After the disappointment of Battlefield 2042, fans of this shooter style are looking for good alternatives. Therefore, we want to introduce you to 3 popular shooter alternatives in the context of Find Your Next Game that the Battlefield community enjoys playing.
A few weeks ago, a player asked in the Battlefield subreddit: “What are Battlefield fans actually playing right now?” (via reddit). Because Battlefield 2042 has disappointed, and many fans have lost interest in the older titles of the series, players are looking for comparable alternatives.
The most popular answer in this thread was not even a shooter, but the action RPG Elden Ring. Besides that, particularly 3 shooters were mentioned most frequently:
- Hell Let Loose
- Insurgency: Sandstorm
- World War 3
Even though Battlefield 2042 has made some successful course corrections with the start of Season 1, players are still looking for good options. Therefore, we would like to briefly introduce you to these 3 shooters here. We will tell you who they are most suitable for.
Hell Let Loose – Real teamwork in World War II
What kind of game is it? If you had to summarize Hell Let Loose in two words, “relentlessly realistic” would be a good choice. Just the weapon behavior in this WW2 shooter makes it clear that fast arcade action is not offered here:
- You die and kill with just 1-2 bullets
- You won’t find a crosshair in the game
- Your soldier moves very slowly and sometimes awkwardly
- There are no hit markers or kill confirmations for your shots
- Your weapons spew so much fire and smoke with each shot that it obscures your vision
At first, this doesn’t really sound like Battlefield, and that’s why MeinMMO editor Jürgen Horn described it back in November 2018 as a kind of “Anti-Battlefield”. But it is precisely in this contrast that Hell Let Loose finds great fans in the Battlefield community.
Who is the game suitable for? Similar to Old-School Battlefields, you choose one of many classes and find yourself in a squad of up to 6 players. There are 100 players on the servers, 50 per team. The two game modes correspond to Conquest and Breakthrough from Battlefield 2042.
But even more than in Battlefield, communication, coordination, and cohesion in Hell Let Loose are crucial. The difficult and confusing gunplay, an intentional resource shortage, and orders from higher-ranking soldiers automatically promote full, concentrated teamwork.
Those without a microphone or who like to play as a ‘Lone Wolf’ will not have much fun with this game. But for those who enjoy an intense and immersive war simulation, Hell Let Loose will be very rewarding.
What does the game cost? Perhaps you have even snagged the game through PS+ for your PS5. If not, you will have to shell out around €40.
Insurgency: Sandstorm – Realistic battles in a modern setting
What kind of game is it? Insurgency: Sandstorm is the sequel to the cult hit Insurgency. This intense shooter also relies on significantly more realistic gunplay than Battlefield, but places you in the modern war setting of the Middle East.
This setting also comes with many weapons that fans have come to love from games like Battlefield 4 or CoD Modern Warfare. Weapon attachments also play a big role here. Therefore, weapons fans should have a lot of fun because, like Hell Let Loose, the bullets are instantly deadly, the HUD elements are sparse, and the weapons are unyielding when fired.
What Insurgency: Sandstorm has over Battlefield 2042 or the other alternatives is the choice of game modes. From large battles with vehicles to smaller deathmatch battles that remind of hardcore modes in CoD, everything is offered here. Provided you enjoy a fast time-to-kill.
Who is the game suitable for? Insurgency: Sandstorm attracts players who like to engage in military roleplaying. So on the servers, you will often find people talking in this jargon and giving orders. If you enjoy taking on this role or like participating in such scenarios, you will find fulfillment here.
Like Hell Let Loose, the game is less of a direct Battlefield replacement, but rather an alternative that also wants to simulate large battles with specific roles for soldiers in a more realistic way.
What does the game cost? Insurgency: Sandstorm currently costs €29.99.
World War 3 – A mix of Battlefield with Call of Duty
What kind of game is it? Among all 3 games mentioned here, the Battlefield inspirations are most noticeable in World War 3. However, it is also the least polished game on the list, even though it has potential. At least it has better reviews than Battlefield 2042.
World War 3 also plays in a modern setting, but the locations are more European here. The time-to-kill is very close to what you know from Battlefield.
In two game modes, up to 40 players can compete against each other:
- Tactical Operations are basically “Conquests” from Battlefield, where two teams of 20 players each must capture control points.
- In Team Deathmatch, you shoot at each other in teams of 10.
Battlefield is not the only inspiration for the game from Polish origin: The loadout menu visually and content-wise strongly resembles Call of Duty, and there are CoD-like killstreaks.
Who is the game suitable for? Those looking for the most direct Battlefield clone and who also enjoy CoD elements should find World War 3 appealing. Accordingly, the game also appeals to casual players who are in the mood for a rather casual shooting round rather than intensive war simulations.
What does the game cost? World War 3 is still in Early Access and currently costs €12.99.
Have you played any of these games? What is your favorite? Or do you have another shooter that you play instead of Battlefield 2042? Let us know in the comments.
There is also a lot going on in the largest shooter series in the world. Soon, both Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 will be released in Call of Duty. MeinMMO colleague Maik Schneider summarizes here for you what to expect in these two games:
The 5 most important innovations in CoD MW2 and why I can only think of Warzone 2
