Battlefield is afirst-person shooterseries by Swedish developer EA DICE. The franchise intends to live by its name and offer increasingly larger PvP battles and campaigns.
These games arefamous for their multiplayer shooter experience. It’s about vast maps, dozens of players, and vehicles to drive for a gruesome playthrough.
Almost every year, Electronic Arts releases a new title to compete against Call of Duty games. So far,we’ve seen XX Battlefield titles.
We’re also running down the dozens of expansions available. Some of these offer campaign content; others only add multiplayer content.
The Battlefield Series
Battlefield games focus on large and explosive multiplayer battles. Often, you play as part of a squad and require communication, strategy, and teamwork to survive.
Major elements include airplanes, tanks, jets, choppers, and other vehicles you can drive to battle.
Since the second entry, the series also records online stats for every player. So, you may increase your rank to receive weapons, weapon mods, and awards.
A class system is also prevalent in most Battlefield games. Each class has a different loadout (weapons and gadgets). It’s crucial to properly fill every role in the field.
Lastly, theseries introduced the Frostbite engine in 2008. The tech delivers destructible environments, one of the most iconic features in the series.
Battlefield 1942 – 2002
The first title in the sagadebuted in 2002 for Windows and macOS PCs. It was a multiplayer-only game, albeit a further update introduced a single-player mode, where players can enjoy the same features offline.
Notably, the game introduced theConquest game mode. Conquest is aboutcapturing control points spread across the map. Competing matches were delivering deathmatches andcapture-the-flaggame modes instead.
The class system delivers Scout, Assault, Anti-Tank, Medic, and Engineer options. Additionally, players could fly WWII aircraft, bombers, capital ships, submarines, aircraft carriers, tanks, jeeps, and APCs. They could also control anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, and artillery.
Battles happen on maps across WWII historical sites. These included Eastern, North African, European, and Pacific Areas. Lastly, there were two factions: Axis Powers and Allies. However, each map determined the armies involved. For example, a Japan vs. United States conflict played out on the Pacific’s Wake Island.
Battlefield 1942 has two expansions:
Battlefield Vietnam – 2004
Battlefield Vietnamdebuted in 2004 for Windows PCs. DICE’s Canadian subsidiary developed the game. Months later, EA re-released the title asBattlefield Vietnam: Reduxwith new maps, vehicles, and an official WWII mod.
The second entry features maps, weapons, and events based on the Vietnam War. These maps include the Battle of Hue, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Operation Flaming Dart, and the Battle of Khe Sanh.
Vietnam’s gameplay had few changes. Yet, the studio added some concepts like vehicle passengers being able to fire from the sides.
You may also find the Battlefield Vietnam 10th Anniversary, a 2014 edition that celebrates the game’s 10th birthday.
Battlefield 2 – 2005
Battlefield 2debuted in 2005 for Windows PCs. Unlike previous games, it has a modern setting and adds tactic andrealistic shooterelements.
First, it adds a hefty single-player mode. It’s a series of missions where China, U.S. Marines, and the fictional Middle Eastern Coalition clash. The campaign story happens in the 21st where Eastern powers are invading the USA.
Then, it has a multiplayer aspect where players enter as a squad and part of a bigger team. Each team has a single commander that promotes teamwork and active communication.
Players can choose among 7 classes (assault, medic, anti-tank, engineer, support, special forces, and sniper). Then, the goal was to reduce the opposing team’s tickets for respawning allies. Multiplayer allowed up to 64 players on a map or 8 players on local LAN.
There’re three DLCs available for Modern Combat:
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat – 2006
Modern Combat is a2006 stand-alone expansion for Battlefield 2. Itdebuted for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, so it’s thefirst game in the series for consoles.
The title features a new single-player campaign. The plot is about a fictional war between China and Nato in Kazakhstan.
It also had a multiplayer side, and it was capable of supporting 24 players on either console. The game modes were Capture the Flag and Conquest.
Battlefield 2142 – 2006
Battlefield 2142debuted in 2006 for Windows and macOS X PCs. It brings a new fictional plot, “The Cold War of the 22nd Century,” where two fictional powers battle during a new ice age.
It has a sci-fi setting, and so the combat gameplay is fast and full of fictional weapons.
That said, the multiplayer allowed64 players per server or 16 players in single player against AI bots. The game also has a ranking system that tracks player performance. This rank system rewards players with weapon unlocks and aesthetics.
Battlefield 2142 DLCs
Northern Strikeis the single post-launch content available for 2142. It’s a 2007 Booster Pack that adds central Europe maps.
Battlefield: Bad Company – 2008
Bad Companydebuted in 2008 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It introduces a fully-fledged storyline and standout characters. For this reason, it’s a unique entry in the series.
The plot follows Private Preston Marlowe trying to steal gold from mercenaries alongside his squad. The “B-Company, a ragtag group of soldiers, are in the midst of a Russia vs. United States War.
The storyline opened a co-op multiplayer campaign mode, Gold Rush. Later on, the studio released Conquest for a full-on multiplayer PvP battle.
Lastly, the game debuted withEA’s Frostbite engine. That means, for the first time, a shooter game had destructible environments like walls and houses.
Battlefield: Heroes – 2009
Heroesdebuted in 2009 for Windows PC. It’s thefirst free-to-play game in the series, although there’re microtransactions and pay-to-win features.
It’s also thefirst third-person shooter in the franchise. Alongside the visual style, it was more of a Fortnight offspring than a Battlefield entry.
The multiplayer demanded less PC power, and there was a system to match players of similar levels together. It made Heroes appeal to a larger audience.
Yet,Heroes is not available in official stores anymore.
Battlefield 1943 – 2009
Battlefield 1943debuted in 2009 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It’s a multiplayer-only Battlefield entry featuring 4 maps and some new features
For example, it added new mechanics to a new mode, Air Superiority. These tweaks were unlimited ammo and health regeneration over time. }
The gameplay is similar to Bad Company. The game runs on the Frostbite Engine, so there’s environmental damage. It also includes the Conquest Mode, new weapons, classes, and vehicles.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – 2010
Bad Company 2 is a sequel to the successful Bad Company. Itdebuted in 2010 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC.
The game continues the Bad Company storyline. It follows the B-Company amidst WWII. The squad is searching for special operatives trapped behind enemy lines.
The game features an intense single-player campaign, offering the neat character focus Bad Company had. Also,Preston Marlowe is back, once again featuring as the protagonist.
Then, the multiplayer mode is well fleshed-out. It packs multiple game modes, maps, vehicles, and weapons.
Bad Company 2 DLCs
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnamis the single expansion pack for Bad Company 2. It debuted in 2010 forWindows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
The content adds maps, vehicles, and weapons, plus licensed music from the Vietnam War era.
Battlefield Online – 2010
Battlefield Onlinedebuted in 2010 for Windows. It’s a multiplayer-only Battlefield 2 remake.
It was also afree-to-play edition. Sadly, though, it came with a catalog of technical issues, performance glitches. Plus, it had an overall graphical quality.EA surprised no one when they shut down the game in 2013.
Still, developers were able to test a feature the Battlefield series would later use. Battlefield Online could support 100 players per server. Yet, it was not a DICE creation; Korean developer Neowiz Games took care of the entry.
Battlefield Play4Free – 2011
EA followed Battlefield Online with Battlefield Play4Free, a 2011 free-to-playmultiplayer fps.
The newer game is akin to the Heroes entry. It mixes pay-to-win and micro-transactions with its free download offer. It had in-game currency (Battlefunds), which players could use to buy armor and weapons. Battlefunds cost real money or in-game performance points.
Play4Free had no single-player mode, though. It was a multiplayer-only experience. As such, it had most of the weapons and maps of Bad Company 2 and Battlefield 2.
The game isnot available on official stores currently. EA shut it down in 2015.
Battlefield 3 – 2011
Battlefield 3 is Battlefield 2’s direct sequel. Itdebuted in 2011 for PS3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. The newer game features bigger maps, more vehicles, more scales, and 64 players in a multiplayer PC campaign. On consoles, the game supports 24 players.
It also has a single-player mode, where you may play the campaign alongside bots. Likewise, it has extra co-op missions to try out. Similarly, the game has several elements from the Bad Company titles, like fighter jets and prone positions.
The campaign’s plot follows the fictional “War of 2014” between the United States and Russia. The story happens across Iran and Iraq.
On a technical side, the game debuted with the Frostbite 2.0 ending. It improved performance, lighting, visuals, and overall destruction. As a result, the game felt more interactive and realistic.
There’re 5 DLC packs for Battlefield 3:
Battlefield 4 – 2013
Battlefield 4debuted in 2013 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
The game continues the large-scale warfare of the series, with old and new features alike. Moreover, it introduced the Frostbite 3 engine for better-than-ever destruction.
Notably,the game has ways to change the physical properties of a map. For example, toppling a skyscraper and kicking dust may cover the whole map with smoke.
However, its single-player campaign was quite short and simple, with a plot that continues the main storyline. The pilot continues the war between Russia and the United States, six years after Battlefield 3.
Battlefield 4 includes 9 post-launch DLCs, available at thePremium Edition.
Battlefield Hardline – 2015
Hardlinepremiered in 2015 for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
The game changed the military approach delivering aPolice vs. Robber experience. So, it’s akin the Ubisoft’s Rainbox Six series. That means gameplay features Special Response Unites vs. criminals.
For starters, the single-player mode is about arresting robbers. There’s a campaign with a story that happens in Miami. Rookie Detective Nick Mendoza follows a drug supply source and finds himself amid a drug war.
The multiplayer added new game modes where players joined either the police or the criminals. Some of these game modes are Heist, Blood Money, Hotwire, Rescue, and Crosshair.
Hardline has five expansion packs:
Battlefield 1 – 2016
Battlefield 1debuted in 2016 for Windows, PS4, and Xbox One. It takes the games back to a WWI setting, with both single-player and multiplayer modes.
As one of the best games in the franchise, Battlefield 1 packs a lot of content. First, it has a hefty single-player campaign across the WWI frontlines. Then, it brings various multiplayer game modes, war machines, and weapons, all WWI-inspired.
For example, thegame introduces horses into the franchise. Horseriding combat added a touch of realism and cruelty into the series.
On top of that, the title hastop-notch graphicsand performance.If you’re going to choose a single Battlefield game, this might be the best option.
There’re four DLCs available for Battlefield 1.
Battlefield V – 2019
Battlefield Vdebuted in 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and Windows. It has a WWII setting and serves as a thematic continuation of Battlefield 1.
That said, Battlefield V takes many elements from the previous games. That means the single-player campaign is similar, but multiplayer modes, classes, and graphics are alike. Similarly, the game has a co-op campaign that allows four players across WWII missions.
As a novelty, the game allows players to modify vehicles and weapons. Players can earn modifications as they earn ranks. There’re also Cosmetic items plus a currency to purchase cosmetics.
Lastly, the game focuses on party-centric playstyles. There’re scarce resources, which is crucial on the titles’ Battle-Royale modes.
Battlefield V DLCs
Battlefield V has six post-launch DLCs. These are seasonal updates within the episodic Tides of War storyline.
Battlefield 2042 – 2021
The latest Battlefield entrydebuted in October 2021 for Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series.
The title promised larger-than-ever battles in a futuristic setting. It also promised real-time dynamic weather and destructible environments. On top of that, itsupports 128 players per map on PC and newer consoles, or 24 on old-gen consoles.
2042 also supports a special game mode that allows players to revisit old maps and modes, with the chance of adding personal tweaks. Another new experience was Hazard Zone, focusing on Battle-Royale squad-based combat.
Sadly, it seems like the game is unfinished. The game is sitting with a2.4 user score on Metacritic, one of the lowest scores on the site. Most fans have found glaring performance issues, a short arsenal, few customization options, a weird bullet spread mechanic, andsevere crashes. There’re also no classes and no stats, simply Specialists with some microtransactions involved.
Moreover, the game erased some key Battlefield elements. These included scoreboards, clans, voice-chat, or regular chat. It takes out the sense of community from a multiplayer FPS meant to have fun.
