Battlefield 2042 has been met with a great deal of criticism since its launch a few weeks ago. From "Persistence Error" issues blocking people from playing the game, to a vast array of glitches and bugs, there is plenty wrong with Battlefield 2042. Players who are disappointed with the current state of the game are absolutely justified. Long-time fans are also disappointed with the lack of many features that were present in previous Battlefield games, such as continuous servers, leaderboards, and a stripped down weapon list, among other letdowns.
While fans of the series seem to be largely negative on the game, some reviews have given it a fairly positive score, praising some of the new additions to the gameplay while also pointing out the game's obvious flaws. While the game certainly has its fair share of issues, it's not a total miss-fire, and there are some interesting mechanics on display.
Map Variation/Verticality
Battlefield 2042 does not have many maps currently. At launch, the game has seven Conquest maps; In comparison, Battlefield 4 had 10 conquests maps, and Halo Infinite has 10 multiplayer maps in general, with Call of Duty Vanguard having 16 maps as well. However, Battlefield 2042's maps do offer some pretty significant variation.
All of Battlefield 2042's Conquest maps are gigantic, hosting 128 players easily. While the design between maps is fairly limited, with a few blending together as "the one with the skyscrapers," the variation within the maps themselves is pretty interesting. The best maps in Battlefield 2042 offer a range of locations within the single map.
For example, the map "Manifest" set in a Singapore harbor, allows players to pick fights in several different locales. Fights can occur amongst shipping containers, on board a cargo ship, or on top of a hillside communications array. Within any given match on Manifest, a player is likely to see a range of different locations, which does help to keep each match feeling fresh and exciting, as there is more to explore within each map.
The verticality of these maps is also a unique and engaging aspect of Battlefield 2042's design, with many maps featuring tall skyscrapers or buildings that can be ascended via equipment, elevators, or ascension ropes on the side of the structure. This furthers the verticality of each map, with multiple ways to approach various objectives.
For instance, the skyscrapers in the map "Kaleidoscope" have a Conquest objective at the top; players can use the elevators within the building, can fly a helicopter over the objective, or even drive up the building in a hovercraft. The verticality of Battlefield 2042's maps keep the gameplay engaging by offering multiple ways to reach and defend objectives.
A brand new addition to Battlefield 2042, the weather system, also influences player engagement. During any given match of Conquest, a natural disaster may occur on the map. These range from desert sandstorms that can obscure the player's vision, to a tornado that rips through the map, flinging everything around it up into the air. While it doesn't happen all the time, these weather effects can spice up the gameplay a little, changing how you approach or set up the defense of an objective.
Equipment and Attachments
Despite Battlefield 2042 stripping its weapon list down to just 22, and introducing a fairly controversial Specialist system as opposed to the Class-Based Battlefield of old, Battlefield 2042 does still have some fun equipment and attachment mechanics. At the very least, Specialists make certain quality of life improvements to the Battlefield multiplayer formula that do improve the experience.
There are two Specialists in Battlefield 2042 that give the player the ability to traverse the map in new and exciting ways: Webster Mackay, who has a grappling hook, and Sundance, who uses a wingsuit. Although it's a shame that players can't use these abilities in tandem, and that they are locked to the game's oddly limiting Specialist system, the freedom given with these traversal abilities is surprisingly great.
Giving the player the ability to scale any wall or fly straight to an objective across the map really makes the game feel like it's putting the action in the player's hand, even if it ultimately isn't. The ability to capture an objective on top of a glacier, glide through the ravine below, and finally land at an oil rig base on the other side of the map is pretty impressive, and feels like a genuine step forward for the franchise.
Battlefield 2042's attachment wheel system also furthers this sense of player agency and freedom. Rather than having to swap out weapon attachments via a series of menus, players can now swap their attachments on the fly. All a player needs to do is hold down the Left Bumper/L1 and use the Face Buttons to cycle through three pre-installed weapon attachments. Many players are likely to never use this feature, having already spawned with their ideal loadout, but it does give some more player freedom, allowing players to swap between long-range and close-range attachments depending on the situation.
Portal Mode
The one aspect of Battlefield 2042 that everyone seems to agree is pretty decent is Portal Mode. Players are given the opportunity to return to a small selection of classic Battlefield maps, remade to work in the Battlefield 2042 Frostbite engine. The selection of maps, at least at launch, is a little barebones, with only two maps from each game (Battlefield 1943, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield Bad Company 2) being present. Despite that, the novelty of being able to play these classic maps is definitely a point in 2042's favor, especially as long-time fans will likely find a great deal of nostalgia playing this mode.
With the promise of more content eventually coming to Portal Mode, and the guarantee that the many bugs and glitches will be stamped out with patches over time, Battlefield 2042 may eventually become a game that fans can be truly happy with. At least for now, there is still some enjoyment that can be had with the game's handful of interesting and unique new mechanics and additions.
Battlefield 2042 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.