Battlefield 2042 celebrates its gameplay reveal at E3 2021 just the way we want it. But the trailer not only leaves mouths open with action but also raises questions, according to MeinMMO author Philipp Hansen.
Finally real gameplay: For months, DICE has kept Battlefield fans in suspense. The E3 2021 finally revealed the cat, uh, the shooter, from the bag. The official reveal of Battlefield 2042 surprised with a trailer that showcased 5 minutes of full action. This brought plenty of thumbs up from players, quite unlike its direct predecessor BF5, which was not received well.
But we gamers know, trailers can mislead and we want real gameplay! And finally, the time has come. Just this morning, on June 13, mere 2 seconds of gameplay caused soldiers to freak out. Now you can enjoy a full 3 minutes of real in-game action from Battlefield 2042:
New gameplay from E3 2021 presents action, action, and more action
Here’s what to see:
- First, it starts with a shout: “Incoming Fire!” This prepares you well for what follows, as you can expect nonstop action that can quickly give you a headache.
- To the thumping bass, scenes, maps, and perspectives alternate – We see snippets from all 7 maps that will be available at launch on October 22.
- We see large-scale assaults, typically featuring a mix of infantry and vehicles (tanks, helicopters, Ospreys, and buggies).
- The gameplay looks very horizontal and vertical.
- Very dynamically, fighters zip-line between buildings – less dynamically, it’s done via the elevator. With the wingsuit, it goes down from the skyscrapers.
- The visibility looks really good at first glance. Until a sandstorm obscures the view and causes plenty of destruction.
- We also see typical “Battlefield moments”: A bomb is attached to a buggy, which then flies over the roof and takes out a helicopter from the air.
That’s why I feel sorry for soldiers: Most of the time in every scene, several vehicles in action can be spotted. How can I, as a poor infantry soldier, survive longer than 10 seconds before I run off again on respawn? I’d rather grab a tank or have one delivered via supply drop.
The maps really look impressively large. Another reason why I am reluctant to rely on my feet. In the worst case, I run forever from spawn to action, while everyone else is already capturing the objectives – because they naturally grabbed a vehicle.
It is, of course, questionable how high the density of motorized and heavy vehicles is in everyday gameplay. Battlefield has always been known for not just being an infantry soldier. So I really hope that the devs at DICE know what they are doing (again). Because the gunplay and the showcased attachments look good. How they play is something I want to find out, not just how a bulky tank drives.
So close combat after all: Some scenes in the shown gameplay also give hope that it can be done without vehicles. We see soldiers fighting high up on a crane. Towards the end of the trailer, there are also battles inside a facility – hopefully, a tank doesn’t crash through the wall and roll over everyone.
Lots of action but little destruction in the new Battlefield?
What’s missing: The gameplay reveal sounds “enter a constantly changing battlefield” yet there isn’t much change seen. Many players likely hoped that the destruction physics would be shown much more prominently.
Could the old consoles be a brake here? After all, the number of players for PS4 or Xbox One is even halved from 128 to 64 per match. Here I really hope that DICE surprises us positively. Battlefield 2042 will be a different game on PS4 and Xbox One – these are the differences to next-gen
The statement of “constant change” could of course also refer to the natural disasters prominently represented by the sandstorm.
- Here it is impressive how an Osprey is almost thrown through the air and hardly withstands the storm.
- The massive rocket that heads into space is also seen in the gameplay. And yes, it looks just as impressive as in the rendered trailer from 4 days ago.
Are you hungry? More tasty bites about Battlefield 2042 are coming soon
What you can look forward to: Phew, that was a lot of action for an E3: first the spectacular reveal trailer and now finally solid gameplay of Battlefield 2042.
But already in a little over a month, on July 22, EA will unveil the still secret mode – this is supposed to be a “love letter to veterans”. Additionally, there’s still the rumor about a “battle royale” mode for Battlefield.
Until Battlefield 2042 is released on October 22 (or October 15 with early access), it will still be exciting around the new shooter. We at MeinMMO will closely follow the game before and after release and deliver everything from news to analytical specials.
What did you think of the gameplay of Battlefield 2042? Are you positively surprised and looking forward to having gained a first impression of how the action fest really looks? Let us know in the comments.
If you don’t want to wait any longer and were directly convinced by what was shown: Battlefield 2042 pre-order: All about price, editions, and bonuses
