After a time that seemed almost infinite, finally we got our hands on Battlefield 2042 and we tell you something in ours preview. As it is good to remember, what we tried was only a beta version, with many limitations, therefore, giving a judgment to the title is practically impossible. What we want to do is leave you there our first hot impressions, some pros and cons that we found during the gameplay and some small considerations. The final release will be on November 19th and, for that moment, we will certainly have many more things to tell each other. So, stop talking and let’s get to the heart of our preview of Battlefield 2042.
Battlefield 2042 Preview: Even if you’re my favorite saga, I can’t discount it
During our aBefore Battlefield 2042, we had the opportunity to try out just one map, Orbital, in one way, conquest gives 128 players. Within one of what should be among the largest maps in the title, we have witnessed infantry clashes, vehicle fights and atmospheric interactions. We tested the title on PC, with a fairly average configuration. Unfortunately, despite our several hours of play, we cannot give a definitive judgment to the title, as this is not the correct location. The beta has arrived full of limitations, allowing us to take a brief look at the title, without allowing, however, a large study. After tasting some, what can we say about it?
Before going into the analysis, I would like to make a quick consideration regarding the performance, to give way, even to those who could not, to know what it is going to meet. Clearly we are in front of a beta version, there are still no optimizations on the drivers, but it is important to realize how the title could turn. We tested Battlefield 2042 on the following setup:
- Processor: i7 8700K stock
- Video Card: RTX 2060 Super
- RAM: 32 GB, DDR4 @3200 MHz
- SSD IRDM Pro
- Monitor: 21:9, 2560x1080p
We set everything up LOW, also removing all effects (including motion blur) and we plunged into battle. We got an average of around 90-100 fps, rather stable during all hours of play. The same frames have dropped to approx 80 when we encountered the tornado in play. Unfortunately, by increasing the quality to medium and then ultra, we did not get a great result, even dropping below 60 fps.
Let’s talk about gameplay: how do you shoot in Battlefield 2042?
Let’s go in detail our preview of Battelfield 2042, speaking a little bit of gameplay e gunplay. The time to kill appears to be slightly longer compared to previous chapters and, in some circumstances, even slightly different. I believe that, in particular, this is due to the possibility of using the plates. Assault rifles, however, behave more or less like the previous chapters, while slightly changes the trajectory of the sniper rifle, especially over long distances. As usual the headshot causes instant death, but chest bodies aren’t always super effective. I reiterate that, however, among the accessories that can be equipped, there are the plates that, in fact, increase the life of the soldier and influence this not a little.
Regarding the on the movement side at stake, however, it must be said that, on Battelfield 2042 the race seems slightly faster. In addition to this, an interesting feature for moving is the slip, which allows you to snap forward rather quickly. This is an aspect a bit “far” from the classic movements of the title, but useful for covering long distances. Unfortunately, however, its inclusion has generated some “cod style” gunfight, which personally did not impress me. Certainly it might be interesting to insert some kind of cooldown.
Last note at the level of gunfight: the recoil from the weapons. Unlike the previous chapters, it seems that the first shots have a greater recoil than the following ones. During the gameplay I got the feeling that it was more difficult to control the first part of the burst and less the following. For this reason, it may be more convenient to fire a single burst, rather than firing in small bursts. The introduction of the loadout dynamic. During the game, in fact, by pressing “T” we can modify the accessories of our weapon live, from the front sight to the magazines, to the muzzle brakes. This is a completely new feature that allows you to manage the game phases even better.
Farewell to classes
We also remind you that, on Battlefield 2042, game classes disappear, replaced by operators. These have unique gadgets, such as grappling hooks or drones, but they can make use of any weapon without limitations. Even the secondary gadgets (medkits, ammunition, grenades, etc.) are no longer typical of an operator, but can be used by anyone. At the moment, during the beta, I have not seen any particular imbalances in this sense, but, personally, I still prefer the structure of chapter 4. Maybe, I am tied to a past gameplay, but I liked this division.
A large map, but not very editable
The map we have “explored” is Orbital, on a 128-player conquest. It is about a truly vast setting, perhaps too much. From a certain point of view it is quite dispersive and, if you do not have a vehicle, traveling it is a bit exhausting. In some respects I also found it a bit empty and poor in content. It is true that there will be other maps, other modes and other additions, but I am not fully satisfied with its development. Unlike Battlefield 4 and its Golmud, i means they are not absolute masters, although there is a large imbalance of the same. The helicopters, for example, they are too strong compared to everything else. First of all they suffer very little damage and, most importantly, there does not seem to be any suitable land means to face them in the best possible way.
A sore point concerns precisely the land vehicles which, not only are they not so effective against the air ones, but they are becoming really slow to manage. Compared to Battlefield 4, moving a tank is far too cumbersome. Not to mention that, on more than one occasion, I have had a few bugs with the upper turret not moving for a few seconds after entering the middle.
Too bad also for what concerns the destructibility which has always been the cornerstone of Battlefield. Also in this chapter we see some walls that fall, but, in my opinion, this aspect has definitely dropped. I have not witnessed, although I have used the cart on several occasions, to great devastation, but only destroyed walls. No more completely unusable buildings or maps with different connotations. Only the departure, or destruction, of the rocket changes a part of the map, but we no longer see major changes like Siege of Shanghai and its destroyed skyscraper.
What do we think of the tornado?
Another aspect, about which I had strong doubts was the atmospheric events. The Battlefield series is not new to this kind of entry, but in this chapter, things take place on a large scale. The Orbital map, in fact, has the particularity of being hit, on occasion, by a hurricane. Personally, I have never been a great admirer of these details, which, on the contrary, I found quite annoying in some previous chapters. The Battlefield 1 sandstorms made the gameplay quite annoying As far as I am concerned. The tornado Battlefield 2042, on the other hand, is quite on its own. It is not too invasive, does not damage the gameplay too much. If desired, it can be easily avoided during the game, while it is possible to use it to try some particular tricks. Once it passes it destroys and modifies part of the map, but beyond that it doesn’t disturb the gameplay and that’s definitely good.
We then end with the various bugs and glitches we encountered in the course of our gameplay. Unfortunately, our experience was accompanied by one series of bugs and glitches. Of course, most of these will be fixed before the final release. Let us remember, in fact, that this is a beta version that is a couple of months old, compared to the current state of the title.
The only big flaw is the management of the teams: I found the whole system very machine and very unintuitive. The mechanism for creating teams is long, but above all not very functional. Not to mention that, in the beta, all those classic commands for group play were absent. Unfortunately, the commercial also did not work properly and this limited the whole experience a bit.
Battlefield 2042 is almost ready to go out
Al End of our Battlefield 2042 preview, we can’t wait to try the final product. We found many interesting and promising aspects and many more to correct. We are sure that, net of the imperfections, the title can have a great opportunity.
We would certainly like to have fewer bugs related to gameplay, an improved HUD, better team management. The balancing some media would be welcome and the correction of some graphical glitches too. The premises are not bad at all, even if the list of improvements could be lengthened a bit. Unfortunately, we cannot judge the title by analysis of the beta e alone we look forward to November 19th.