EA has been showing certain doubts with its popular shooter for some time. It was not surprising that his delay was announced from October 22 to November 19, in fact. That, yes, they have been clear that, despite the pending work, the beta would be important to improve certain aspects last minute before the big launch. During October 6 and 7, the beta was available in early access for those who had reserved Battlefield 2042 or an active EA Play subscription, and during October 8 and 9, it was open to all audiences. That time has been enough to see what impressions and sensations this title gives us.
It’s easy to imagine, but Battlefield 2042 takes us to the same year reflected in its title, a world in which extreme diplomatic tensions leave the planet on the brink of war. There will be those who try to force it, and others will have to avoid it. In the beta we do not find new details about this context, since we only have one game mode and one stage in which to start fighting.
In terms of weapons and specialists, we have also had a limited section for these daysBut it has been an interesting display of the specific values that each of these soldiers can bring. In addition, we have also been able feel differences between the Next-Gen and Old-Gen versions, since the latter is still a subject of interest to many players and has some differences that are important to mention.
A giant map to attack the enemy
As is common in the Battlefield saga, the scenarios are characterized by their titanic dimensions against other style shooters such as Call of Duty, being able to use even vehicles to reinforce the attacks. Of course, in the beta we have only been able to enjoy one scenario: Orbital, which gave the possibility of up to 64 players on PS4, where we have performed the analysis. The 128 player limit it stays for the PS5, Xbox Series X and S versions, and for PC.
In addition, even if the map was the same, so as not to spread excessively to the players in fewer numbers, the beta for PS4 and Xbox One had lower limits on the map, removing points to conquer and restricting access to certain areas. It is not a bad way to fix it, although this type of detail make it clear that EA has wanted to give added value to the new generation.
Of course, there are elements that both generations have in common: environmental phenomena and the destruction of the scenery. Regarding this, we will see rain, storms and even tornadoes that can kill us; in fact, in Orbital there are a rocket that makes occasional takeoffs, and when they go wrong, we better be away from there. As for the destruction of the stage, the explosions are capable of tear down walls in many buildings and leave craters in the ground. It would be necessary to work a little more on loading times and textures, but in general, taking into account that there may be a certain quality jump in the final game, it would be a minor problem.
Specialists to adapt to our method of play
In Battlefield 2042 we will find a multitude of specialist characters, although in beta we had access to four of them: an assault specialist, a heavy engineer, a sniper and a medic. Each of them has an exclusive tool that strengthens its main quality: a hook, a turret, a reconnaissance drone and a medicine pistol, respectively.
These specialists allow us to strengthen a particular way of playing, adapting to the style that we like the most. Also, to give us more versatile combinations, weapon sets can be modified to our liking, being able to carry a sniper rifle with the engineer, a light machine gun with the medic, and any other imaginable combination.
In the beta we unlocked new weapons as we leveled up, although the greatest added value was in the quick button that allows us to add add-ons to the weapon during the game. Do we want a scoped long-range rifle? Well, we do not put it on and we can attack at short and medium distance without losing vision. Do we add sight to it when we are in a good nest? Go ahead with it.
Few palpable changes, although they improve the experience
There is not much more to note about the Battlefield 2042 beta. During these four days, we have only been able to enjoy the “Conquest” mode on the Orbital map and the sensations have been good. Long games, a very interactive setting and the essence of this saga feels intact. Now, it is necessary to optimize the pop in of certain elements that appear in front of our noses and the stability of frames in the Old-Gen, which, without suffering drastic drops, does notice slight drops in fluidity.
The advances of this title are noticeable compared to previous deliveries, especially in what we have seen in the new generation, but it is true that Battlefield 2042 is once again a very continuous delivery and that it does not risk in its approach. There were more advances than there really are, at least in what they have let us see in the beta. Anyway, the final game is yet to come out. When Battlefield 2042 hits the market on November 19, we will be able to see this shooter in all its splendor and we will already be able to judge the real level of this video game.
By the way, we remember that, in this case, Next-Gen version of Battlefield 2042 will be playable in the previous generationbut not the other way around. If you are going to make the leap in the next few months, then it would be advisable to take the game from PS5 or Xbox Series X.
▪ Release date: 10/22/2021