Battlefield 2042 showcased real gameplay for the first time at E3. What was shown is impressive, but MeinMMO author Philipp Hansen misses his role in the destruction orgy among all the natural disasters.
This is what Battlefield is known for: In the Battlefield series, it’s not just about shooting with a rifle. Thanks to heavy war machinery and explosives, you can also drop a house on the enemy’s head. In addition, dynamic events on the maps provide plenty of variety.
- This destruction and change of the game world is called “Levolution”.
- The first gameplay of the new Battlefield 2042 now impressively shows what we can expect starting October 2021.
- Keep in mind, what was shown is still “Pre Alpha Gameplay”, so a lot could theoretically change before the release.
We will clarify in this article why the shown material battle is well received by viewers, but despite all the natural disasters, destruction seems to be missing.
Gameplay of Battlefield 2042 shows physics and Levolution
This excites players: The first official gameplay during E3 2021 left people in awe. When the players watched the 3-minute gameplay trailer again in peace, the physics and natural disasters sparked enthusiasm.
Especially the tornado is somewhat of a show star and delivers what the chat demanded during the presentation: “Battlefield, please let there be Levolution” (via YouTube).
The large tornado brings plenty of destruction and really changes the map. The tornado impressively whirls up debris and sucks in vehicles and poor wingsuit users. It seems as if the weather physics directly affect you, and you have to counter it strongly. The storm also sends helicopters swirling through the air, which then crash into each other.
In the gameplay, it’s also visible how the soldier’s HUD interface glitches as the storm approaches. In a Hollywood movie, a line like this would surely be heard: “Help, we are experiencing powerful interferences, systems are failing!”.
The natural disasters, which vary depending on the map, impress. However, viewers also have an eye for the “less obvious” physics:
- When a tank rolls over a parked car, not much remains but deformed scrap. According to reddit, some soldiers want to flatten everything and see what can be destroyed.
- Sand provides cover, and we see how a massive sandstorm completely obscures large parts of the desert. This way, even tanks can be used for hidden ambushes.
- Players are also excited that sand and dust swirl beautifully. When a tank descends from the sky, it’s as if someone set off a smoke bomb, so dense is the stirred-up desert sand. Those who look closely will also see the tracks left by vehicles and gunfire in the sand, beautifully immersive, but hopefully, you will also have a clear view to shoot.
- The grappling hook of the infantry specialist allows for a swing up to a crane. The Tarzan jump and swinging leave viewers hoping for versatile applications.
If you haven’t watched the gameplay of Battlefield 2042 yet, here is the new trailer from E3:
Battlefield 2042, let’s knock down a house
DICE can rightly be proud of the natural disasters. But personally, I miss a bit of the destruction that I can cause as a player. There’s barely any of that visible in the gameplay trailer. The tornado acts completely autonomously; I have no influence on it and can only try to escape.
But I wished for more destruction that I could trigger myself. Sure, under fire, walls crumble, and particles fly around – surely also physically correct.
That used to be better: Do you remember the sound when metal creaked and then shortly afterward an entire floor of a house collapsed? I can still hear that clearly, more than 10 years after it happened in Battlefield Bad Company 2.
If you just applied enough force to a house, the material would eventually give in. Battlefield 4 let an entire skyscraper collapse back in 2013. However, one must be fair and admit that it was a map event like the tornado now.
But I don’t understand why Battlefield 2042 is now skimping on such destruction orgies. In the gameplay, at least a few walls could have been shown through which players could blow open a new door.
Fired up by the new console generation, players could have become explosive landscapers here. Instead of trimming a tree with scissors, one can fell half a forest with a machine gun. At the end of each round, it felt great to look at the barely recognizable landscape you had torn apart over the last 30 minutes.
I also wonder how many resources the old consoles have to spare. After all, the PS4 and Xbox One cannot handle 128 players simultaneously, and only 64 soldiers compete per match. Did DICE forgo my next-gen destruction fantasy because of the old-gen?
Team promises more destruction than ever before
DICE says: Some hope comes from an interview with lead developer Chris Berlin from DICE conducted by Gamesradar (via Gamesradar.com).
- There is talk of “destructible environments” and “ground deformation”.
- You should be able to change the map more significantly through grenades and other explosives than has been possible in previous parts of the series.
- At the end of a round, the map should look completely different from the start – and not just due to the natural disasters.
This is how the collapsing skyscraper looked in 2013 in Battlefield 4:
It is quite possible that Battlefield 2042 will later specifically address the destruction that players can cause themselves. Perhaps with its own Levolution trailer. Battlefield 2042, I hope you have more destruction for me when you finally release on October 22.
How did you find the gameplay reveal for the new Battlefield? Do you wish for more destruction, or does what you saw fully appeal to you? Share your opinion with other readers in the comments.
Fortunately, we don’t have to wait much longer for new information to drop. Soon, EA will reveal a secret mode that is said to be a “love letter” for veterans: Battlefield 2042: Leak reveals secret mode that aims to make old veterans happy
