Regular readers of Stevivor — or listeners of the Friendly Fire Podcast — would know that online competitive multiplayer and I have never really seen eye to eye. You could say that I’m not the biggest fan online multiplayer; I think I may have referred to Xbox Live as “poison.” You could probably say that I actively dislike online multiplayer. Battlefield 4 however, may just get me to dip a tentative toe in those “poisoned” waters on the strength of one 64-player competitive match I played at E3.
The first thing I noticed when starting the match was just how much action was taking place on screen. There was no initial lull, no time to catch my breath, just “GO GO GO!” immediately. This did a great job of getting my blood pumping and getting me in the fighting mindset. The other immediately thing that was immediately noticeable was the level and attention to details that had gone into creating the game world. The level I was playing in — “Siege of Shanghai” — was gorgeous. The skyscrapers all reflected the sun off their glazed sides and the bay below. Particles and smoke from nearby explosions were streaming past me. It was quite literally breathtaking, because as I was taking it all in an enemy took me out cleanly with a headshot. So far — aside from the gorgeous graphics — so much the same as every other online FPS experience I’ve had. And yes, I readily admit that a lot of my distaste for them comes from my amateur skill level.
Once I was able to respawn, I did so on my squadmates — rather than on homebase as I wanted to get right back on the thick of it — and we were off trying to capture the enemies flags. It didn’t take long to realise that Siege of Shanghai was noticeably smaller than the maps I had seen in Battlefield 3, if only horizontally. It’s in the verticality of the map that DICE have made up the difference. Below the ground level was a metro station and series of tunnels, while up above the skyscrapers that towered overhead held many clime-able and explorable areas. Chief among them being the Shanghai television studio tower which held a control point on its rooftop. The layering of the map in this way added a new dimension to the battle as both sides fought for high ground and took vantage points to gain the upper hand. And it was this verticality in concert with the power of Frostbite 3 that Battlefield 4’s multiplayer truly stands on its own and starts to shine.
The metro station underneath the center of Shanghai held an all important capture point and there were multiple paths and ways to access it. The ceiling above was made of glass, so one option was to drop down on the enemy from above and attempt to take the flag. In my experience, this was less than successful. There were also two stairwells leading down to the flag, one on other side. By creeping down these and picking off the enemy I was somewhat more successful in taking the flag, but by far the most success — and most fun — I had taking the flag was when I did so by using Frostbite 3 and the environment to help me. After attempting to take the flag a few times (and failing) I had a good grasp of where the flag sat underneath the ground level. Using some grenades and C4, I blew a hole in the ground and created a whole new path to the flag and not only was there a new way to access the flag, most of the enemies had died in the blast. I was able to take the flag and escape out the same way I’d come in, my own, new way.
The most impressive demonstration of the power of Frostbite 3 came towards the end of the match. Capture point “C” — as mentioned before — sits atop the Shanghai television studio tower. To access it I needed to take an elevator from the lobby all the way to the top. Once there I found the rooftop deserted and easily captured the flag. At this point the scores were very tight and every capture and death brought both teams closer to defeat. After taking the flag, in a moment ripped right from an 80’s action flick, I leapt from the top of the tower and parachuted to safety. Just as soon as I had taken the flag and jumped away was the enemy recapturing it. There was no time left in the match for us to take take the elevator back up and if they took point C we were all but defeated. I was unsure what to do until I saw some squad-mates, a tank and a humvee firing frantically on the base of the building. Initially confused, it quickly became all too apparent to me what they were doing. Before the enemy could take the capture point the entire building was coming down. A whole skyscraper was toppling to the earth in eye-popping detail, and the battle was saved.
It was hectic, it was intense and it was action-packed. I also loved every minute of it. It’s taken a very long time, but I think DICE may have actually convinced me to give competitive online gaming another shot.
Battlefield 4 will be available for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on 31 October.
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