Marching forward down an alley, gunfire rings out and my squadmates go down. As the last one standing, I hit the ground while bullets whiz over my head, using my defibrillator gadget to crawl forward and revive my teammates one by one -- the whole squad brought back to take the day.
It's a moment that could only happen in Battlefield 6, EA DICE's next entry in the beloved military shooter franchise. In my early time with the game, I've had a range of these "experiences" that remind me why this franchise stands out from Call of Duty and other modern first-person shooters. And while the new game feels like it's crept closer to the rapid-paced arena-style combat of those other FPS games, it mostly keeps to the Battlefield series' signature experience: squad-based, large-scale battles mixing soldiers and vehicles.
Mostly, anyway -- though some of developer EA DICE's choices during the Open Beta rubbed players the wrong way, including letting each class use every weapon type. That setup will likely remain the dominant way to play multiplayer, despite the more restrictive Closed Weapons mode still available. It's a tweak to the Battlefield formula seemingly meant to attract gamers beyond the series' playerbase. While it does dilute some of the game's identity, it'll be hard to gauge how much until the full release.
One of the game's most notable visual upgrades also proves paper-thin in multiplayer matches. Destruction barely matters -- fire an explosive or a tank round into a building and only the outer walls will crumble. It's undeniable that EA DICE made the crumbling debris look stunning, but it barely serves a purpose in combat. Gone are the days of leveling entire buildings into rubble, as in Battlefield 1 and 5, when destruction could reshape the battlefield. With so many of Battlefield 6's maps set in dense city streets and alleys, it's a shame I couldn't blast open more pathways and lanes for a strategic advantage.
The destruction graphics are great. Their combat impact, not so much. EA DICE
Players may eventually find better ways to exploit the destruction mechanics. But that won't happen on day one, since most explosive gadgets are locked behind higher progression levels or specific challenges when Battlefield 6 launches on Oct. 10. At best, players can equip all their classes with a sledgehammer melee weapon and try taking down buildings one swing at a time. They won't get far more useful demolition tools until after lots of playtime -- C4 sapper charges for the Recon class, for instance, aren't available until reaching level 20 and a class challenge is finished.
What's left is a competent, riveting shooter that shines where Battlefield always has -- in large-scale battles where squads capture zones and outmaneuver enemies with a mix of coordinated tactics and vehicle support. That's where you'll find those unforgettable, had-to-be-there moments of wild survival and miraculous plays that are now easier than ever to record to send to your friends. Outside that sweet spot -- in the areas where Battlefield 6 tries to encroach on other shooters' turf -- the gameplay feel less natural. I can only lose so many close-quarter gunfights before I start craving the chaos of the big battlefield again.
Battlefield 6 pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses
Battlefield 6 includes a solo campaign mode, which I unlocked about halfway through -- a middling story about a NATO combat unit shipping out around the world to fight the global mercenary force Pax Armata. There's enough intrigue in an overarching intelligence conspiracy plot to pique interest, and some fun set pieces, including an airdrop, a beach landing in an armored personnel carrier and a stealth infiltration. But mostly, it's a bunch of shooting down corridors until you're off to the next international location that shows up prominently in multiplayer maps.
For most gamers, multiplayer is where they'll spend almost all their time in Battlefield 6. The large-scale modes are the standouts, though maps are hit or miss. Liberation Peak is a mountainous desert with zones split between landscape features. Operation Firestorm, returning from Battlefield 3, is an overly large map with vast stretches of empty terrain between capture points that practically requires vehicles just to reach the firefights. The best maps balance verticality with clear lanes for patient long-range shots and tighter areas packed with obstacles for cover for frantic close-range fights.
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