Battlefield 6 review - a triumphant return for the FPS giant

Battlefield, to me, has always been about stories. Speak to any long-time player, and they won't tell you about a specific gun or a vehicle, but something they did. A story, a proper story, usually ridiculous, often very cool. We've all seen the video of a player ejecting from their jet during a steep climb, using an RPG to explode their pursuer, only to land back in their original vehicle and fly away. This was an 'only in Battlefield moment', and while I think we lost that somewhere along the way, we might just be back.

Battlefield has traditionally offered enough room for these scenarios to come about organically. Set classes, specific tools that define a playstyle, and the freedom to choose your identity. The bar has been set fairly low within the triple-A FPS game scene as of late, with the disappointment that was Battlefield 2042 and the wavering faith in Call of Duty. While Battlefield 6 may be playing it safe, that doesn't make it any less great.

It's back to what works, then. Battlefield 6 is exactly what I hoped for after being out of the loop for a few years, and it's a major reset on 2042 (even though, in the end, I thought that one was just fine). There are a handful of worthwhile additions, and a whole host of quality-of-life improvements, but ultimately it's all about regaining the classic feel of Battlefield.

Escalation is one of the new additions; it plays, at least initially, like a game of Conquest. Large maps, several neutral points to claim, you know the drill. The difference here is that the team with the most points fills up a meter at the top of the screen, and once it's full, that team scores. It's first to three, and with each point earned, a control point is removed from the map, and more vehicles get added into the mix.

Things tend to get a little out of hand - in a good way - towards the end, especially in close games. I've played rounds that start rather leisurely and conclude in utter chaos, with the few remaining control points being flipped over almost constantly as both teams battle to gain the advantage. It adds an element of drama to the regular Conquest format, and while a grandstand finish isn't always how it goes, I had some real nail-biters and a lot of fun with this new game mode.

A round in Cairo was all but lost, and I'll admit I'd given up hope, dying on the way to a control point we sorely needed. I didn't realize that some of my team had made a daring run to the furthest part of the map and had stopped the count with quite literally one tick left, so we were still in the fight. The comeback was immense, and the Escalation format meant we had a few clear goals to aim for. Everyone threw themselves at the remaining three central points - there was nowhere to hide from the fight; it was now or never. Anyway, we won, and it was so good.

The suite of maps at launch is varied enough to suit all tastes. Brooklyn, while not being my favorite, is perhaps the most interesting, with high-rise commercial areas playing host to whatever battle we're playing out at the time. It doesn't have as many open areas as the likes of Operation Firestorm, but it isn't claustrophobic either, and the familiar surroundings of those red brick buildings tickle a little part of my brain. Fighting in New York feels cinematic, and what occurs on screen usually follows suit.

Battlefield Studios has put a lot of thought into destruction, and it shows. Where, in the past, it may have just been a case of 'let's blow up as much as we can,' things have progressed to the point where that may be a tad too much. If everything is destructible, then every round would end up being played on a smouldering pile of rocks before long. Battlefield 6 takes the degradation of my surroundings and makes it tactical, in a way, although I'd be lying if I said I knew just how tactical my explosions were going to be.

There aren't many true game-changing events inside matches like we saw with Levolution in Battlefield 4, but this new, slightly pared-back approach keeps the integrity of my surroundings more or less intact. It feels like the terrain evolves with the fight rather than being completely transformed by it, and the more I played, the more I got a feel for how I could use that to my advantage.

One particularly effective maneuver, and one I wasn't proud of, was using the crumbled facade of a storefront in Cairo to hide myself. I had a perfect view of the Rush console, and I'm guessing players hadn't thought to check my corner, because, of course, the hole I was hiding in didn't exist a few minutes before. It felt natural, and I'm sure it was rage-inducing for the enemy team. Perfect.

Before launch, the developer mentioned its kinesthetic combat system, and while that may be a flashy marketing term, it actually has a bigger impact than I expected, offering a lot of adjustments and minor additions to the action.

Guns are punchy, and putting time into getting the feel for each one can pay dividends. The slight lean around walls allows me to be more tactical than my usual head-first approach. Dragging teammates to cover during a revive feels like it should have been there all along. These, on their own, are small changes, but they work together to make Battlefield 6 more fluid than it's ever been.

I'd be remiss if, in all of this multiplayer praise, I didn't mention the single-player mode. The campaign is back, although I wish it weren't. Scratch below the surface, and you'll find a story that is borderline nonsensical, with characters that are puddle deep. It's an underwhelming, underdeveloped whistle-stop tour of the multiplayer maps, with a lot of the really cool stuff relegated to cutscenes.

It struggles to nail the tight cinematic set-piece moments like a truly great CoD campaign, and it also doesn't delve into what makes Battlefield special. Calling in airstrikes, overwatching a strike team on a helicopter - these are well within the scope of BF6, yet I always felt like a foot soldier fighting wave after wave of faceless enemies. For a while, it was as though I was watching the campaign, rather than playing it, and besides an entertaining beach landing, it left me bored.

I understand why the campaign is here. People asked for it, it's part of the package, and without it, I'm sure there would have been complaints. Much like a slightly brown side salad you get with your main meal, I'd encourage you to poke at it for a minute before diving into the plate of real food. Fun turn from Tony Curran as Kincaid, though.

Campaign aside, I had a great time with Battlefield 6. It's like putting on a pair of comfy pants and finding a few extra dollars in the pocket; a familiar feeling, with a little extra value. Everything works. The additional game modes will fast become staples, and the subtle changes to the minute-to-minute gameplay elevate the whole experience. Whether you're a new recruit or a hardened veteran, there's a lot to love here. Battlefield's back, baby!