That is correct. The last downloadable content for Battlefield 4, called Final Stand, is going to destroy the Battlefield franchise. Origin didn’t do it. Battlelog didn’t do it. Going to the Frostbite engine didn’t do it. Even the terrible release and horrid state of Battlefield 4 itself did not do it. So what did it? The DLC that has pieces of the beginning of 2142 in it. That’s right. Sci-Fi killed Battlefield.
So we have now come full circle. Battlefield 2142 was released in 2006 and we approaching the 10 year anniversary of the futuristic shooter. Since Battlefield 3, DICE has been hinting of another 2142 style Battlefield game. A game once again set up well into the future where global warming/cooling has collapsed countries and humanity has to fight for what land is left. Where hover tanks, battle walkers, and huge floating warships, called Titans, rule the battlefield.
So if you haven’t caught on yet, I am being very sarcastic about how this has destroyed the Battlefield franchise. Over the last eleven years that I have been playing Battlefield I have seen MANY things that could have destroyed the franchise. Things from internal shake ups at DICE to EA focusing on console projects to DICE becoming more than just a game developer inside EA, but a gaming solution company who designs gaming engines and helps spearhead the future of EA games as a whole. Believe me when I say this; The Final Stand DLC is NOT the end all of the Battlefield series.
DICE Los Angeles, another development group of DICE, is making the last two DLCs for Battlefield 4 and have said that their focus on Final Stand is to bring the 2142 franchise more into the Battlefield story timeline and let players have a glimpse into where 2142 started. It is a game that has remained apart from the rest of the series, a bit like Bad Company.
2142 was, and still is, my most favorite Battlefield game. Not just because of the sci-fi aspect of it, but because it had things fixed that Battlefield 2 did not. It was a very well balanced game that also had some very good map design and game play mechanics. Everything about it was balanced at several different levels. There was a true rock-paper-scissors approach to all the fighting aspects of the game. Even the gadgets that were first brought in allowed balance to it. Nothing totally dominated and there was something for both the beginner and veteran player to do and master. The new player was not at the mercy of the veteran, but if the veteran was skilled enough, they were unstoppable.
So what is it that people think are going to kill the franchise? Well, for most it appears to be the futuristic aspect. Here are the leading comments in the Battlelog forums:
I think the special value that has the battlefield is that it focused on presente day warfare, with present days waepons, present day vehicles and aircraft, and present day scenarios. (yes i would like presente day uniforms also, and more customizables)
Or people who realize that there are multiple avenues for a futuristic game, even one coming from DICE themselves (Star Wars:Battlefront). A return to the basics would do wonders for the BF franchise.
WW2 needed
Don’t care, don’t want them in BF4. I’ve tested them in CTE and I honestly think we were better off with just the maps (which are cool indeed) and new weapons.
I hate the idea they added a f@%@ing hover tank in this game
Keep BF4 on the present day warfare, I want to play Battlefield not Halo
I never played 2142, but I heard it was good. I just hope BF doesn’t go the route of titanfall and the next COD. I don’t play those games for a reason.
You can read the comments and many more from the original link here.
Now I understand what they are saying. You bought a game and you expect it to be a certain way and have certain features and game play behind it. I know how disappointing it is to load into a map expecting conquest mode and it end up being obliteration.
The issue is how they are looking at this DLC. First a lot of the posters are making it sound like the entire game is changing. That is just not the case. It is one map pack with a theme behind it, that has been building to this point since Battlefield 3 actually. It is four maps that will do this with 26 others not even mentioning it. Not all game modes will have the futuristic weapons. There are no new futuristic weapons to unlock that would “taint” vanilla game play. All the future stuff is staying on these four maps. Also, the real powerful weapons like the walkers, Titan, and cloaking devices are not even operational or available for play on those maps.
There is a spotting gadget that does what the spot key does automatically, that will only be available for two certain weapon classes. PDWs and Carbines I believe. Could be wrong on that, Google it.
One complaint, which is very valid, is how people paid for these DLCs and now they are stuck with this future stuff that they didn’t sign up for. One of the benefits of playing on the CTE program is you get to beta test these maps and they are very nicely done. They feel like “Battlefield” maps. Two of the four are very well balanced for both vehicle and infantry game play. The other two are very large vehicle centered maps. Sometimes in video games, as a gamer, we do not know what we are going to get. I also paid for Premium and what we get is what we get, rather I agree with it or not. I HATE the China Rising maps. I hate them because I feel that they are lopsided toward vehicle game play and they do not provide good cover or opportunity for the infantry player. So an entire section of Battlefield game play is ignored in these maps. A lot of people love them. I understand that and so I play the China Rising maps only when it is Domination or Team Death Match. Is that fair? Should I have DLC that is what I want to play all the time? Isn’t my money just as valuable as the next guys? I just had to learn what I liked and didn’t and worked with that. Not every DLC is going to be a grand slam for everyone. You have to adapt and overcome.
Another issue is that it is “unrealistic”. These weapons are not even in wars today and so it shouldn’t be in this one. Like the Rorsch X1 shown above, rail guns are not in real war.
Ok, so first lets all remember that this is a game and that Battlefield has NEVER been about realism. I’ve wrote about that in the past and it stands firm today. So that aside, everything in the Final Stand DLC, with the exception of the Titan ship, is in prototype today. All of the rest. Militaries around the world are working on these weapons. They exist today in some type of form or another. The other thing is that Battlefield 4 is set in the year 2020. Its slightly into the future. As for Final Stand, we do not know what year it is set in. The war with China has been going on for a few DLCs now and we have come to this final point. So who knows what will be about in 2020 – 2024. That is a decade away.
The rail gun is overpowered! Its going to ruin everything!
Well, yes, it is very powerful, but it is no more overpowered than the sniper battle pickups that have been in the game now and since release. The only difference is it can destroy vehicles in two to three hits. The Rorsch X1 has a very long reload time and ready state. It has low ammo and gives away your position. With some teamwork the person using it can be taken out quickly. In CTE it is a novelty weapon, but not over powering or game breaking. I’m sure we will get a lot of posts about it though and how it needs to be removed, even though it has all these issues.
Finally, and I think my strongest point that Final Stand will not destroy Battlefield, is that 2142 came out in 2006. It did not destroy Battlefield, yet that is exactly what was said back then when it was announced. Everyone talked about how it was the end of the franchise and a bad turn for DICE. In honesty, it was not the most played Battlefield because so many did not like the idea of sci-fi. It was the most balanced and had some of the best maps in any Battlefield game and a lot of people missed out. However, here we are toward the end of 2014 and I am writing about Battlefield 4. Everything survived into the future, sort of. 2142 did not destroy the franchise and the futuristic weapons and vehicles, which are not in working order in Final Stand, were not over powered or game breaking.
So whatever your cup of tea is in Battlefield, rest assured that Final Stand is not going to destroy Battlefield 4 or the franchise instantly. It will be fun and something new and interesting to try and maybe people will actually enjoy it. I also hope this is a great marketing ploy to bring on the next 2142. It could be a great game.
Crunch Time 