After Battlefield Hardline was announced, many were skeptical of the game's separation from the traditional Battlefield series. Sure, it was less about the military, and more about cops stopping criminals, but the pacing, guns, vehicles and the massive amount of people playing together are all too common for the series. As a result and despite the game's beta that drew in over 7 million people, some out there are still wondering if Hardline should even be considered a new Battlefield game, rather than a re-skin of Battlefield 4.
By some that's considered insulting opinion directed not just at the game itself, but also developer Visceral Games. The comments didn't go unnoticed, though, and in a recent blog post, Hardline's Gameplay Systems Producer Mike Glosecki decided to address them. Believe it or not, Gloseki doesn't believe the upcoming game is any kind of re-skin, and regardless of the new features, it's definitely still Battlefield.
Gloseki explains that, at least from his point of view, the series has always been about large scale war, teamwork and building the right strategy; Battlefield Hardline has all of that, with the only difference being the new cops and robbers concept.
Furthermore, regarding complaints that the game feels too fast, Gloseki says that doesn't make it any less tactical than previous entries. For example, new mechanics like quick healing and ammo replenishment (done by selecting a player that has first aid or ammo equipped) helps to preserve the familiar Battlefield feel, but also introduce new situations: Do you heal yourself while in the backseat of a car, or wait in case the player carrying the money gets hit and ends up needing it?
"I want to point out that tactics are about action. They’re about responding to a specific situation and achieving the desired results. Hardline has this in spades, you use your positioning and situational awareness to get the drop on someone.
"It’s a different type and measure of skill than just aim precision, and it’s more challenging because there’s more thought involved than just aiming."
As for how Battlefield Hardline will keep things new and unique, look no further than the game's new Hotwire and Heist modes, both of which were in the aforementioned beta. In fact, Hotwire even became a fan favorite during that brief online test.
Additionally, returning tools like the Zipline, Grappling hook, and Tracking Dart will be joined by the Stun Gun and melee weapons, thereby adding some new ways players can get in each other's way. Takedowns that can lead to interrogations and the discovery of enemy positions are another new implementation meant to help Hardline distinguish itself. Contrary to how the full game ends up, people have to admit that Visceral brought the game a long way since its inception.
"All in all, this is definitely a Battlefield game with its own unique twist on theme and gameplay."
Battlefield Hardline, which just went gold earlier this week, is set to release on March 17, 2015 in North America and March 20 in the UK for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PC. Between now and the game's release, we can all argue over the length of its single-player campaign.
Source: Battlefield.com