In Its Ongoing War With Call of Duty, Battlefield Has an Ace Up Its Sleeve

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As someone who has been following and playing these iconic franchises since their early days, it’s been a rollercoaster ride watching both Battlefield and Call of Duty evolve over the years. While I’ve always appreciated the unique flair that each brings to the table, I must admit, I’ve missed the grandeur of large-scale battles that Battlefield used to offer.

The Battlefield series has been somewhat less prominent over the recent years, while it was once a fierce competitor to the consistently popular Call of Duty series. However, its more recent installments have experienced a decline in popularity. In contrast, the latest Call of Duty game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, has marked a significant comeback for the first-person shooter franchise after a relatively unsuccessful release with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

The next installment in the Battlefield series could definitely benefit from a strong comeback following the challenges faced by 2042, released in 2021. Despite initial troubles at launch and persistent problems as its player base has settled, the upcoming Battlefield game will need to make extra efforts to regain the confidence of dedicated fans. Fortunately, Electronic Arts (EA) and DICE have a unique approach they can adopt that sets this game apart from Call of Duty.

Battlefield Could Move Away From Where Call of Duty Went

Battlefield Larger War Emphasis Would Be A Change Of Pace From Call Of Duty

In contrast to the Call of Duty series, Battlefield has predominantly focused on portraying larger war and battle scenarios. Conversely, Call of Duty tends to concentrate on smaller-scale narratives with a stronger espionage and undercover theme. For instance, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, set during the Gulf War, is primarily an action-packed spy thriller that ventures beyond the confines of the war itself.

In contrast, Battlefield has generally stayed with traditional war narratives in its recent titles. The 2016 release, Battlefield 1, was set during World War I, and the 2018 edition, Battlefield 5, shifted to World War II. Given this, the focus of Battlefield on larger-scale battles and war narratives could make it a more conventional war shooter compared to how Call of Duty has evolved recently.

While Call Of Duty Experiments, Battlefield Could Stick To Convention

For a refreshing change, a “Battlefield” series that leans towards traditional gameplay could offer a new experience compared to “Call of Duty”. The campaign for “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” was unique due to its frequent shifts in gameplay and storytelling styles. However, the innovation presented in the “Black Ops 6” campaign doesn’t necessarily mean that traditional war stories in first-person shooters should be phased out altogether.

Over time, it’s fair to note that the “war theater” narratives in the popular game series, Call of Duty, have taken a backseat to Spec Ops and clandestine missions. Consequently, there’s an opening for a contemporary shooter game that emphasizes a unified warfighter narrative without overextending its stay in the marketplace. Such a change might breathe new life into the Battlefield series if they were to adopt this approach in their next campaign, considering that the franchise could benefit from a robust single-player mode, which was notably absent in Battlefield 2042.

The emphasis on extensive battlefields and war narratives in Battlefield makes it uniquely positioned to fill the gap as a traditional war-themed shooter, given that Call of Duty has lately veered away from this style.

Battlefield Could Fill A Void Larger Than Call Of Duty

It’d be great to see a traditional war-themed “Battlefield” narrative return, as many similar games from the same genre have faded away. The “Brothers in Arms” series hasn’t had a new game for more than a decade, and although there’s one in development, we don’t know when it will be released yet. Similarly, Electronic Arts’ war shooter “Medal of Honor” has been largely absent from the limelight for over a decade, leaving an even bigger gap that a new “Battlefield” game could potentially fill.

In light of the challenges faced by its recent release and the remarkable resurgence of Call of Duty, Battlefield could certainly benefit from a comeback with its next installment. Fortunately, Electronic Arts (EA) and DICE have a unique approach that sets a new Battlefield game apart from Activision’s shooter. By emphasizing massive battles over the more compact ones in Call of Duty, the upcoming Battlefield title might just be the breath of fresh air that EA’s first-person shooter series has been craving for.

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2024-12-28 02:53