This is not a review of Battlefield Six. This is not because Battlefield Six is a bad game, undeserving of reviews, but because it is a good one. For all the controversy the game is drawing on certain platforms, the game is fine.
Ok fine, here is my review of Battlefield 6. It plays extremely similarly to Battlefield 4 (to the point where on certain graphics settings I’m not sure I could tell the difference), but with thousands of little quality of life increases scattered throughout.
The maps are extremely detailed and fun to run around in. The weapon modification system is deep and rewarding, and little touches like the buddy drag and permanent open weapons make the game more fun and approachable. None of this has really changed in the month since release or the widely talked about open beta.
The main critique of the game, slightly small maps, is notable but not a particularly interesting subject without a detailed dive into real vs perceived map size, the intricacies of player engagement and the overall tendency toward reactionism in online communities.
I do want to talk about maps though, because the biggest map by far is for the free ride-on game, Battlefield REDSEC, the franchise’s first look at a battle royale. And it might be the best one I’ve ever played.
I came into REDSEC expecting to hate it, because I’m a bit of a Battlefield snob (having refused to play 2042 when reviews came out comparing it to COD, an internet rivalry that died out somewhere around 2016) but REDSEC surprised me.
The battle royale takes the Battlefield formula of large team battles with hundreds of expendable lives and transforms it into a tense shooter where every bullet counts.
The game follows the formula of almost every battle royale, 100 players, random loot, slowly tightening circle. So where it most excels is taking those little touches and nailing them.
The big map works excellently with Battlefield style gunplay and elevates the long-range sniping always present in the series from a somewhat novelty to core mechanic. Battlefield’s signature environmental destruction feels right at home as well.
And the game succeeds in taking what works from others in the genre and doing it well. The collection of gadgets and airstrikes feel like they take a lot from Apex Legends but are a little more grounded. Battlefield was not the first to add vehicles to their Battle Royale, but their existing presence in the franchise makes them feel coherent where other games don’t. The chests even do that Fortnite subtle hum to let you know there’s good loot nearby.
Even the ring is a take I haven’t quite seen before. It’s instant death, not a slow tic, meaning the game doesn’t devolve to who can hide for longest and it is terrifying. Everything from the UI to the sound sells that this burning wall of fire slowly creeping toward you should be avoided at all costs.
REDSEC stepped headlong into a genre already oversaturated in a franchise prone to hate new games and it landed with a bang. I’m finding myself playing it more than the $70 version, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon.