First-person shooters (FPS) are the money-makers in the video game industry.
Not only are they able to sell millions upon millions of copies, but they can also churn out new content at a record pace to keep the attention of players for years on end. And with popular free-to-play modes blended in, the barrier to play is often non-existent.
You need only look at the $68.7 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft to realise the silly amounts of money that are at stake. Because at the core of that global story was one question: What would happen to the two-decade-old shooting franchise, Call of Duty?
Well, prepare for some déjà vu, as the revival of another shooting franchise is following in the same footsteps as CoD. The recent leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts (for a reported $55 billion, no less) announced earlier this year has another shooting franchise pretty much at the heart of the deal - Battlefield.
Get the popcorn ready. These two juggernaut franchises are set to go to nuclear war with one another, as both are releasing highly anticipated new titles in a quest to become the go-to name in the FPS genre.
Can Battlefield's recalculated formula dethrone a legacy name like Call of Duty? Or is there enough room for two goliaths to co-exist in an already oversaturated genre?
Battlefield 6 has already become a storming commercial success
Released last month, Battlefield 6's success has been nothing short of meteoric. Selling over 7 million copies in just three days, it's a feat few franchises in entertainment could ever dream of. And that player base is expected to skyrocket even further, with the launch of the highly anticipated free-to-play mode, REDSEC.
With those kinds of early sales figures, it's clear players were hungry for something. And the earlier release against its main competitor has seemed to have paid off - big time.
So what is it about Battlefield 6 that has taken the gaming world by storm?
Well, the game answers that question within the first few minutes of your first multiplayer match. I jumped into Conquest, a mode which warns there are up to 64 other players about to drop into the map with me. I anticipate chaos...
Once I appear on screen, there's a mad scramble for tanks. Helicopters fly off into the sky. Players dash and dart in all sorts of directions. For those of us late boarding a vehicle and searching for a purpose, we run toward a horizon that somehow is already set ablaze by explosions.
FPS games are simply bonkers, and to say Battlefield 6 is fast-paced is an understatement.There's never a moment's rest to be found, and no opportunity to become complacent. You're either shooting or being shot at, killing or being killed. Silence is always replaced by a barrage of bangs, and the only respite you can find is those brief few seconds while you're waiting to respawn.
No one will see your daring escape or unbroken killstreak. That clutch rescue you did for an ally in trouble? Already forgotten. The glory is always over as quickly as it appears. All of this is delivered via pristine graphics, which transport you to the frontlines.
For some, this kind of gameplay might feel reductive and mindless. And yet, there is something undeniably kinetic about being part of this vast, cinematic military offensive. Every skirmish you survive adds to your own sense of achievement. Then, just as quickly as the game ends, and my battle-worn comrades vanish into the internet ether, I find myself queueing up for the next onslaught. And the next. And the next.
Already, Battlefield 6 has found a new recruit...
Class system puts a much-needed strategic spin on the chaotic carnage
The first way in which Battlefield 6 has managed to shake up the FPS formula is through the return of its class system. If, like me, you're jumping ship from many years of playing Call of Duty, then you'll be curious as to how your choices can finally inject a bit of strategy into battles.
There are four options to pick from, each with their own exclusive traits and gadgets. Although completing challenges to unlock additional weapons and skills can seem daunting at the beginning, if you invest the time, you'll be able to maximise your value on the battlefield no end.
The Assault class is your typical frontline leader, able to cap objectives quicker and grant their squad temporary resistances to disorientation, boosts to sprint speed, and more. Behind them is the Support, the defensive backbone and unsung hero of a squad, who can heal and resupply their team with ammo, and revive fallen allies in half the time required.
You also have the Recon class, who are all about sniping foes from afar, and helping gather intelligence on enemy movements. Lastly, the Engineer class brings a much-needed deterrent to the game's series of tanks, helicopters and jets, keeping them at bay with traps and long-range missiles. They're also vital to keeping your on vehicles in good nick during standoffs.
Rather than parachuting into war and hoping for the best, Battlefield 6 invites flexibility and involvement, challenging players to adapt as needed. As a result, matches never feel stale or unwinnable. And thus, you can really play ad nauseam and still feel like every match is unique.
Exciting multiplayer modes and destructive maps outshine mundane campaigns
Game modes and maps are the bread and butter of a shooter. You want options when you sit down and play, both to suit your mood and also the free time you have available. Maps should offer just enough spectacle and strategy that you never tire of running through them on repeat, for months (and maybe even years) on end.
Thankfully, Battlefield offers a sizeable selection of things to do from the get-go. Whether you want a large-scale battle that lasts forty minutes or a small-scale single elimination battle, you're spoiled for choice.
Across virtually every map, the destructive chaos the game has been promising becomes evident. No matter if you're fighting across the Manhattan Bridge or trying to survive on the outskirts of Cairo, the buildings you come across (and hide behind) can be blown asunder in an instant. Large problematic sections of any map can be removed with the right imagination. And at every turn, your screen can mimic that of a Hollywood blockbuster, with bullets ricocheting, walls collapsing, and allies calling out for help as booming explosions ring through your speakers.
Anything you might feel is missing in the multiplayer is probably available in the Battlefield Portal, a sandbox mode that allows the community to create their own game modes. I haven't dug deep into the catalogue yet, but my initial impression is that there really is no limit to what is (and will become) playable in the future.
That said, if I were to highlight one obvious weak point on the overall experience of Battlefield 6, it is the single-player campaign. Like its competition, it feels surplus to requirements, with weird design choices and missed opportunities across its brief nine missions.
Granted, the campaign is not (nor will it ever be) the core reason why gamers will pick up the game. But it's a missed opportunity in my view. CoD: Black Ops 6 proved last year that first-person shooters can deliver compelling single-player experiences. How developers can balance both a campaign with the more lucrative live-service elements is something one would hope is better addressed in the future.
Is the war between Battlefield and Call of Duty just beginning? Or already over?
With all things said, done and shot, Battlefield 6 promises fluid gun mechanics, a welcoming class system, and cinematic destruction on an unimaginable scale. It is a game that is both a joy to win and a joy to lose. And it's still only in its infancy.
The gauntlet that EA has thrown down is pretty cut and clear. Battlefield 6 wants to become the go-to game for millions of FPS fans the world over. And from its extremely popular launch, vital signs all seem to be in tip-top health for the fight ahead.
All eyes will be on just how many of the 7+ million players Call of Duty can conscript back to their servers when Black Ops 7 releases later on in November.
Battlefield 6 is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is scheduled to release on November 14th. Read more about video games and enjoy RTÉ's new online games here