Battlefield 6

While Battlefield 6 is very much one single game, like Call of Duty these days, it's actually a product that's split into a few unique categories. So for the purpose of this review, I'm going to essentially write three small reviews about each area and then tie it all back together as a cohesive whole. Let's begin with the Campaign.

Battlefield 6's Campaign is not a great indicator of this game...

Yep, the subheader really explains the situation here, but for further emphasis, anyone who has played the recent betas will likely already have an impression of Battlefield 6 that is quite strong. Unfortunately, the Campaign doesn't at all match it.

I've often found that multiplayer-geared shooters like Battlefield have to give fans a reason to want to play their single-player story. We don't come to these games for the campaign and then use that as a springboard to hop into multiplayer. This is almost never the case. In fact, there will be many fans who never even bother to play the story mode because it's frankly not what they're interested in. So for those who do take time out of their day to play, it's reasonably fair to expect the experience to be somewhat rewarding and entertaining. I don't find this to be the case with this single-player offering.

For one, the premise is so batshit unlikely that it's near-impossible to relate to. NATO is at war with a privatised militia. The reason behind the conflict or how this militia even formed is barely explained, rather you're just thrown into a story where there are atypical good guys and bad guys, with the latter usually sporting blacked out gear while our heroes wear camo patterns and the like. If you've ever played a shooter campaign before, this reeks of the same material and ideas, in fact it's so predictable in regards to its fundamental setup that you begin searching for any originality whatsoever.

There are characters that you're supposed to care about but who receive minimal development, usually in the form of dialogue lines that reminisce about past missions we never experience. There's a villain who infrequently does villainous actions but who we are repeatedly told is the devil reincarnated. There's the incredibly familiar military jargon and banter between the heroes that feels like it was ripped straight out of Jarhead or any other 2000s military action film. There are predictable twists and turns, explosive set pieces that take control away from the player in the form of disheartening cutscenes just when things get good, and this is on top of NPC AI that is dysfunctional at the best of times.

It might seem like there's no light at the end of the tunnel but this is simply because the overall whole of Battlefield 6 is of very high quality, and in comparison this Campaign feels wide of the mark. In fact, the production value, the astounding graphics, and the silky smooth gunplay are the things that hold this campaign together and elevate it to being mediocre at its finest moments. It's also because of this that it can feel a bit insultingly mediocre to play, as after checking out the Multiplayer for even 30 minutes, you begin to expect the same attention to detail and quality in the single-player alternative. And it's just not there.

The Campaign is missable, not very rewarding, and as the game suggests after you finish the story, you won't at all feel lost by uninstalling this chunk of the game as soon as the credits roll...

...But the Multiplayer is everything you could want from a Battlefield game

The Multiplayer is a very different beast. As Call of Duty becomes faster and larger, and more and more isolating for those who don't dedicate their entire livelihood to the franchise, Battlefield instead goes back to the fundamentals that folk adore. Boots-on-the-ground warfare with tight and immersive gunplay and action delivered at an accessible and appreciative pace.

There's everything that fans love about Battlefield at its best here, be it a focus on modern era warfare, an array of unique but usable weapons, broad and unique maps that support the various game modes, tons of vehicles of master on the ground or in the air, and even simple customisability and buildcrafting that encourages player agency without overwhelming with options. It's almost the perfect formula for big-team multiplayer warfare, with the game at its best in the tense objective-focussed mode Breakthrough and with the new addition of Escalation proving to be a worthy evolution of the Conquest formula.

Battlefield 6 is one of the finest multiplayer shooters I have played in a few years, and it shows that the efforts of Battlefield Labs and the focus on listening to the community has paid off, as it's a nearly unrecognisable game when compared to Battlefield 2042. The action and gunplay is more stable and fulfilling and feels less like a twitch arena shooter. The map design and the way that objective and teamplay commands the action leads to a sense of comradery as all the best Battlefield games did, with this title also shining best when you're part of a squad and working as a unit to impact each match. In fact, the teamplay is where Battlefield 6 stands out the most, as when you truly work together and come up with inventive ways to overcome enemy defences, for example, it's a rewarding experience that few can rival.

So it has some of the finest gunplay and gameplay you could wish for from a shooter in the current day, it has memorable and entertaining maps to blast into smithereens, the destruction system is striking and impactful, and the return to traditional classes is nothing but a massive positive that betters every single aspect of the wider whole. Why these were ever adjusted in Battlefield 2042 is one of life's greatest mysteries...

You could argue that some of the game modes are now outdated or that they perhaps don't fit the type of game that Battlefield 6 ultimately wants to be. Rush is massively inferior to Breakthrough these days, and Deathmatchs lack the focus of the objective-based modes too, as examples. Similarly, some of the classes feel more important to the overall team health than others, and vehicles, when operated by a skilled driver/pilot, are perhaps a tad too overpowering and frustrating to deal with. And similarly, Battlefield is a series that is best with allies, and when playing alone some of the maps and modes can feel almost suffocating as you struggle to overcome defences or an effective attacking team. These are all elements that do affect the game, but frankly they are minor inconveniences for the most part, as the wider Battlefield 6 Multiplayer setup comes across as refined, polished, and well thought out. I wouldn't even feel uneasy to say that it's the best multiplayer shooter experience of the 2020s.

We're still a bit in the dark about Portal

As for Portal, it should be said that the review period hasn't allowed for an unprecedented look at the experience. The level design system was not available to test and the number of available modes were limited to a couple of frankly basic options, ones that are near indistinguishable to regular Multiplayer. So I'll actually keep this part brief.

Portal is a bit of a make or break idea in Battlefield 6, because if it lives up to the promises made by Battlefield Studios, it could be one of the finest custom game experiences in recent memory. The catch is that we haven't played that in-person yet, meaning we have to judge on hopeful premises and the two modes that were made available: Infantry Breakthrough and Hardcore Conquest.

Yep, it doesn't take a genius to understand what these modes offer and this is precisely the point. If Portal just leads to modes like this, if it lives and dies on nostalgia like 24/7 Rush modes, then it won't really be much to write home about. But if it can support the wackier creations that were promised, like the platforming-centric Top of the World, then it will stand out as an excellent tertiary part of the Battlefield 6 setup.

So where do we ultimately stand on Battlefield 6?

Looking at Battlefield 6 as a complete product, there's no denying that Battlefield Studios has delivered an exceptional product here. While I personally have not been impressed by the setup and structuring of the Campaign, it also feels like such a minor part of the overall whole that you can effectively disregard it altogether. As that leaves us with Multiplayer and Portal, it's evident that what's being presented is top-of-the-line and premium.

It's a complete package with tons of content and a very competent free first season that gives plenty of faith for its future. The graphics are astoundingly beautiful and stand out as a true example of a current-gen title, all while the experience is incredibly well put together to the point where bugs and issues are almost treated as happy little accidents. The performance is exceptional and the game plays smoothly without any hitches whatsoever, the matchmaking is snappy and fast, and the netcode is reliable and doesn't show any signs of lag. Also, as this is EA we are talking about, there is still a chance that they pull a fast-one on us and manage to sneak more intrusive microtransactions into the launch build. From what I've seen, there's very limited ways or reasons to ever want to spend more money on this game beyond the entry fee, so as it stands, there's no cause for concern whatsoever.

So long story short, Battlefield 6 is the return to form that we've been desiring for this franchise. It's a remarkable and entertaining multiplayer experience that has so much added potential thanks to the avenues that the expanded Portal promise. Its single-player story is missable and forgettable, but at the end of the day, the majority of players coming to this game are doing so for the online multiplayer element that never disappoints. So what else is there to say but bravo, Battlefield Studios, bravo.