Battlefield 4

Battlefield 4 continued the modern military conflict from Battlefield 3 and brought it to the new Frostbite 3 engine, which enabled a fundamentally more destructible environment. The key new feature was so-called Levolution - scripted, massive changes to the environment during a match, such as the collapse of a skyscraper on the Siege of Shanghai map, which alters the topography of the battlefield and forces players to adapt their tactics on the fly. The game offers both a single-player campaign following a squad of American soldiers caught up in a conflict between the US and China, and a large-scale multiplayer for dozens of players featuring infantry, armored vehicles, helicopters, and aircraft. The team commander system known from Battlefield 2 also returned, this time controllable from a tablet or mobile app, meant to let players command the battle even outside the main game.

Technically, it was one of the most graphically ambitious titles of its time - destructible environments, dynamic weather, and detailed water models gave the battlefields a credibility no competing title offered at the time. The rough launch, however, was accompanied by extensive technical problems with multiplayer and servers, which haunted the game for a long time and which the developers addressed over months of patches after release. The sound design of weapons and explosions remained a traditional strength of the series and reinforced the feeling of massive battles.

Despite its launch problems, Battlefield 4 built a loyal community that still plays the game today, thanks to its extensive content, expansion packs like China Rising or Naval Strike, and long-term support. In the wider context of the series, it is seen as a transitional entry between the more modern era of Battlefield 3 and the large historical entries that came later. The Second Assault expansion also brought remastered fan-favorite maps from Battlefield 3, which players welcomed as a nostalgic touch. Even years later, it remains one of the most technically accomplished multiplayer titles of its generation, still maintaining an active online community.

Why play it: For players seeking a technically accomplished multiplayer experience with extensive content and expansion packs like China Rising or Naval Strike, which even after years still has an active community.