Battlefield 2042 is the latest installment in DICE’s acclaimed franchise. Having been in close competition with the Call of Duty franchise in past years, all signs are this year point to the larger scale warzone taking the prize. With 2042 being the first Battlefield game on current generation platforms, I was more than excited to try it out and follow up the Battlefield 2042 preview that I wrote earlier this year.

Battlefield 2042 is HUGE!

Thanks to the incredible processing power that came with the dawning of this new generation, Battlefield 2042 has upped the ante and doubled the number of players in the default Conquest mode. While this sounds like a recipe for chaos, the larger maps slow things down a little and make the additional players a welcome addition.

Specialists

As opposed to just using classes like in previous titles, DICE has introduced specialists to play as in Battlefield 2042. These soldiers each come with their own specialties, weapons, and equipment. The game launched with 10 specialists, but DICE plan to introduce a playable specialist with each passing season. Whether you’re a fan of holding back and sniping or charging screaming into the action – there’s the perfect specialist for everyone available.

Current Specialists

Kimble “Irish” Graves: Graves is an engineer and has the ability to deploy cover when under fire and can use a trophy system to take out enemy missiles.

Webster Mackay: Webster was a man of the wilds before enlisting. He moves a lot quicker than other specialists and can even traverse large cliffs and buildings using his grappling hook gadget.

Maria Falk: Maria is an extremely effective combat surgeon and can heal from is distance with special syringe projectiles. She can also nurse a downed teammate to full fighting form.

Pyoter “Boris” Gukovsky: Pyoter has the ability to defend objectives with sentry turrets. A great specialist to rack up passive kills with.

Wikus “Casper” Van Daele: Being a master of camouflage, Casper makes an ideal sniper and is equipped with a motion sensor to alert him to any enemies idiotic enough to try and sneak up on him.

Navin Rao: Rao is the token hacker of the specialist selection. He can temporarily render enemy vehicles useless by scrambling their radar and disable robotic rangers.

Santiago “Dozer” Espinosa: Santiago is an explosion sponge and can take a lot more explosive damage than other specialists. He is also equipped with a shield that he can use as a battering ram.

Emma “Sundance” Rosier: Sundance’s array of Smart Explosive makes her a formidable enemy. She can also glide through the air using her squirrel suit.

Constantin “Angel” Anghel: Constantine automatically gives an armor boost to any allies he revives as well as drop ammo crates to resupply those in need. It’s easy to see where he got his nickname.

Ji-Soo Paik: The thorn in the side of anyone that meets her on the battlefield. Paik can see enemies through walls by using her scanner and enemies firing upon her are highlighted for return fire.

Battlefield 2042 Gameplay

Aside from the specialists, not much has changed in the way of gameplay for Battlefield 2042. Like all the previous Battlefield games, 2042 takes some time to really sink your teeth into. The maps are significantly larger than that of its predecessors but don’t feel empty, possibly due to the massive 128-player limit.

As always, the Battlefields feel realistic, dramatic, and often frustrating (perhaps the latter is down to my own lack of skill, however). Aircraft falling from the sky in plumes of smoke, large structures toppling, and the shouts of your comrades are punctuated with the distinct sounds of distant firefights. Despite the rage-inducing difficulty of the game, or perhaps because of it, Battlefield 2042 is a cut above any other shooter on the current generation.

Bugs, Bugs and a few more Bugs

Battlefield 2042 is not all perfect. Bugs often get in the way and diminish the sense of realism that the game works so hard to achieve. There’s nothing to quite remind you that you’re playing a video game quite like sprites getting stuck in walls of parachutists falling from the skies in staggered movements.

It’s important to remember, however, that the game is still in its infancy and all these nuances will no doubt be fixed through updates as time rolls tirelessly on.

Battlefield 2042 – Summary

Battlefield 2042 is an immersive, fast-paced shooter that packs that current generation punch. The 128-player matches never fail to impress and give you a real feeling of being at war, but without the risk of a 5.56 in the eye. It’s exactly what I was expecting from DICE. Huge, sprawling battles with an authentically unsettling atmosphere.

DICE have really thrown their aces down with Battlefield 2042 and I’m excited to see what the new seasons will bring.

Attach bayonets and get ready for some seriously heated action.