After months of leaks (many of which look fantastic), the official coming-out party for the next Battlefield game has begun. Its debut trailer released earlier this week, giving us a proper look at the game’s return to a contemporary setting, as well as the tone of what we can only hope is a recalibration for the series. After the disappointing release of Battlefield 2042, DICE’s first-person shooter series desperately needs a home run. As most of the online Battlefield community will tell it, Battlefield 6 doesn’t have to do a whole lot to win back its beleaguered but forgiving fans. Nearly all the gripes that players have had with the series these last nine years stem from developers straying from Battlefield’s identity. Cutting traditional Battlefield classes, changing how primary weapons work, a Battle Royale mode, a half-baked inclimate weather mechanic; all avoidable stumbles that nobody asked for. With Battlefield 6 on the horizon, this feels like the best opportunity yet to make good on delivering the back-to-basics, no-frills modern take on the multiplayer shooter players have been asking for since 2016. How could it do this flawlessly? Well, luckily for DICE and the three other studios working on Battlefield 6, there are nearly a dozen predecessors to take inspiration from, the majority of which are some of the best multiplayer shooters of their respective times. If Battlefield 6 wants to be the comeback kid the community’s hoping for, it should preserve these series-defining features from past entries. |