14 DAY TRIAL // 
Battlefield games have been at the front of the first-person shooter genre for quite some time, always pushing forward existing technologies and pioneering new ones that brought full-fledged warfare to players from around the world.
After the really impressive Battlefield 3, the team at DICE is back with Battlefield 4, an evolution of the previous title running on a new and improved engine – Frostbite 3. With the promise of even better multiplayer mechanics and a single-player story that rises above what traditionally passes as plot in the military first-person shooter genre, the game seems to be a definite winner.
Does Battlefield 4 have what it takes to succeed in combat or should it be dishonorably discharged? Let's find out.
Story
Battlefield 3's plot was bland, to say the least, but the team at DICE promised that the story in the new game would offer more than just an excuse to learn the core mechanics before jumping into the multiplayer mode.
You play as Recker, a member of Tombstone squad, a team of Marines that are practically the only thing standing between a rogue Chinese Admiral and the next world war.
Throughout the single-player campaign, Tombstone and its allies will have to engage in all sorts of big battles in order to stop the admiral from causing a global conflict. Your adventures will take you through all sorts of different zones, from Baku in Azerbaijan, to Shanghai or other Asian territories.
While the plot has a few decent twists and develops into a relatively interesting story, quite a few dramatic scenes end up falling flat or are filled with cliché moments. Fortunately, the story more than makes up for these narrative shortcomings with explosive set-piece moments that show just how powerful Frostbite 3 is in terms of delivering high-quality destruction.
Gameplay
While in terms of story Battlefield 4 doesn't exactly deliver the goods, it more than makes up for that in terms of gameplay, managing to combine all sorts of different combat mechanics and segments, from the infantry-based warfare to massive vehicle battles.
Weapons are quite varied and players can change between them during the single-player campaign just by visiting weapon crates. The same mechanic also applies to special gadgets and gear, which can range from regular C4 charges to anti-armor or anti-aircraft missile launchers. Most of them also have various firing modes and you can further tweak them by outfitting different attachments, such as scopes and much more.
In terms of vehicles, the game is once again quite varied, featuring everything from ATVs to tanks, APCs, helicopters, or jets. As opposed to Battlefield 3, the new title also includes boats, which bring a welcome change of pace, both in the single-player and multiplayer campaigns.
Other members of Tombstone squad are pretty smart and, thanks to the special Engage system, which lets players select priority targets and forces AI-controlled allies to attack them, they can help you in combat quite a lot.
Enemy AI is a mixed bag, so to say, as in some encounters your foes are quite smart, knowing when to flank and when to retreat. Other times, however, they just hunker down in cover and don't even retaliate. When they control vehicles, such as tanks, they are much more aggressive and will ruin your day even on the Easy difficulty setting.
Levels are pretty well-designed and, while there are quite a few environments that are a bit too linear for their own good, DICE manages to introduce a few great open areas that can be assaulted using various strategies.
The destruction system, as always, impresses to a vast degree, as you can always turn the tide of a battle with a well-placed grenade or C4 charge. Other times, however, you can cause some weird glitches, including ones that send you to hidden locations on the map from which you can't get out. Such a thing happened during my playthrough and required a complete restart of the mission, as the game saved its automatic checkpoint right when I got into the hidden section.
Multiplayer
Any Battlefield game, ultimately, is judged based on its multiplayer mode, and Battlefield 4 is no exception. DICE kept the core elements from 2011's Battlefield 3 and brought back quite a few mechanics from older titles, such as the Commander mode or the Field Upgrades, while adding quite a few new elements, such as fresh modes.
The result is a great experience that will certainly delight veterans and newcomers, although it has quite a steep learning curve that's alleviated to some degree by the new Test Range, which lets new players train themselves in various things, from the weapons and gadgets, to the vehicles or maps.
In terms of actual online battles, Battlefield 4 shines thanks to sprawling experiences like its core Conquest mode, which pits two teams against one another in an all-out battle using all the vehicles on a map. For those who prefer infantry-based encounters, there's the Domination mode.
Those who want classic experiences like Team Deathmatch or Squad Deathmatch will also find them here, while those who want fresh modes can try out the new Obliteration or Defuse match types, which guarantee explosive moments.
What really takes things to a new level, however, is the return of Commander mode, as one player can opt to lead a team into battle and provide critical support either through supply crates that are spawned on the map, or by marking high-priority targets for quicker elimination. This mode requires a lot of experience, so don't try it out before you gain an understanding of the core mechanics and the variety of maps that come as standard in Battlefield 4.
Another impressive new element is the Levolution mechanic, which sees huge set-piece moments happen on all the different online levels. From the already famous demolition of the Shanghai sky scraper, to the dynamic storm on the Paracel Storm map, or the flood on Flood Zone, there will be quite a few game-changing moments during a multiplayer match. While some are really impressive when you first experience them, over time they become a bit predictable and you'll quickly develop new strategies when they happen.
Just like Battlefield 3, the new title uses the web-based Battlelog social service for the multiplayer, allowing users to browse for servers, check out various stats, and stay in touch with their friends and their achievements.
Graphics and Sound
Battlefield 3 shocked fans with its great graphics, and Battlefield 4, powered by the improved Frostbite 3 engine, takes things to an even higher level, delivering great visuals and effects, especially on the PC platform. What's more, the game is highly optimized, meaning you'll experience playable framerates at high settings even on less powerful PCs.
While there are some bugs and glitches in terms of animations or clipping through objects, Battlefield 4 is a very stable experience that will impress you with its great environments and visuals both in the single-player and in the multiplayer.
In terms of sound, the game isn't that impressive, unfortunately. The soundtrack in the single-player campaign is pretty decent and benefits from the use of several licensed songs, but in the multiplayer things are pretty much drowned out by the constant radio chatter.
Voice acting is decent, with special props going to Michael K. Williams, who plays Irish, one of your squadmates from Tombstone.
Conclusion
Battlefield 4 is a great evolution of the series, managing to bring back classic elements, like the Commander mode, and combine them with new mechanics, like Levolution, to create an impressive multiplayer experience. While the single-player story isn't that great and the actual gameplay has some drawbacks, the game's online mode more than makes up for it.
