In many ways Battlefield 6 is a return to some classic elements of the first-person shooter series. But even as it draws on features that players have loved for years, it also makes changes to the formula that may seem tiny but have a gigantic impact. From changes to the class system that lend a hand you find your ideal playstyle, to map destruction that can create chaos or provide benefits, Battlefield 6’s look back at the past is actually full of steps into the future.
Here are nine ways Battlefield 6 improves on the series’ history through subtle and not-so-subtle improvements.
Waves of destruction
One of the things that has always set Battlefield apart is the destruction players can wreak on multiplayer maps. In Battlefield 6, destruction has been enhanced to be both realistic and strategic, and plays a immense role in both multiplayer matches and the campaign. Blowing up walls to expose enemy soldiers or destroying towers to eliminate machine gun nests gives you more options in Battlefield 6’s story combat, and watching huge structures come crashing down is always mesmerizing.
Improved team commands
Battlefield is known for its teams, and in many of the series’ campaigns, you often had a team of warriors to support you. In Battlefield 6, you can order your team to focus fire on a tough enemy, or command a specific member of your team to employ a skill of their class, such as commanding a scout to mark targets or a stormtrooper using a grenade in a arduous position.
Escalation mode is perfect for Battlefield
New to Battlefield 6 is Escalation Mode, a 64-player game mode that combines elements from classics like Conquest, Domination and Breakthrough to create something up-to-date. In Escalation, two teams compete for control of control points, and when one team controls more control points than the other, the meter begins to fill. If the timer is completed, the team with more territory scores a point and one of the control points disappears from the map. As territory is fought for, the contested area of the map shrinks, creating more intense battles and forcing teamwork to attack and defend positions. Add to this the many vehicles available in Battlefield 6, and you have a mode that is both highly strategic and intensely tumultuous.
Better class
The renewed focus on four classes – Assault, Scout, Support and Engineer – is a key part of Battlefield 6’s return to the series’ roots. But with the up-to-date game, Battlefield takes these activities into the future, with learning paths you can unlock for each one. The training allows you to focus on different aspects of a specific class role. For example, as a stormtrooper, you can work as a quick fighter on the front lines or unlock Breacher training, which allows you to focus on punching through walls and clearing rooms. Each class has its own training paths that can be unlocked by completing quests, so you can customize your playstyle, becoming an expert in each class’s capabilities.
More sensitive movement
Battlefield 6’s kinesthetic movement system introduces many changes to the way you move around the game, and your movements are so natural and intuitive that you may not even notice them. From running in a crouch to keep your head down, to rolling on your back when you feel like shooting behind you, to leaning out of cover to take a shot, to jumping onto outside vehicles to hitch a ride, Battlefield 6 is full of little tweaks that make it easier to get where you’re going and fight well once you get there.
Jump straight to the shooting range
Battlefield 6 has many tiny improvements that make it more user-friendly than previous entries in the series, such as compact explanations of the different game modes and classes to lend a hand you learn the game faster. When modifying your loadout, you can also take any weapon you’re playing with directly to the shooting range to try it out by pressing L2, allowing you to instantly test out attachments and modifications to find the exact weapon that suits you.
DualSense haptic feedback that puts your shoes on the ground
In both the campaign and multiplayer modes, Battlefield is an intense, mind-blowing experience where the air around you is constantly rocked by gunshots and explosions. All of these sensations are translated into intense tactile sensations via the DualSense controller, helping you capture just how fierce, powerful and massive all those crashing vehicles and collapsing buildings actually are.
Modular maps offer a variety of battles
In previous Battlefield games, the largest multiplayer maps also included hotspot locations that could function as maps on their own. Battlefield 6 continues this design philosophy, but with even more focus than before. Each of the game’s largest maps contains many different types of areas where you can engage in fierce gunfights in the corridors of a skyscraper under construction before falling into a village full of tiny houses that are quickly razed to the ground by tank fire. Many of these locations act as maps for smaller game modes like Team Deathmatch, so you can learn their intricacies in a wide variety of experiences.
A more innovative portal mode
As of Battlefield 2042, Portal Mode allows players to create their own Battlefield games by modifying the rulesets and building their own maps. These tools have been greatly expanded in Battlefield 6 to give you much more freedom. Players are just starting to explore the possibilities of Portal, but you can already find many different types of matches thanks to the up-to-date server list and up-to-date discovery features.
Between maps, modes, Portal and the full campaign, Battlefield 6, now available on PlayStation Store. What’s more, season 1 will be just around the corner on October 28.
