The multiplayer shooter genre has evolved a great deal in the last few decades, growing more complex and content-rich with each subsequent console generation. The genre has gone from early arena shooters like Quake that focused primarily on getting kills, to modern shooters like Battlefield and Call of Duty that blend multiple sub-genres and contain a wealth of modes, weapons, and progression systems, and evolve over time with free content updates.
As shooters continue to grow more complex, fan expectations continue to rise. There are a handful of features that many fans now simply expect to be present in a modern multiplayer shooter, and customization is one such feature. From nameplates to emblems to skins, customization has become a key element of keeping players invested in a multiplayer shooter, and it's an element that Battlefield has often struggled to balance with its more realistic tone. But a decade-old Call of Duty entry might hold the key to Battlefield's success.
Battlefield 6 is Poised to Be a Return to Form, But That’s Not The Only Path to Success
Many reported aspects of the next Battlefield game seem to be more traditional, but this does not mean the series should stifle its creativity.
One Call of Duty Game Should Inspire Battlefield 6's Customization
Battlefield 2042's Specialists Were a Step Too Far for Some Fans
2018's Battlefield V didn't land all of the shots it took, but its customization showed some promise. Named "The Company," Battlefield V's customization system allowed players to choose from a selection of pre-made characters, who they could then adorn with a variety of different cosmetics for their torso, head, legs, and face. Battlefield V also introduced special Elite characters that players could pay for, equipped with a unique, non-customizable outfit.
Battlefield 2042 took this Elite character premise and pushed it a few steps too far, introducing the much-derided Specialists. Replacing the traditional Battlefield classes, Battlefield 2042 had 10 Specialists at launch, all of whom came equipped with a distinct ability and passive trait.
Battlefield 2042's Specialists quickly became a major point of criticism for many long-time Battlefield fans for a variety of reasons. One reason was that it ironically made players feel less 'special', as the giant 128-player Battlefield matches would be dominated by the same five or six Specialists, leading to players seeing the same character models repeatedly during the course of a match, breaking immersion and causing gameplay issues as players would find it difficult to immediately recognize who was on their team and who was an enemy.
Another immersion-breaking element was the Specialists' voice lines. At launch, many of Battlefield 2042's Specialists had some rather cheesy lines of dialogue that played both before and during a match. A few of the best examples come from Specialist Webster Mackay, who had pre-match lines such as "Couldn't imagine a better line-up of ass-kickers than this," and "Hey, I've already had five cups of coffee, let's go!"
Though these voice lines were eventually removed in future updates for Battlefield 2042 and replaced with much more generic sayings like "Let's give them hell,", the general tone of 2042's Specialists couldn't be changed entirely, and it's a tone that fans didn't feel was appropriate for Battlefield's usually more grounded atmosphere.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Could Hold The Key to Battlefield 6's Customization
But Battlefield 6 can't abandon character customization altogether. Instead, it might want to look to 2014's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, which delivered a surprisingly extensive customization system that struck a nice balance between allowing player-expression and maintaining a grounded tone.
In a similar vein to Battlefield V, but much more expansive, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's character customization system allowed players to unlock and equip a wealth of cosmetics divided into nine categories, those being Eyewear, Helmets, Tops, Loadouts, Gloves, Pants, Knee Guards, Boots, and Exos. This high level of customization allowed players to create a fairly unique character, all without jeopardizing the game's tone.
Battlefield 2042
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 65 /100 Critics Rec: 32%
- Released
- November 19, 2021
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
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.
- Engine
- Frostbite
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S and PS4 & Xbox One
- Franchise
- Battlefield
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- N/A
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 84 GB (June 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
