Before Battlefield 1 launches proper on 21 October (or 18 October with the Early Enlister Edition), EA and Origin Access Subscribers can sample both multiplayer and single-player content from today.
The First Play Trial includes a mixture of single-player and multiplayer content that can be played for up to 10 hours in total.
Multiplayer
Battlefield 1 is headlined by its new Operations mode, alongside the return of Conquest, Domination, Rush and Team Deathmatch, as well as an increased focus on custom games curated by the community.
The First Play Trial enables you to play to a total of 10 hours across four modes and five maps. Maps on Amiens, Sinai Desert, Fao Fortress, St. Quentin and Suez will all be available to play in Conquest, Rush and Domination modes.
These classic modes are worth playing to get a taste for the weapons, maps and general pace of Battlefield 1. But we recommend focusing most of the allocated time on the two Operations – Kaiserschlacht and Oil of Empire – included in the trial.
Operations is a highly rewarding, but very long, game mode. It encapsulates the Great War’s invading, defending and reclaiming of land within a game mechanic that evokes a genuine sense of earned achievement. A full game, which sees the attacking team fight to reclaim the A, B and occasionally C points across five sectors on a map (see the image above) – and then a sixth on a new map – takes about 45 minutes to complete; and you’ll want to play through both of them at least twice.
The good news is, if the attackers are at least partly successful, you’ll get to try two maps with each Operation, leaving just one more to explore in the First Play Trials.
Those that played the beta have already sampled the new dedicated Pilot and Tanker classes, but the extended options give them a greater purpose — plus get onboard the airship.
Single-player
The EA Access First Play Trial is the initial opportunity to see the Battlefield 1 single-player mode, War Stories, in action. DICE is offering round 90 minutes, or about 20 per cent, of the single-player with EA Access.
The single-player mode isn’t a standard Battlefield campaign; if anything, it’s closer to the episodic structure of Hardline. Instead, it’s comprised of five War Stories, plus a short prologue. That prologue, Steel of Storm, takes around 15 minutes and must be completed first. After that, the remaining War Story missions can be completed in any order at your discretion. They’re all independent to each other, set in different regions and times of the war, but are based on key moments DICE thought important to capture the essence of World War I.
In the First Play Trial, you’re able to play Steel of Storm and the British tank-based Through Mud and Blood. Set late in the war, British forces are planning to launch a mass assault on the German settlement in Cambrai, France. You play as tank driver / engineer Edwards, both supporting and at the helm of a Mark V tank affectionately known as Big Bess.
The mission is much longer than I thought it would be. It mixes some hectic tank battles with surprisingly subtle stealth segments and even some quirky FPS (first-person-pigeon) action.
Time Management
With a lot of content and only 10 hours to play with, we recommend prioritising the content you want to play early (and remember to fully quit Battlefield 1 on Xbox One to stop the EA Access timer between sessions). Let’s conservatively estimate the single-player content will take two hours to complete, and each of the operations 45 minutes – play both of them twice (hopefully once each on attack and defence) and that’s half the allocated time consumed, without accounting for time spent in menus and matchmaking. That’s why we suggest you explore this content first, if you’re interested in trying both single-player and multiplayer content, before venturing into more familiar modes.
Battlefield 1 will be released in Australia on October 21 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The First Play Trial content is now available to EA Access subscribers on Xbox One and PC.
Stevivor played this content and the full game at an event in Los Angeles ahead of our review next week. Flights and accommodation were paid for by EA.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
