd or daft move remains to be seen.
Ultimately, you’ve got to commend DICE for taking a risk for opting to set Battlefield in an era that is untested and somewhat unknown in entertainment, and from the reception so far, it seems gamers have responded positively to that gamble. You’d have to imagine the development team, too, have enjoyed the creative differences working with a WWI premise, something that can only be positive for the end user.
Battlefield 1 is offering the most dramatic shakeup of the FPS formula yet, a genre that certainly needs a fresh start. If you played the beta, you’ll sense that the gameplay on offer doesn’t stray too far from what we’ve come to expect from the franchise, but the thematic setting, aesthetic, and promise of a compelling campaign should be enough to convince those sitting on the fence that this is the FPS title to hedge your bet on this fall.
