TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 123, December 2013 | Page 47

Death, taxes and a holiday release for COD and Battlefield. Is
the new Battlefield on target or spraying and praying?

E

A and DICE once again aim to immerse shooter fans in a veritable
feast of both vehicular and gun-slinging combat, with DICE’s new
Frostbite 3 engine doing duty, promising (and delivering) in-game
destruction on a scale never seen before. There’s no denying that BF4
sports an action-packed single player campaign filled with gorgeous
scenery, dazzling explosions and mind-bending displays of in-game
physics. The 4-5 hour campaign sticks with the cinematic formula
inherent in modern FPS titles, and delivers many exciting moments
ranging from firefights on the deck of an aircraft carrier to breaking out
of a Mongolian gulag with nothing but a prison shank.

Our jaws dropped as we watched
skyscrapers tumble and dam walls burst
to flood entire maps.

While the single player provides plenty of fun, we all know that
Battlefield’s true beauty lies in its online multiplayer component. A
plethora of massive new maps, a new faction (the Chinese), and a host
of new vehicles and weapons serves to ensure gamers have more than
enough to keep them fighting for many months to come. One of the
biggest new additions to the multiplayer is Frostbite 3’s new ‘levolution’
mechanic, and it works. Our jaws dropped as we watched skyscrapers
tumble, destroyers smash into tropical islands, and dam walls burst to
flood entire maps.

Lock and load
Like its predecessor BF4 allows players to jump into the boots of either
December 2013 | TechSmart

the assault, engineer, support, or recon classes. Each class has been
given new toys for BF4, including motion sensor balls, wire-guided
missiles and remote mortars to name but a few. Vehicles old and new,
all resplendent in gorgeous graphical make-overs are also available,
with advanced military aircraft, helicopters, tanks and even naval
vessels vying for control of the battlefield.
One of the biggest changes to vehicle combat in BF4 is a new
ammo system for certain types of vehicles (such as tanks and attack
helicopters).This prevents players from spamming shells and unguided
rockets mindlessly, and places more of an emphasis on strategic
engagements.
Weapon customisation has also been greatly expanded, with
hundreds of new sights, stocks, attachments, ammo types and colour
schemes available in addition to a host of
new guns in all shapes and sizes. Expect
a few online connection hiccups, but these
are quickly being addressed in patches.

The best looking
Battlefield 4 performs like a beast, and is
arguably the best-looking shooter available
right now. While the single-player campaign
is quite short, you will get money’s worth in
an excellent online multiplayer campaign.
R450 on PC. [JK]

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