Battlefield 2042 (2023)

20.12.2023

Battlefield 2042 is an FPS video game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. This is the twelfth main part of the series. Battlefield, released on November 19, 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Unlike previous games in the series, Battlefield 2042 is multiplayer only and does not have a single-player campaign. The game features cross-platform play support, a first in the series. Battlefield 2042 received mixed reviews from critics and negative reviews from players for its technical issues, lack of features, and some gameplay changes. The game failed to meet Electronic Arts' sales expectations.

Gameplay

Like its predecessors, Battlefield 2042 focuses on multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS). Set in the near future, the game features futuristic weapons and gadgets, such as deployable turrets and drones, as well as vehicles that players can control. Players can request a vehicle drop to any location. The game introduces a "Plus" system that allows players to customize their weapons on the spot.

The class system has been significantly overhauled, removing the four defined classes from previous games; instead, players can take control of a specialist who falls into the four traditional Battlefield game classes: Assault, Engineer, Medic and Recon. These characters can wield any of the weapons and gadgets the player has unlocked. Each operator has their own unique skills and gadgets. For example, one of the specialists, Emma "Sundance" Rosier, is equipped with a "wing suit" (flight suit), while another, Maria Falk, is equipped with a healing gun. Evolution and destructive environments from Battlefield 4 are returning to Battlefield 2042, such as extreme weather effects, such as tornadoes and sandstorms, which can affect gameplay. The game includes seven maps at launch, including "„Breakaway“", the largest map in the history of the franchise Battlefield.

The game has three main game modes. The first is called "„All-Out Warfare“" and covers "„Breakthrough“" and "„Conquest“" - two main modes of the series. In Conquest two teams fight against each other to capture control points; once all control points in a sector are captured, the team controls that sector. In Breakthrough one team must attempt to capture another team's control points, while the other team must defend them. Both modes can be played with and against AI-controlled players. The PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S versions support matches with up to 128 players, while the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions support up to 64 players. For the first time in the series, Battlefield 2042 includes support for cross-platform play with the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S versions. While the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also support the feature, it is limited to players on the two aforementioned platforms.

The second main mode included in the game is a community-driven platform called "„Battlefield Portal“". The portal allows players to create custom multiplayer modes and features select maps from past Battlefield games, such as Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 3. In addition, players can modify basic game elements such as health, weapon reloading, and movement through a web-based scripting application.

The third mode is a cooperative multiplayer mode called "„Hazard Zone“". In this mode, players are divided into teams and must compete against each other to acquire and extract data from devices from the debris of fallen satellites. These data devices are guarded by enemy fighters controlled by AI players. Players earn "black market credits" after successfully retrieving a data device. These credits can be spent to purchase new weapons and upgrades in this mode.

Scenario

Battlefield 2042 There is no single-player campaign. Instead, the story is told through multiplayer gameplay. Decades of devastation caused by collapsing economies, rising sea levels, and broken alliances (including the breakup of the European Union due to Germany's bankruptcy and the resulting refugees known as "No-Pats") culminate in 2040 when a Kessler Syndrome event occurs, causing 70% of the orbiting satellites to crash into Earth.

The resulting permanent global blackout causes tensions between the United States and Russia to skyrocket, with war breaking out by 2042. Outside of the multiplayer gameplay, the story is also told on Electronic Arts' official website for Battlefield 2042. A standalone short film titled Exodus, which chronicles events leading up to the 2042 war and features a returning Battlefield 4 character, Irish, is set to release on August 12, 2021, via the YouTube channel of Battlefield.

Minimum system requirements (PC):