Battlefield 4 First Impressions Preview, With 17-Minute Gameplay Video

81
Lee Bradley

EA and DICE have just unveiled Battlefield 4 in San Francisco and we were right there in the auditorium having our ears blown up by the demo's insane volume levels.

You can watch the entire gameplay demo for yourself below, as EA has released the whole thing for you to dribble over, but it's worth covering the stuff you didn't see too. Specifically: Executive Producer Patrick Bach and EA Games vice-president Patrick Soderlund's presentation.

While Soderlund's focus was on bigging up EA's Frostbite 3 engine, saying that the tech is helping Battlefield 4 usher in a “new era of interactive entertainment” and that there is now “nothing holding us back,” it was Bach's talk that was perhaps most interesting.

The executive producer revealed DICE's goal in creating Battlefield 4 was to make the game more human, dramatic and believable.

To that end you'll see in the demo that efforts have been made to develop the game's characters more fully, there are tense moments like the leg cutting scene to ramp up the drama and... well, we're not sure which part of the demo was supposed to communicate believability. The bit where the building collapses underneath the protagonist and he escapes unscathed, perhaps?

Which brings us to one of our issues with what they've shown of Battlefield 4 so far. Why on Earth is EA attempting to sell the game based on its storytelling and relation to reality?

Battlefield 4 is one of the most beautiful games we've ever seen, with lighting and particle effects that'll melt your eyeballs. The explosions, the fire, the foliage and the destruction look insanely good. This is a very, very pretty game. But instead EA is talking up Battlefield 4 like it's deep, like it's art.

Let's not kid ourselves, Battlefield 4 promises to be - temporarily at least - the most gorgeous, powerful and technically advanced shooter in the history of the medium. What it doesn't look like is device for proper storytelling. Why doesn't EA just say, “Dudes, in Battlefield 4 you'll be able to blow the shit out of everything is the most fun way ever! Seriously, we're taking stuff going boom to the next level.” It'd feel far more convincing.

How EA talks up the game is probably irrelevant, however. What really matters is how it plays. And that's another issue. While it's obviously pretty, Battlefield 4 doesn't look like it's bringing anything new, gameplay-wise. The destruction on show is impressive, and may offer up a few inventive gameplay possibilities, but other than a significantly ramped up sense of spectacle, Battlefield 4 looks like business as usual.

Beyond that, there's also the matter of what EA didn't say. Despite expectations that Battlefield 4 would be announced for next-gen consoles, there was no mention of platforms whatsoever during the game's reveal. Not even a hint.

The demo we were shown (the one you can see below) was obviously running on a beefy PC, so we can only presume that EA is holding back for the announcement of Microsoft's next Xbox. But like we said, that's nothing more than presumption. Time will tell.

There was also no mention of multiplayer, beyond some references to the way that single-player is borrowing mechanics like squad commands. We'd love to see more of that too. It is, after all, the series' main draw for most players.

There's a long way to go before Battlefield 4 releases later this year and we'll no doubt learn a lot more about it in the lead-up to release. Truly, it doesn't get much bigger than this, both in terms of popularity and scope. This is a huge game.

However, we'll need a little longer to discern whether Battlefield 4 has more to offer than just a pretty face.

Comments
81
  • Yes very nice ...but will a rat get you killed in the campaign????
  • The visuals look amazing, of course this is no surprise, but from what I've just seen it's Battlefield 3 with a pretty coat on. Until they show me something completely new, I'm not convinced.
  • Don't care about campaign or story in Battlefield. I care about the...well...battlefield. Destructable buildings this time please? Kind of went backwards from BC2. Also sceptical about what bullshit EA is going to force them to do..."£2.99 per weapon. 50p per ammo clip." They can suck a dick if they try and pull any of that.
  • Call Of Duty Skyrim all the way
  • This is WAY too soon for my liking. :(
  • I only watched a couple of minutes as I'd prefer the SP to be a surprise, but it does look fantastic. If this is a next gen release it'd be interesting to see how close it'd get to resembling this PC's visuals.
  • Looks absolutely beautiful
  • K that was fucking awesome. God I hope next gen looks this good, or at least close.
  • Michael K. Williams is obviously brilliant, but the game looks like more of the same. Meh.
  • Very clean looking,great looking work with the FB3 engine...Can't wait to also see that engine used on the new Mass Effect like they had said it would be. I did also notice they used the same tag for BF3 in this video at the end which is why I myself will wait a year to get it. Not willing to pay sixty bucks get one free expansion pack with a pre-order then be forced into a season pass or DLC without discount when I can just buy a "Premium" 8-12 months later for the same sixy bucks and get everything. I salute you day one buyers, I remember when I stood among you.
  • I hope there's music in the cars in MP, used to play BFBC2 cruising with the music on in vietnam.
  • Almost everybody including the author is already judging the game when it's not even running to it's full potential produced game yet, plus when he said that the gameplay is focused more on the single player story...OBVIOUSLY, when doesn't a game being shown first shows its campaign? I give them credit for doing it because they're showing that they are going all out in the campaign like they shouldve have in the 3rd game. Multiplayer will shown eventually as well as new mechanics, weapons, vehicles, character models, animations etc so let's stop being impatient & be patient as this beautiful game unfolds until release shall we?
  • @3 shhhh dont say things like that lol, though give it a couple years and you will be paying for your weapons etc. does look good though, but im not really bothered about sp in battlefield, like many others!
  • Jesus, what was that noise at the end over the logo? Was that the theme song? What happened to orchestral music like in Bad Company?
  • This looks absolutely fantastic!! Can't wait... :D
  • The graphics look amazing but i won't be buying it on PC.
  • Wow, this looks amazing.
  • @14 I didn't watch all of the vid, but if you mean the song at the start it's ''Total eclipse of the heart' by Bonnie Tyler.
  • @14 actually, I've just re-read your post. That's not what you meant. Apologies.
  • Wow, that sure looks pretty. I'm amazed by the effects and the gameplay looks good too. Win-purchase....day 1 dlc?-sad face.
  • I hope this game won't be the MW2 to COD4. COD4 = great game, MW2 = SHIT RECYCLED. BF3 = great game, BF4 = shit recycled???
  • I never thought i would say sexy about video game but this...damn. now lets just hope that on next gen consoles it will look just like this
  • Ok 1st off I get the feeling this is wot Battlefield 3 should have been like as theres no real "change", that I can tell. 2nd watch in 240 for console and 1080 for PC graphics..lol
  • It's impressive but one thing everyone fails to recognise. It won't look like this at all on consoles. Also people saying "this could be next gen" if it was next gen it would be released at E3. The matter of the fact is, even with the "HD content" disc on BF3 it still looked nothing like the Hi end PC version shown on every trailer. I'm sure EA just like showing off pretty visuals.
  • @27 oh please tell more about the graphics on the new console since you have somehow played on the new console. IDIOT This bf graphics have to be as close to pc graphics by looking at the current "leaked" xbox specs. Really can not wait for this the trailer was very very impressive.
  • Wow, that looks amazing. I'd like to see the comparisons between 360/ next gen / PC :D
  • Looks like BF3 DLC tbh. Nothing exciting, won't be bothering. Wouldn't have been anyway actually, BF3 was awful.
  • love it
  • @29 where did I state that I had played the new console? Nowhere exactly. The matter of the FACT is, EA have done this with every battlefield, they show a great graphical video and then nothing comes of it on console. Idiot, maybe you should read. @27 I can understand that thinking that it is possible, but as I said just there from what we've seen from EA before I expect nothing but dissapointment
  • @33 Everyone seems to be a troll to you if they dont agree with you? Go JUDGE somewhere else kid.
  • looks amazing...on pc but its only one mission, and the multiplayer is where it is at. hoping for 64players on next-gen consoles!
  • @ 31 if BF3 is awful then only God knows what your expectations are!
  • How does a car get shot at by a helicopter, and still remain completely water tight?
  • @38 Well put....I have friends that wont play it as in there opinion its shit! they have played it less than 10Hours, my other friends that i play this game with most nights have all clocked up an average of 400 hours plus each. You have to give this game time & dedication if you want the results.Its abit like trying to get into a virgins knickers, its quite hard at first but once your in then you will love it & it was worth the wait.
  • Im struggling to see what the hype is about, it just looks like BF3 and for a next gen game, I'm not overly impressed.
  • it looks bf3 all the way. Seriously i can't see any difference o_O
  • @43 someone needs to chill... Geez..
  • So its basically BF3 then...
  • @35 I've played the single player a lot more than that, which is what I care about most with these games. And 5 hours of mp (on THIS account I might add) plus the many hours I've played on another is more than enough for me to know I HATE the multiplayer on BF3. I've never played a match I've enjoyed despite giving every map, class and weapon a good chance. I don't have to justify my opinions to you anyway. But I don't need that long to decide if I like a game or not. And you don't know anything about me. For a start I'm female. You care enough to look up my stats on BF3 but you can't take 5 seconds to look at my profile? Get lost. And I've given my reasons for hating BF3 many times, I don't feel like repeating them everytime some fanboy decides to disagree with me.
  • It looks the same as bf3. With another linear no story campaign.
  • Wheres Bad Company 3? Give us something new!
  • #50 dude get over it. I'm surprised no one is going to hate on B4 for not bringing anything new gameplay-wise as stated in the article, and yet COD gets bashed for this. BO2 goes into the future and it still gets hated on. Bunch of hypocrites. The graphics looks stunning, without a doubt but I can't wait to read up on the copious amounts of patches that will inevitably released, again.
  • @51 Apology accepted, and what a refeshing, mature response :) I did love Bad Co 2, especially the MP, but BF3 was a huge dissapointment compared to that (both MP and SP) and sadly this just looks more of the same.
  • dear ea, fuk u p.s maybe i buy if you make box art cool. instead of a soldier walking ( stupid ) plz put like tank and a fukn trex. then ya ok i buy.
  • @53, I'm the same, I loved Bad Co 2 (I thought the Vietnam dlc was really good as well) but for some reason I just couldn't get into BF3 no matter how hard I tried.
  • Any golf carts?
  • http://i.imgur.com/e4Skt7H.jpg :)
  • @56 I can totally understand why you're loving it... It's why I couldn't get into it more that's a mystery to me, especially considering that I love FPS's and the last 2 call of duty games have been disappointing to say the least. I was considering going back to it and trying again but I think I'm a little late in the games lifespan and I think I only have the first DLC too :-(
  • Bigger SP levels? Glad to see they took the feedback seriously.
  • @9 Is that the confirmed voice actor? It sounds exactly like him, and I think he's awesome too, just haven't heard about it anywhere. Great if it is. Friggin ridiculous facial expressions...
  • Nice mod. Battlefield 3: Enhanced Visuals Edition. At least change the skins of the ruskies ffs.
  • Same shit, different toilet. Just reminds me of the Battlefield 3 campaign video back when they announced that. Good to know we'll be playing the same games next-gen with a new coat of paint.
  • This looks friggin amazing! Michael Bay would have been proud! I Love the graphics, love the spectacle, love the dual scope and the ability to carry more than two weapons. If the whole campaign is as balls out as this trailer, then I don´t even care whether or not they got some fresh ideas gameplay-wise. And to be honest, I can´t even think of any true advantages when it comes to gameplay-mechanics. To those complaining about the lack of innovations - what would you like to see in the final games´ campaign? Oh, and also, @54: That must be the most stupid argument ever made by anyone. You always base your opinions about games on the cover art? Buy the game anyway, I´ll send you a hand-painted cover depicting Mickey Mouse driving a tank into a fukn trex (?)...
  • @64, I would really like to get that picture too!
  • once again murica saving the day. Think we will ever get a mainstream shooter that DOESN't have Americans as the main playable...
  • @65: You could also have the one with Goofy flying the helicopter.
  • @66. Once the US isn't the leading gaming nation, I would suppose you would see fewer Americancentric games. I'd wager on seeing more Chinese centric games in the future, especially if China lifts the console ban.
  • Nice looks like it could be a lot of fun loving the looks of this and the fact you can carry 3 weapons. Looks like Next gen launch`s biggest Army shooters will be Battlefield 4 and Rainbow Six Patriots. COD seems to be finally falling by the way side I know they are still selling copies & making money in the millions but nobody I talk to says ``I can`t wait for the next COD`` anymore. In fact nobody I know even talk about COD anymore. Battlefield seems to be doing just great right now can`t wait gonna be fun!!!
  • Oh yeah the next gen First Person shooters are starting to reveal themselves bring em on its gonna be awesome!!
  • As long as they BLOCK the annoying M320..
  • Isn't that car sinking for quite awhile considering it drove into the water? That area must have a STEEP coastline...
  • Of course it looks fantastic, its on PC lol.
  • @ 59 I loved Bad Company 1 & 2 its what got me off the COD wagon, & in fairness i remember saying to my mates who were & still are playing it "I cannot see myself playing this for long" I just cant get into it. 400+ hours later I still love it & still play it most nights, I think the big game changer was that in BC you could play well on your own & better with a team as with BF3 its hard to play on your own but epic with a team. This of course is only my opinion, & as for the maps we have our own server up at the moment & it only has the old maps on it & there is still loads playing it so never too late to try and get into it mate. Server is DT (Die Together)if you wanna join.@ 64 That would be kinda cool lol
  • Hopefully they up the emphasis on the story in this installment, BF3's campaign was more or less of a throwaway for me. Very buggy too. MP was king though, very addictive.
  • im getting really bored with war FPS. there the same god damn thing ever time.
  • All I car for is 32 vs. 32 conquest. If that is not included on xbox 360 or xbox 720 I won't be getting battlefield 4. I really don't understand why they would even try to make a great singleplayer experience out of it.
  • I don't expect this game to be very good by any extent of the imagination. I didn't like bf3 at all, and this just looks like they took bf3 and out the graphics on steroids and probably wont put any effort into anything else.
  • I'm mostly a fan of single-player campaigns and I gotta say, I was very disappointed with the "Battlefield 3" campaign. I wanted to enjoy it, but by the end I was just amazed at its lack of creativity and story-telling. Especially considering it's over-the-top advertising campaign. And I have to admit, I think I'm rapidly falling inline with #76's feelings towards the overblown First-Person-Shooter war-simulation games. The last Call of Duty's single-player campaign was TERRIBLE in terms of story-telling. And I had a blast playing the 1st Black Ops, so I was genuinely surprised by the sequel being so bad.
  • The graphics are AMAZING!
  • The graphics, obviously, look absolutely amazing. I loved BF3's multiplayer, and I still do, but, as many have said before, the single player campaign was horrid. I think it's great they put so much effort into this campaign, making my short encounter with Single Player a good one. Personally, the series will always be about MP. In addition, I like the little detail of being able to switch between two different views on the weapon. It's small, but I think it'll prove to be quite handy.
  • ALL HAIL BF4
  • CANNOT WAIT!!!
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