Battlefield 1

Battlefield 1 moved the series into the setting of World War I, portraying a conflict that had long remained almost untouched in video games. Players fight on fronts from Europe to the Middle East, operate period vehicles such as early tanks, biplanes, or armored trains, and can take part in cavalry charges on horseback. A unique new feature was the so-called Behemoths - giant units such as an airship, an armored train, or a battleship, which appear during a match as a powerful reinforcement for a struggling team and can turn the tide of battle. The War Stories campaign offers several short standalone stories from the perspective of different soldiers and nations, aiming to show the human side of the global conflict instead of a single linear story.

On the Frostbite engine, the game looked exceptionally good - dynamic weather, sandstorms limiting visibility, and destructible environments created atmospheric moments the genre had not seen before. The sound design, with heavy music and authentic period weapon sounds, reinforced the grim atmosphere of trench warfare, including the effect of dense fog of war, where smoke and dust make it impossible to get one's bearings on the battlefield. Multiplayer maps like Verdun Heights or Amiens were among the most striking environments the series had offered up to that point, and the orchestral score gave the battles a gravity and dramatic weight the military shooter genre had not really known before.

Battlefield 1 received exceptionally positive reception from critics and players and was praised above all for its courage to tackle a less common historical period and for its strong atmosphere. Many players and critics still rank this entry among the best in the entire series precisely because of its combination of an unusual setting, visual style, and accomplished sound design. Even years later, Battlefield 1 remains one of the most atmospheric military shooters ever released, and expansions like In the Name of the Tsar later added the Eastern Front and the Russian army to the offering.

Why play it: For fans of atmospheric military shooters who appreciate the courage to tackle a less common historical period, the strong atmosphere, and the accomplished sound of World War I.