The classes are back. Assault, Engineer, Support, Recon. All four doing what they’re supposed to do instead of whatever that Specialist system was supposed to be in 2042. Squad play finally matters again. Engineers keeping tanks alive, Support dropping ammo when you need it, Recon actually spotting targets. This is what I missed.
They brought back a real campaign too. It’s the first one since BF4 and it’s genuinely good. Motive and Criterion put together something focused and intense following Dagger 13 through a near-future conflict. I’m not done yet but it’s been a nice break from multiplayer.
There are seven launch maps with solid variety. Brooklyn plays completely different from Gibraltar’s naval battles or the vertical chaos in Empire State. Battlefield Portal has Operation Firestorm and other classics reimagined. Weather effects add that signature Battlefield unpredictability without being annoying. Sandstorms in Cairo completely change how rounds play out.
Each class feels distinct. Everything works together.
The campaign follows Dagger 13 through a near-future conflict. Not done yet but it’s good so far.
The game looks incredible on PS5. Destruction feels satisfying, sound design is still the best in the business, and they finally fixed the UI so I can actually read things during firefights.
The live service seems more reasonable this time. After how rough 2042 was at launch, this feels like they learned something. Worth jumping in now instead of waiting a year for fixes.