Summary
TheBattlefieldfranchise is standing on a knife’s edge right now, where one wrong move could mean the end of the series, but one right move could put the franchise back on top again. After one disappointing entry after another,theBattlefieldfranchisehas found itself in desperate need of reinvention. While it’s currently unclear just what EA’s plans for the franchise are, it does seem likely that it’ll do whatever it takes to keepBattlefieldalive.
Battlefield 2042has gradually become a much better game, but it’s taken several years to get to that point, and its disastrous initial reception has damaged theBattlefieldbrand significantly. To turn things around,the nextBattlefieldgameis going to need to be the complete package from the get-go, and that includes the addition of a full single-player campaign. ButBattlefieldcampaigns have had two very different faces over the years, so the next game might have a tough time deciding which one it wants.
War Stories or a Traditional Campaign in the Next Battlefield
The Difference Between Battlefield’s War Stories and Traditional Campaigns Explained
When theBattlefieldfranchise first hit the scene withBattlefield 1942all the way back in 2002, it didn’t ship with a single-player campaign. Instead,Battlefield 1942focused on giving players large-scale multiplayer battles, with AI being used instead of real-world opponents if players wanted a solo experience. That’s the way theBattlefieldfranchise operated for the best part of six years, withBattlefield: Bad Companybeing the first game in the series to deliver a fully-fledged, dedicated campaign.
SinceBattlefield: Bad Company, the vast majority of mainlineBattlefieldtitles have included a dedicated single-player campaign, though these have taken on two very different structures over time. The most prominentBattlefieldcampaign structureis the simple, traditional campaign structure that follows in the footsteps of other military shooters like it. Here, players take control of several playable characters as they make their way through one shared narrative. ThoughBattlefield3has some flashback shenanigans going on, mostBattlefieldgames sinceBad Companyfollow this same structure.
Battlefield1brought a new kind of campaign. Titled “War Stories,“Battlefield 1’s campaignwas essentially an anthology series of several smaller campaigns, with each small-scale campaign consisting of a handful of missions. Each of these War Stories focused on a new character serving in a different part of the First World War, ranging from a British recruit who’s just joined a tank crew, to an American pilot, to an Australian runner in Gallipoli.Battlefield 5continued this War Story structure, and now, the nextBattlefieldgame has to choose between the two.
War Stories and Traditional Campaigns Both Have Their Upsides
Generally speaking,Battlefield’s War Storiesallow for more diverse storytelling opportunities, and more variety in terms of gameplay. There are usually more characters, more set pieces, and more variety in objectives and settings. For a conflict like World War 1 and 2, War Stories make complete sense because there were so many different fronts during the conflict.
That being said, while War Stories can tell multiple narratives, a traditionalBattlefieldcampaign has the opportunity to deliver one truly cohesive, compelling story. While there’s more pressure to make a traditional campaign story, it can also end up feeling much more grandiose and impressive than several smaller-scale War Stories, where players don’t get much time with the characters.
Battlefield 2042
WHERE TO PLAY
Battlefield 2042 is a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise. With the help of a cutting-edge arsenal, engage in intense, immersive multiplayer battles.Lead your team to victory in both large all-out warfare and close-quarters combat on maps from the world of 2042 and classic Battlefield titles. Find your playstyle in class-based gameplay and take on several experiences comprising elevated versions of Conquest and Breakthrough. Explore Battlefield Portal, a platform where players can discover, create, and share unexpected battles from Battlefield’s past and present.This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items.
