After the disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042, it only makes sense for other studios to try to steal the Battlefield franchise's thunder. Developer Riverside Sports chose a different approach, however, leaning into the issues in service of parody with Clownfield 2042.
EA and DICE launched Battlefield 2042 last year and quickly drew widespread backlash for taking the series in a direction with less tactical depth. Major balancing issues were also seen, while the numerous bugs ruined the experience of players. Even through several updates over the almost two months since its launch, the game still sits at a Mostly Negative rating on Steam.
Riverside Sports is not quite entering the competitive space with Clownfield 2042; in fact, the company is taking the opposite approach by taking the issues with Battlefield 2042 and pushing them to the extreme. The Steam description proudly boasts that the game is "the [most] broken and unoptimized experience ever," with players able to run down groups of hostiles in hovercrafts. A "basic but good enough for the moment" AI system is also included.
Clownfield 2042, in its goal to copy and satirize features from Battlefield 2042, even copies the game's tornado mechanic. During gameplay, tornadoes will appear on the map and pull in physics objects to throw around. While the effects may not be as detailed as the originals, it fits the game's style and is functionally very similar to the mechanic it copies.
With the resounding disappointment from Battlefield 2042, it could be cathartic for some to jump into Riverside Sports' cynical take on the franchise. Its current Steam reviews, while it has thousands less overall, average much higher than the real Battlefield 2042's scores. Only time will tell if it stays around as a serious game or remains an epheremal joke game, but either way the amount of effort it would take to even make the parody is indicative of how disappointing Battlefield 2042 was for some.
With many Battlefield 2042 players going back to the divisive but much better received Battlefield 5, DICE will have to put in serious work to retain the currently remaining players and win back those disappointed by the original version. The game's fundemental design may be different, but with better balancing and some returning features, it could stand on its own as a solid entry. Even with updates, though, whether it will reach the heights of its forerunners is a question that can only be answered by waiting.
Clownfield 2042 is currently available on Steam.
Source: Steam