Impressions: Battlefield 1

From the get-go, Battlefield 1 throws you into the sombre and brutal setting of World War 1. Before being bogged down in the game’s menus, you are dropped into a battle for territory, and what you eventually realise is, this game will not glorify the horrors and struggles that took place in this conflict over 100 years ago.

This unglorified portrayal continues throughout the game’s campaign. Though short in duration, it effectively highlights the various conflicts that took place across Europe and Africa as well; from advancement of British and allied tanks through the French Countryside towards Cambrai, to Lawrence of Arabia’s desert campaign against the Ottoman Empire. These short chapters of the War feature wonderfully diverse characters as well. It seems to me that though there is a distinct difference between the Allied and Central powers, this differentiation is not carried over to the participants within the campaign.

Of course the main focus of games such as Battlefield 1 is the multiplayer, and it’s great to see Battlefield build upon their already enormous maps and demanding playstyles with various elements from the conflict itself. Many of the weapons and vehicles that were present during the war appear within the game; from heavy lumbering tanks, to the more manoeuvrable horses, allowing for players to either charge directly towards the opposition, or gradually make their way through. The greatest and most dramatic addition to the Battlefield franchise is the Behemoths; in the shape of Airships, Trains and Battleships. These huge vehicles can easily turn the tide of war, packing a punch and requiring a beating in order to be taken down.

Overall Battlefield 1 provides a great and respectable representation of this bloody conflict. Its campaign, though short, is one of the things I will remember greatly about my experience playing, and it also helps newcomers to the game acclimatise to the demanding multiplayer alongside it. As for the multiplayer, the Behemoths are a great and challenging addition to Battlefield, with some of my greatest experiences so far coming from either using them to my side’s advantage, or delivering the final blow towards taking them down.