Battlefield hardline
The briefcases can be picked up by a robber instantly but take a relatively long time to be re-captured by a cop, resulting in some gloriously chaotic skirmishes. Robbers typically spawn closer to the vault then the cops, making it more a case of flavour than gameplay mechanics, which is a shame. The vault invasion - the criminal part of the fantasy - is over before you can blink. Robbers are tasked with invading a vault, planting C4 to (sadly specific) walls or floors, drilling open the vault, and then returning two briefcases to a collection point on the map. Heist is an attack/defend type style that doesn't really go further than being a capture the flag variant. Gameplay modes take a cue from the game's theme, although classic modes like Conquest have made a return owing to fan outcry during beta. If you prefer Battlefield 4's smaller scale maps and game modes, you'll find a lot to appreciate about Hardline. The result is fewer deaths by vehicles, fewer campers, and more close quarters combat in pockets of concentrated small-scale warfare. Weapons and artillery are on the domestic end, with rocket launchers and LMGs limited to field pickups rather than being a load out option. Battles are on a smaller scale, there are no jets or tanks, and helicopters are limited to 1 per team, lacking the firepower of their BF4 counterparts. It is familiar for sure, but there are systemic differences that force you to reconsider your play style. It would be a lie to say BF:H plays perfectly like BF4. So, on to the question: is Battlefield Hardline a full-price BF4 map pack? Alternatively, a different beast entirely? People pick up these games for the multiplayer component and judge it accordingly.
While I was a little disappointed in Visceral's efforts on the single player side of things, it was not entirely unexpected. Hardline sports a solid, but familiar multiplayer It's almost as if Visceral / EA were willfully reluctant to change the formula. It all felt a tad unambitious, intrepid almost. I wish they'd have treated the single player with a little more compassion, perhaps adding more police-themed mechanics or scenarios.
There are no grenades or explosives, minimal environmental destruction (save for intentional set pieces), and there's a general lack of flavour across the board. Every enemy reacts in the same way to being held up, and it can quickly become a grind.Įven as a shooter, Hardline feels conservative. However, sadly I feel that it simply incentivises playing in the most monotonous way possible - that being skulking around, luring enemies by throwing bullet cases and then arresting them, over, and over, and over. Some enemies carry bonuses for being arrested for carrying outstanding warrants. Enemies have shockingly bad peripheral vision, laughably bad, and the arrest mechanics trivialises difficulty even on veteran mode. It is a real effort to make Hardline play differently from 4, but as mentioned earlier, the stealth system is not on par with games dedicated to that style of play. When crouching, Nick can sneak up on enemies and make them freeze, and subsequently arrest them, removing them from combat. Nick's device also allows him to tag enemies and follow heat signatures through walls, helping you to take advantage of the game's clunky stealth mechanics. Nick can deploy a Batman: Arkham-like detective device, which allows you to spot evidence to help build your case, although these case files amount to collectables rather than a gameplay mechanic.
#BATTLEFIELD HARDLINE MOD#
What about gameplay? Visceral are a tad braver when it comes to new features in the campaign, although it still feels like a mod of Battlefield 4 and as such, some features work better than others. The episodic nature of the campaign lends itself well to future episodes via DLC, and the characters were interesting enough to leave me interested in a continuation. The Frostbite engine renders the virtual actors incredibly, delivering nuance and emotion other games often fail to impart. That said, I did find myself caring about the plight of Nick Mendoza, Tyson, and the other characters.