Battlefield Hardline Review (PC)

Battlefield games have delivered some pretty impressive shooter experiences over the years, pitting against one another massive armies in all sorts of situations, from World War II, to the present, to even the future.

Now, with Battlefield Hardline, the series is going through some big changes, as this is the first title from studio Visceral Games, and it changes the core conflict, from army vs. army to cops vs. criminals.

With a bigger emphasis on story, more imaginative multiplayer modes besides the classic Conquest or Team Deathmatch, and a fresh team at the helm of the whole project, Hardline certainly looks to be one of the freshest shooters in the series, not to mention of the year.

Does Battlefield Hardline deliver on all of its promises or should we go soft on it? Let's find out.

Story

Battlefield Hardline focuses on cops vs. criminals and this new core conflict has allowed Visceral Games to bring forth a much more ambitious single-player story campaign that's modeled after cop dramas we see on TV, from Law & Order, to CSI, and much more.

You play as Nick Mendoza, a young up and coming detective in Miami who has to deal with corrupt colleagues, ambitious drug dealers, and all sorts of other situations throughout the 10-episode story series, and its prologue.

The plot certainly blends together some of the clichés already seen in TV shows based on cops, but it does manage to throw in a few interesting moments. Some characters are pretty well written but others end up as caricatures or one-sided.

Unfortunately, while the emphasis on TV drama is all well and good, it also translates in a few lengthy cut scenes and passive moments that draw out the action and might annoy those who are looking to jump into some firefights and gain some experience before jumping into the multiplayer mode altogether.

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Gameplay

Battlefield Hardline is a Battlefield game first of all, meaning you'll get access to all sorts of realistic weapons that behave in an accurate manner, as well as to various gadgets, from grappling hooks, to zip lines, not to mention tasers and various law enforcement equipment, besides the regular military gear.

This ensures that fans of the series feel right at home, but Hardline takes its cop portrayal seriously and allows in the story campaign for arrests and non-lethal takedowns.

“You can encounter up to three enemies, flash your badge, yell 'Freeze' and, for a short while, even the toughest and well-equipped foes stand still and allow you to slap the handcuffs.”

This whole mechanic, plus the pretty good stealth system that borrows from Metal Gear, Splinter Cell, or even Far Cry 4, makes the single-player campaign feel much more than a series of elaborated firefights. Levels and enemies are laid out in a way that allows players to go through them stealthily and without firing a single shot. Mechanics like throwing a bullet casing to distract the nearest foe, or alarm systems that need to be disabled in order to avoid enemy reinforcements, also help augment the whole experience.

Sure, Hardline is nowhere near the likes of a Metal Gear Solid game, but through careful and strategic thinking, you can ensure that Mendoza is a proud descendant of Solid Snake or Sam Fisher. Throw in the bonus rewards for arresting enemies, especially those with warrants, and there are many incentives to avoid firefights.

Even so, when such large scale brawls happen, you'll be able to hold your own and AI allies, which stay around you for quite a few sequences and can help even the odds.

Levels are designed quite well, and while some do feel linear, almost all include some large areas filled with enemies that require careful thinking or a lot of bullets to take down.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of different glitches in the single-player campaign. From enemies and allies that clip through walls or even vehicles, to pieces of the level that aren't actually rendered. In one chase sequence, the highway that we were supposed to be driving on never loaded, while in an episode that focused on cruising around the Everglades in a boat, many docks were invisible. There were also lengthy loading times that are masked by doors that won't open as soon as you reach them. As such, you're stuck until the game graciously allows you to press E and open the door.

Use your badge in Hardline

Multiplayer

Of course, one of the main aspects of any Battlefield game is the multiplayer mode. As always, there are classic modes, such as Conquest or Team Deathmatch that any veteran knows by heart, but there are also quite a few all-new experiences that play to the strengths of the cops vs. criminals conflict.

One of the most accessible new modes is Hotwire, which is a rather nifty cousin to the classic Domination game type seen in past titles. Instead of occupying a certain area on the map, you have to get into a marked vehicle, whether it's a bike, car, van, or truck, and drive it around the level at high enough speeds in order to dwindle the supply of tickets from the enemy team. This can feel exhilarating, especially when you have team members in the vehicle, providing support or repairs on the fly.

Heist is an interesting all-new mode which, like its name suggests, sees criminals break into a vault and try to run away with bags of cash, while the cops stop them. Unfortunately, some maps for this mode are pretty convoluted, meaning finding the vault, to either rob or defend it, is a challenge in its own right.

Those who favor more balanced positions for the two factions can enjoy Blood Money. This mode sees cops and criminals target a single pile of loot and tasks them with retrieving as much cash back to their team's vault. Besides this rather basic goal, you can stop enemies from running away with the loot, and, more importantly, you can raid their vault, which adds a whole new element to the experience.

More hardcore players can enjoy Crosshair and Rescue, two 5v5 modes that eliminate respawns and task teams with different goals. Crosshair sees cops escort a VIP armed with extra armor and a golden gun, while criminals must take him down. Rescue is a hostage mode in which cops must save one of two civilians from the clutches of the criminals. Both modes are much more intense and the no-respawn limit encourages teamwork and careful play styles.

The multiplayer maps feel pretty good overall, but some are more fun than others, depending on the mode. However, the game manages to keep you into the experience by throwing all sorts of unlockable items, not to mention in-game cash, battlepacks, and more your way. Rewards are also offered to players no matter the role, so talented getaway drivers can earn quite a few points and give top fraggers a run for their money.

Hate it or love it, the Battlelog online experience is still mandatory, and even if it can give out errors from time to time, it ensures a decent multiplayer mode that isn't troubled by lag, at least so far, and is quite responsive, meaning you won't get killed by bullets that haven't even been loaded by the game.

Ride shotgun in Hotwire in Hardline

Visuals and Sound

Battlefield Hardline is a gorgeous game. Sure, it may have problems with loading pieces of the environment, but it still looks gorgeous, both in the single-player campaign as well as in the multiplayer modes. Even at less than Ultra settings, the title is a feast for the eyes and maintains a responsive framerate at all times.

The soundtrack is top notch, ranging from great orchestral scores, to awesome licensed tracks, such as KRS One's Sound of the Police. The voice acting is pretty good, but some of the responses from criminals while you're arresting them get recycled a lot.

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion

Battlefield Hardline is a fresh experience in the series that manages to pull off its novel concept of cops vs. criminals. It still has technical issues and the story may not be for everyone, but its multiplayer mode is a blast and, so far, isn't suffering from the many technical problems that affected past titles.

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