A few days ago, new gameplay scenes of the specialists from Battlefield 2042 were finally shown. However, the reaction from players is mixed. Especially one change in close combat is causing discussions.
What is it about? The new gameplay trailer introduces the four specialists and showcases their traits. The specialists are similar to the class system of Battlefield 2042.
How does it work? The specialists fundamentally resemble the previous role distribution that you also know from other editions:
- Assault Soldier – The mobile front soldier
- Support – The support unit or also medics
- Engineer – Responsible for the heavy equipment
- Recon – Often stays in the background, scouts enemies or disrupts them
Specialists also come with active and passive abilities and gadgets. With the weapons, you also have significantly more freedom than was the case in the past. If you want to know more about the specialists, you can find our overview of the classes here.
What is the problem now? Besides the graphics, the animation of the close combat kill is primarily the focus of criticism. While in previous Battlefield editions you could perform close combat kills from the first-person perspective, Battlefield 2042 now switches to the third-person view when you achieve a kill with your knife.
Here you can watch such a close combat kill in the new gameplay video:
This does not please many Battlefield veterans at all, and in the subreddit for Battlefield 2042, they express their displeasure.
Players demand the option to change the camera “First-Person is much more immersive for me”
What exactly bothers the fans about the change? Many are concerned that the atmosphere of the shooter could suffer from changes like these. The third-person perspective would deteriorate immersion.
Thus, it is now being demanded on Reddit to make the first-person perspective optionally available, so that each player can decide for themselves. This suggestion comes from xFate96 and receives much support from other Battlefield fans (via reddit).
This is what fans say about the proposal:
- “Yes, only first-person for me. I’m not trying to play Call of Duty.” (TheRedTacoMan via reddit)
- “Yes. First-Person is much more immersive for me. I want to feel like I am the soldier I am playing and that I am on the battlefield.” (Leasmushy via reddit)
- “Battlefield has made it [until now] more personal in first-person.” (xSSx-SPECTER via reddit)
While not everyone agrees with the critics, some see it as just a small change. However, more and more commentators fear that Battlefield, through changes like these, is increasingly adapting to competitors like Call of Duty. The four specialists are also viewed critically:
dorsalfantastic puts it this way: “A major incentive for many players is to essentially be a cog in the wheel of war. And with the addition of operations (personalized agents) and now 3rd-person animations, it seems more like an attempt to make everyone the main character of their own film. That really doesn’t match the Battlefield vibe.”
The new gameplay scenes look, in the eyes of some Battlefield players, as if the game is continuing to move towards CoD.
What bothers players about the new gameplay trailer? In the comments section on YouTube, many fans criticize the technology. It is criticized that the scenes are too jerky and do not run smoothly at 60 FPS.
Many are disappointed, as the first trailers for Battlefield 2042 looked better than this new trailer. In contrast, other players argue that it is probably footage from the alpha test and is by no means likely the final version of the shooter.
Additionally, one must not forget the compression and poorer image quality of recorded gameplay on YouTube.
Nevertheless, it seems that after the growing hype, there is now also increasing concern and criticism.
Whether the criticism is justified can be found out in September in an open beta.
When is the beta supposed to start? There is still no exact date for the beta start. EA has only mentioned September as a rough timeframe.
According to industry insider Tom Henderson the beta is supposed to go into early access on 22 September. Henderson is considered a reliable source and is quite confident about this information.
For which platforms will the beta be released? You will be able to play the shooter on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. However, on the older consoles, you will have to expect a trimmed-down version.
All known information can be found in our overview of the open beta for Battlefield 2042
