Battlefield 1 Review

Remember when military games were the biggest ticket in the game industry? Lately, shooters have offered a more casual gaming experience with the rise of the battle royale genre ─ games like Fortnite and Apex Legends have become the trending standard. Thankfully, amidst the saturation of war-shooters and the battle royale games of today, Battlefield 1 feels like a unique and worthwhile experience.

2016 saw a shift in the first-person shooter genre. Shooters no longer relied on the war theaters of old. Overwatch offered a colorful yet competitive superhero-themed experience. The Doom reboot turned up the violence and brutality to give players a nostalgic, arcade experience. Even staples like Call of Duty and Halo took cues from newcomers like Titanfall, turning futuristic virtual combat into a fast-paced ballet of parkour and action.

Meanwhile, Battlefield 1 does the opposite. Not only does it strive to recreate the horrors of combat, but it goes back in time to explore World War I, something rarely adapted in the medium.

Gritty Atmosphere

Battlefield 1 flaunts a gritty atmosphere with gorgeous visuals and sound design that still hold up today. The World War I setting helps the aesthetic shine, too. There isn’t any future technology here. Instead, the historic weaponry and muddy trenches lend a sense of realism to the game’s combat that isn’t found in similar titles of the time.

In-game models scream as they charge and call out to each other in terror. Battles are filled with photorealistic smoke and particle effects. Fire, sparks, and dirt kicking up from the ground keeps firefights feeling intense. These features, alongside Battlefield’s trademark destructible environments and grand orchestral scores, make battles feel immersive and dynamic.