Battlefield 6, A Humble Review

Following the poor results of Battlefield 2042, Electronic Arts and its studios redeem themselves with an entertaining installment that will delight fans of the saga.

Battlefield is a historic saga within multiplayer first-person shooter games that revolutionized the genre with its first installment released in the year 2002, which stood out for its vast maps and for the possibility of facing other players in massive battles in which we could use both infantry and tanks, boats or other vehicles, betting on a formula as chaotic as it is spectacular and, above all, tremendously fun.

Over the past 23 years of its existence, the Electronic Arts saga has experienced various fluctuations, featuring fantastic and beloved installments such as Battlefield 2, Battlefield 3, and Bad Company 2, as well as notable setbacks and stumbles like Battlefield 2042. This last installment was launched with little content, a class system that was not convincing, and several critical failures that hampered the game at its launch. And although many of those problems have been fixed over the past four years (in fact, it is now a much more enjoyable game), it was not enough to dispel the community's skepticism.

After that stumble, now comes Battlefield 6, the new installment in which many hopes have been placed. At Vandal, we have already been able to play Battlefield 6 in depth, and in the following few lines, we are going to tell you what we thought of an installment that returns Battlefield to where it deserves to be.

If you are in the mood for something completely different, check out our Ghost of Yotei review!

The king of military multiplayer returns

The central core of the Battlefield saga is its multiplayer component, which shines again in Battlefield 6, a quality we already noticed during the test days preceding its launch and which we can reaffirm now that we have played it under more realistic conditions, with thousands of players on its servers.

Perhaps the most important thing of all is that destruction is once again a protagonist (and in what way) of the military experience of this new installment. Numerous scenario elements can be destroyed by launching grenades, missiles, or shots with our submachine gun or machine gun. These destructible elements are not as localized as in Battlefield 2042, but rather make up the majority of a scenario that constantly changes throughout the match. In fact, even some parts of the rocks on a mountain can be destroyed with a shot from a tank to eliminate that damned precision sniper hiding behind it.

It is a destruction that is noticed little by little, more subtly than in other installments (unless the collapse of a building or a large explosion catches you right next to it). It may be that during the first matches some may not be aware of the magnitude of what the destruction system of Battlefield 6 does, but, as the hours of gameplay pass, it is easy to realize how terrific the destruction is, how it affects the scenarios in small and large details changing the dynamics of the match or the way to access certain buildings.

Battlefield 6 Is Filled With A Varied Arsenal of Game Modes

Being able to feel that adrenaline, that chaos, and that destruction again, which this time does work, is a most rewarding experience. It reaches its maximum splendor in the game variants that bet on larger maps, giving rise to memorable moments: starting the match as assault and seeing how part of a building collapses due to enemy fire; getting into a tank we find to begin an armored fight; or changing to the scout class to fight from a distance, observing everything that happens before shooting with precision.

Battlefield 6 is an entertaining game, of that we have little doubt. It is so both in the large-scale game modes already usual for the saga, grouped within "Total War", where we find the classic Conquest, Assault and Rush, as well as in the new mode Escalation, in which we fight for the different points of the territory and, as we capture areas, the number of them is reduced, intensifying the combat and being one of our favorite modes during all the days we have tested the game.

In those modes, we can feel the most complete Battlefield experience in the best game of the saga in a long time. Still, to spice up the formula, we also have classic multiplayer shooter modes focused on infantry, but seasoned with the destruction, movement, and class systems of Battlefield 6: Team Combat, Team Deathmatch, Domination, and King of the Hill.

A Diverse and Well-Designed Map Pool

Moving on to the different maps, at launch, we will have a total of nine maps that scale in size depending on the game mode accessed. These maps transport us to various locations and biomes, blending urban combat in diverse settings with more open scenarios typical of the Battlefield saga. Our favorites for now are Mirak Valley, Liberation Peak, Saints Quarter, and the return of a classic: Operation Firestorm.

Most are very well-designed, and the objectives of each map make staying too long in a specific point not too convenient, except in particular cases. Furthermore, the greater commitment to large-caliber urban scenarios and the large number of objects and ruins have reduced the presence of snipers.

During the first week after its launch, we have also been able to test some experiences in Portal, which has two distinct aspects: its editing tools and the more playable aspect, offering different modes for players.

Battlefield Studios gives us two ways to create custom experiences with Portal, one relatively simple based on a web platform where we can modify specific aspects of the maps or game modes to set limitations, adjust the number of weapons, choose the map rotation... although what shines the most is the new SDK that allows creating maps or modifying existing ones with many possibilities, even allowing to recreate a Call of Duty map.

Weapon Balance and Combat Sensations in Battlefield 6

For the more traditional player, the most interesting aspect here is enjoying the diverse gaming experiences. In these first days, we have easily found in the community section of the game everything from 'hardcore' modes with special rules to plane or vehicle races, as well as a kind of Horde mode. Surely, Portal will be crucial as time passes, players complete the progressions of their favorite class, and become more familiar with the maps that come with the game. Furthermore, there are filters to sort these experiences by votes, popularity, or different themes.

This scenario destruction would be of little use if the game did not feel good, perfect, in all areas of combat: both in close-quarters combat and in short, medium, or long-range shooting, as well as in driving or combat with heavy vehicles, helicopters, or planes, which is very refined.

The sensations in terms of gameplay are very positive, although balance adjustments for some weapons are probably needed. The recoil of certain weapons, especially when upgrades are not yet available, is very evident, as well as the different reload and aiming times that make customizing each weapon or selecting the most suitable one in each situation key.

 Here, perhaps we have to say that submachine guns (SMGs) at close range may need to have their power reduced, and that, on the other hand, we believe the bullet drop when using precision rifles is considerably less aggressive than in different installments. With all that, this will likely be adjusted based on community feedback through various updates.

Immersive Combat and Teamwork Mechanics

All sensations during combat are very positive and realistic, with good movement of our character, a more than interesting use of cover to lean out from them to shoot, the possibility of grabbing a fallen teammate, dragging them, and trying to revive them… everything adds up to a perfect and quite rounded whole, despite needing some adjustments.

Something that will make many of you happy is the return of a much more classic class system in which we can choose between Assault, Engineer, Support, or Recon, which are prepared to have their usual roles in the saga, with their own devices or exclusive "abilities" for each class. However, on this occasion, we have more customization options and, in fact, any class can carry any weapon. We can customize them much more depending on the combat situation at any given time. However, logically, if a class specializes in a weapon, it will have various bonuses.

This time, they have gotten the class and progression system right. It seems that this time, they have gotten the class and progression system right.

The progression experience is tougher this time than in previous installments, at least without the company of the battle pass, and, indeed, there are things we quite like, such as the new challenges or missions that we must complete to access specific specializations within our class, to have some upgrades for our weapons, or to obtain experience bonuses.

Whether the progression system is effective or not will be evident in the long term. The arrival of the first season and its passing on October 28 seems crucial, but the sensations we have so far are delicious. Although we understand that for many players, it may be a progression system that is too slow or tough, we like it that way.

Battlefield 6 Sports A Spectacular, If Flawed, Cinematic Campaign

The campaign of this installment consists of 9 missions, which we completed in about 5 hours. Although we had a blast, we also identified several issues that detracted from the experience.

The plot premise takes us to the year 2027, with NATO on the brink of collapse. A private military entity, Pax Armata, sowing chaos and terror across the planet, taking advantage of NATO's internal conflicts to gain power, conquer territories, and expand its influence at any cost, no matter how high it may seem to the most common of mortals.

The campaign offers five hours of fun, featuring shootouts, destruction, and spectacular situations. This will lead us to visit different parts of the planet (including Gibraltar), taking control of several members of Dagger 13, an elite group of US Marines tasked with fighting the Pax Armata and thwarting their plans as much as possible.

In terms of the story, the whole team is introduced to us without delving too deeply into specific aspects. However, we grow somewhat fond of them, and several mysteries surrounding them are presented. The plot is not revolutionary for this type of game, but it works well and maintains our interest throughout the campaign, as long as we are clear that we are not going to be facing a thriller either.

On the other hand, in terms of gameplay, we have good and bad news. Starting with the good, the situations proposed by the campaign are enjoyable and very spectacular. It starts somewhat lukewarm, but little by little, we begin to see the possibilities of destruction in specific scenarios, which is super fun, especially when we get to destroy buildings before entering a street in case an enemy is lurking.

A Glimpse of Freedom in a Mostly Linear Campaign

There is a good variety of situations and different biomes and types of scenarios, ensuring that you don't get bored. In most cases, we are led almost on rails, except for one mission in which we are given nearly total freedom to tackle it on a vast map, being what a Battlefield campaign should aspire to in future installments.

It's a pity that the AI and inevitable failures drag down a campaign that could be much better with a little more attention to detail. However, on the other side of the scale, we have an AI that needs to improve quite evidently, especially at long distances. It is too easy to eliminate targets from afar with a precision rifle without their comrades noticing. On occasions, they did notice, but their attitude was erratic, which makes us think that we are facing some technical failure that could be fixed in the future.

 Furthermore, these AI problems are less evident in medium- or short-range combat, where enemies typically take cover effectively, throw grenades, and attack from multiple fronts. However, sometimes they also bunch up too much or move here and there with little aim, which makes us think again that a better and more natural AI is possible, but that there is some technical problem that prevents it from functioning correctly, and turns the campaign on several occasions into a kind of duck shoot.

On the other hand, the way enemies appear is quite unnatural. From afar, on large maps, we don't see them. Still, when we get closer, they seem surprisingly and suddenly, something that can break immersion quite a bit, despite the fun and satisfying situations that Battlefield 6 proposes in the single-player mode.

A Solid Tutorial, But a Flawed Narrative Experience

Many Battlefield players were looking forward to the campaign's return, but, at the same time, probably not too many people will get Battlefield 6 for it, since the central core of the saga has been and will be the multiplayer (there are years in which there wasn't even this type of content). If we view this campaign as an amusement park, a brief introduction or training to get accustomed to the game and not arrive "green to the multi", it more than fulfills its objective.

However, it leaves a bitter aftertaste, as correcting the mentioned AI or enemy spawning failures could have made it a pretty good campaign. One of its missions lies in the foundation for what a Battlefield campaign should be in the future.

On a technical level, Battlefield 6 looks very impressive with its graphics set to maximum, featuring high-quality textures, impressive explosion effects, smooth animations, and other visual details. And although it is not the title with the best graphics of the generation, it is shocking visually, and the objective of the technical work of Battlefield Studios this time seems to be another: to achieve a balance between notable graphics, solid optimization, and the fantastic destruction system we have already told you about, which is simply spectacular.

Solid Optimization and Breathtaking Sound Design

Speaking of performance, we tested it as always on several setups, starting with our desktop PC, which features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, a Ryzen 5900X processor, 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, SSD storage, and Windows 11. We had no problems playing at 4K and more than 100 FPS in campaign mode with graphics set to maximum. For multiplayer, we adjusted the configuration slightly by lowering it to 1440p to squeeze even more performance, which allowed us to exceed 144 FPS, in line with our monitor's refresh rate. In both cases, we used DLSS 4 technology in quality mode and with multiple frame generation.

Battlefield Studios offers a balance between notable graphics, good performance, and an incredible destruction system. On the other hand, we have not encountered serious bugs beyond some classic popping problems (sudden appearance of elements) on large maps, which may be due to adjustments that still need to be made on the servers in multiplayer. We have also not experienced any crashes or unusual issues. Furthermore, loading times are speedy, and the shader preload, which is performed every time the game starts, barely lasts a second.

Finishing the technical topic, we have the sound, which is absolutely amazing to experience: the footsteps, the distinct noise of each weapon when firing, and how it changes depending on the muzzle device used, as well as the roar of explosions. The immersion through audio is total, especially when listening on our C6-100-SR headphones!

In Conclusion

Battlefield 6 is the game the saga needed after the initial lack of content of Battlefield V and what happened with Battlefield 2042, two stumbles too close together that made many fans lose faith in Battlefield, faith that they are now recovering thanks to this new installment, something that is demonstrated, for example, by its incredible numbers on Steam.

Where Battlefield 6 shines the most is in its multiplayer modes, where it is noticeable that the essence and the best of the saga have returned. During our matches, we have greatly enjoyed the destruction of scenarios, their maps, that feeling of being inside a total battlefield where the terrain changes continuously, where anything can happen, and the adrenaline rushes are constant and tremendously addictive.

Furthermore, the sensations left by the shooting mechanics are delicious. This time, the class and progression system is a complete success, at least to our taste, although we understand that some people may find it too tough, something that can be adjusted or changed with adjustments or that could change with Season 1 at the end of the month.

Portal, for its part, has already hosted quite interesting experiences in just a few days and offers many tools for modders to create different game modes, maps, and all kinds of craziness that transform Battlefield 6 from start to finish.

In fact, the only evident flaw of this installment is the campaign, but if you know what to expect and take it as a kind of training ground with a story to adapt to its playable mechanics, you will have a pretty enjoyable time.

Game Rating: 8.5/10.

 It successfully redeems the franchise with fantastic multiplayer, excellent destruction, and satisfying gameplay, though a flawed campaign and some minor balancing issues hold it back.

Age Recommendation:16+

Recommended for ages 16 and up due to intense military violence, large-scale chaotic warfare, and the complex strategic elements of its multiplayer. Battlefield 6 has an ESRB rating of M17+!

Gemini AI Summary:

This review praises Battlefield 6 as a triumphant return to form for the franchise, redeeming the missteps of its predecessor. It highlights the exceptionally fun and chaotic large-scale multiplayer as the core strength, featuring a spectacular and impactful environmental destruction system, well-designed maps, and satisfying gunplay and class progression. The new Portal mode is noted for its extensive community and modding potential. The main criticism is aimed at the single-player campaign, which, while enjoyable, is marred by poor enemy AI and technical issues. Technically, the game is commended for its balance of solid graphics, performance, and immersive sound.