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Battlefield 4

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Battlefield 4
Developer(s)EA Digital Illusions CE
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
SeriesBattlefield
EngineFrostbite 3[6][7]
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Xbox 360
Xbox One[8]
Release
  • First month 2014
  • Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

    PlayStation 4

    • NA: November 15, 2013
    • EU: November 29, 2013
    • BRA: November 29, 2013

    Xbox One

    • November 22, 2013
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Battlefield 4 (also known as BF4) is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE) and published by Electronic Arts. The game is a sequel to 2011's Battlefield 3. The game will be released on October 29, 2013 in North America, October 31, 2013 in Australia and Japan, and November 1, 2013 in Europe for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.[7][8][2][1]

Gameplay

Battlefield 4 features several changes compared to its predecessor. The game's heads-up display is much the same, composed of two compact rectangles. The lower left-hand corner features a mini-map and compass for navigation, and a simplified objective notice above it; the lower right includes a compact ammo counter and health meter. The mini-map, as well as the main game screen, shows symbols marking three kinds of entities: blue for allies, green for squadmates, and red/orange for enemies.[9][10][11]

Players can now use dual-scoped weapons, including weapons with different firing modes (e.g. single shots, automatic fire). They can now "spot" targets—marking their positions to the player's squad— in the single player campaign (a first in the Battlefield franchise) as well as in multiplayer, allowing teammates to either suppress or eliminate them. In addition, players will have more survival capabilities, such as countering melee attacks from the front while standing or crouching, shooting with their sidearm while swimming, and diving underwater to avoid enemy detection. The single-player campaign will see the player using vehicles to quickly traverse mini-sandbox-style levels.[9][10]

Multiplayer

The new Commander Mode interface in Battlefield 4, showing an overhead view of the map "Siege of Shanghai"

Battlefield's multiplayer has been confirmed to contain 3 playable factions; U.S., China and Russia and up to 64 players on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Also confirmed is the return of the "Commander Mode" last seen in Battlefield 2, which gives select players an RTS-like view of the entire map and the ability to give orders to teammates. Also, the Commander can observe the battle through the eyes of the players on the battlefield, deploying vehicle and weapon drops to "keep the war machinery going", and ordering in missile strikes and such on hostile targets (as long as at least one friendly player can see the target).[12][13] A spectator mode has also been confirmed, enabling players to spectate each other in first or third person, as well as the use of a free camera to pan around the map from any angle.

File:Battlefield 4 - Levolution - Siege of Shanghai - Skyscraper Collapsing.jpg
The skyscraper in "Siege of Shanghai" as it collapses. These Levolution events alter the map in many ways, depending on "how [the players] affect the world, and the world affects [them] back."[14]

On June 10, 2013, at E3, DICE featured the map "Siege of Shanghai", pitting the People's Liberation Army against the U.S. Marine Corps. The gameplay showcased Commander Mode; new weapons and vehicles; and the "Levolution" gameplay mechanic. The video displays the last of these at various points, including: a player destroying a support pillar to trap an enemy tank above it; and a large skyscraper (with an in-game objective on the top floor) collapsing in the center of the map, kicking up a massive dust cloud throughout the map and bringing the objective closer to ground level.[11][14] Levolution also includes effects such as shooting a fire extinguisher to fill the room with obscuring clouds, car alarms going off when stepped on, metal detectors going off once passed through, or cutting the power in a room to reduce others' visibility.[14][15]

A complete list of the multiplayer maps was also revealed on September 27, 2013, on a blog post by EA, where the base game of Battlefield 4 will have ten maps. The maps included in the main game are "Siege of Shanghai, Paracel Storm, Zavod 311, Lancang Dam, Flood Zone, Rogue Transmission, Hainan Resort, Dawnbreaker, Operation Locker and Golmud Railway".[16][17] New and re-appearing game modes were also announced on the same day on a blog post by DICE, that "all modes will be playable on all maps".[18] The game modes on offer include Battlefield's Conquest, Domination and Rush; while adding two new game modes called "Obliteration and Defuse", along with traditional game modes such as Team Deathmatch and Squad Deathmatch.[17][18]

In another blog post by DICE, the four kits from Battlefield 3 will be returning with new enhancements and abilities. The Assault kit now has a limited number of revives and must wait for his defibrillator to recharge before reviving another player. The Engineer kit now uses PDWs, as carbines are now available to all kits, in addition the kit has access to the new remote mortar and the XM25 allowing for indirect suppressive fire. The Recon kit is now far more mobile and is able to equip carbines and C4. Sniping mechanics are also enhanced with the ability to zero in your sights (set an aiming distance), and equip more optics and accessories than previous Battlefield games. The Recon kit is still able to utilize the MAV, T-UGS, and the Radio Beacon.[19][20][21][22]

New vehicles have also been introduced. With the addition of the Chinese faction, new vehicles include the Type 99 MBT, the ZFB-05 Armored Car, and the Z-10W Attack Helicopter. Jets have also been rebalanced and put into two classes, "Attack" and "Stealth". The Attack jets focus is mainly air to ground capabilities, while the Stealth jets focusing mainly on air to air combat.

Customization has also been heavily improved in Battlefield 4, with all new camos available for every gun. A new "adaptive" camo is also being introduced that can adapt the camo to the map being played without the player having to change camos every game. Camos can now be applied to Jets, Helicopters, and Tanks.

The second expansion pack, "Second Assault", has four maps from "Battlefield 3", re-imagined for Frostbite 3.

Plot

Battlefield 4's single-player campaign takes place in 2020, six years after its predecessor. Tensions between Russia and the United States are running at a record high, due to a conflict that has been running for the past six years. On top of all this, China is also on the brink of war as Admiral Cheng, plans to overthrow China's current government, if successful, the Russians will have full support from the Chinese, bringing China into a war with the United States. The player controls Sgt. Daniel Recker, a member of a US special operations squad callsigned "Tombstone".[23] His teammates include squad leader SSgt. Dunn, second-in-command SSgt. Kimble "Irish" Graves, and Marine Combat Lifesaver Clayton "Pac" Pakowski.[9][24] Later in the Campaign, a CIA field operative named Laszlo W. Kovic joins Tombstone.[24] The player will also meet Huang "Hanna" Shuyi, a female American soldier of Chinese descent.[25][26][27][28]

The Battlefield 4 gameplay reveal trailer features footage from the prologue mission "Fishing in Baku", where Tombstone Squad, carrying intelligence from a defecting Russian general, escapes from Baku, Azerbaijan with Russian special forces in hot pursuit.[9][10] Afterwards, Tombstone squad is sent on a covert mission to Shanghai, to rescue a group of VIP´s, Kovic among them.[10] Another revealed mission, "Angry Sea", shows Recker, Irish, Pac, and Kovic trying to escape from a sinking aircraft carrier en route to Singapore with more intel, while fighting off Chinese forces.[29][30] The campaign's main plot involves American implication in the assassination of China's future leader and "voice of peace", Jin Jié, and the threat of a third world war between the United States, China, and Russia.[24][31]

Development

Official system requirements[32]
Minimum Recommended
Microsoft Windows
Operating system Microsoft Vista SP2 32-bitWindows 8 64-bit
CPU Intel Core 2 Duo or Athlon X2Intel Quad-Core or six-core AMD
Memory 4GB8GB
Free space 30 GB of free hard disk space
Media 8x or faster CD/DVD drive
Graphics hardware GeForce 8800 GT or Radeon HD 3870, 512MB VRAM with at least DirectX 10.1 support.Nvidia GTX 660 or Radeon HD 7870, 3GB VRAM with DirectX 11 support.
Sound hardware DirectX 10, capable Sound Card.
Network Broadband required for gameplay.
Input device(s) Keyboard and Mouse or Controller.

Electronic Arts president Frank Gibeau confirmed the company's intention to release a sequel during a keynote at the University of California where he said "There is going to be a Battlefield 4".[33] Afterwards, an EA spokesperson told IGN: "Frank was speaking broadly about the Battlefield brand—a brand that EA is deeply passionate about and a fan community that EA is committed to." On the eve of Battlefield 3's launch, EA Digital Illusions CE told Eurogamer it was the Swedish studio's hope that it would one day get the opportunity to make Battlefield 4. "This feels like day one now," executive producer Patrick Bach said. "It's exciting. The whole Frostbite 2 thing has opened up a big landscape ahead of us so we can do whatever we want."[34]

Battlefield 4 is built on the new Frostbite 3 engine. The new Frostbite engine enables more realistic environments with higher resolution textures and particle effects. A new "networked water" system is also being introduced, allowing all players in the game to see the same wave at the same time.[7] Tessellation has also been overhauled. An Alpha Trial commenced on June 17, 2013 with invitations randomly emailed to Battlefield 3 players the day prior. The trial ran for two weeks and featured the Siege of Shanghai map with all of its textures removed, essentially making it a "whitebox" test.[7]

Due to mixed reception of the two-player Co-op Mode in Battlefield 3, DICE decided to omit the mode from Battlefield 4 to focus on improving both the campaign and multiplayer components instead.[8][10][35]

AMD and DICE have partnered for AMD's Mantle API to be used on Battlefield 4. This will allow for a boost in performance on AMD graphic cards allowing a higher level of hardware-optimized performances than is possible with OpenGL or DirectX.[36]

DICE have released an Open Beta for the game and is available on Windows, Xbox 360 and PS3 and features the game-modes Domination and Conquest which are playable on the map Siege of Shanghai. Open beta started on October 4, 2013 and ended on October 15, 2013.[37]

Marketing

File:Battlefield 4 gamescom 2013 cologne germany.jpg
A Battlefield 4 demo at Gamescom 2013 in Cologne, Germany

In March 2013, Electronic Arts opened the Battlefield 4 website with three official teasers, entitled "Prepare 4 Battle". Each hints at three kinds of battlespace: air, land and sea.[38] EA then continued to release teaser trailers leading up to the unveiling of Battlefield 4 at the Game Developers Conference on March 26, 2013.[39] The following day, Battlefield 4's first gameplay trailer, which doubled as a showcase for the Frostbite 3 engine[9] was released. Shortly thereafter, EA listed the game for pre-order on Origin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360; however, EA excluded any mention of the next generation consoles.

In July 2012, Battlefield 4 was announced when EA advertised on their Origin client that those who pre-ordered Medal of Honor: Warfighter (either Digital Deluxe or the limited edition) would receive early access to the Battlefield 4 beta, this has since been expanded to include any Battlefield 3 Premium owners, and any Origin users who pre-purchase Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe Edition.[40][41] Although players who qualify for access in more than one way will only be granted one beta pass for their account and is non transferable to other players. The "Exclusive" beta started on October 1, 2013, with the open beta that went live on 4th of October. The beta will be on three platforms, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 and will be featuring the Siege of Shanghai map on the Conquest game mode.[42]

DICE revealed more Battlefield 4 content in the E3 2013 event at June 10, 2013, such as multiplayer modes, and allowed participants to play the game at the same event.[43] More information was released at Gamescom 2013 in Cologne, Germany, such as the "Paracel Storm" multiplayer map and Battlefield 4 Premium. Battlefield 4 Premium includes five digital expansion packs featuring new maps and in-game content. Two-weeks early access to all expansion packs. Personalization options including camos, paints, emblems, dog tags and more. Priority position in server queues. Weekly updates with new content. Double XP events, 12 Battle Packs. Battle Packs are digital packages that Battle Packs contain a combination of new weapon accessories, dog tags, knives, XP boosts, and character customization items, three are included with all pre-orders of the Origin Digital Deluxe edition. The service will also transfer your Premium membership from Xbox 360 to Xbox One or PS3 to PS4. Premium membership pre-orders stared the day the service was announced (August 21, 2013). DICE has also announced that if you purchase the game for a current generation system (PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360) you will be able to trade it in for a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One version of the game for as little as $10. Additionally all PlayStation 3 and 4 copies will include a code in the box to redeem a digital copy on the PlayStation Store.

Due to poor reception from gamers, on May 30, 2013, EA discontinued the online pass for all current and future EA games including Battlefield 4.[44]


References

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  15. ^ "Ask DICE: Battlefield 4 – Levolution and Commander Mode". Fird96 asked, "Will other maps have their own "special" Levolution? Will there be the same Levolution (falling building) or different Levolution in other maps?"
    Yes, Levolution occurs on every map. Some things are massive like reducing a skyscraper to rubble or flooding an entire level in real-time. Others are small but hugely impact the game like shooting fire extinguishers to distract enemies or cutting the power of a building to blind opponents.
    If you haven't seen the Paracel Storm map we unveiled at Gamescom we encourage you to do so. There you can see how players have the option of taking down a turbine weakened by lightning in order to free the damaged destroyer stuck on it. If you manage to set the destroyer adrift, it will crash onto the island, changing the layout of the map and allowing your team to take control of the anti-air weapons on the ship.
    These moments are all triggered by the players – they aren't just timed moments that will happen no matter what you do in the match. You and your teammates will have to decide if it would be a better tactical decision to radically change the map, or if it would be wiser and better for your play-style if you stopped the other team from triggering these events.
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  18. ^ a b [DICE] H Brun (September 27, 2013). "The Road to Battlefield 4: Every Game Mode Revealed". Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  19. ^ "Battlefield 4 – Random Map Exploration of Shanghai Gameplay". YouTube. GameSpot. June 12, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
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  25. ^ whatsupdog (August 1, 2013). "High-Resolution Battlefield 4 Tombstone Squad Character Renders and Fishing in Baku Concept Art". Lightning Gaming News. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
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  27. ^ "Xbox Consoles News: New Battlefield 4 single player trailer punches a dog in the face - Xbox 360 - The Official Magazine". Oxm.co.uk. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  28. ^ "Battlefield 4: Official Single Player Story Trailer". YouTube. Electronic Arts. October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013. Hanna: [arguing with Irish, who doesn't trust her] What is your problem? You don't like having a woman in your squad? / Irish: I don't have a problem with women; I've got a problem with liars!
  29. ^ "Battlefield 4: Official "Angry Sea" Single Player Gameplay Video". YouTube. Electronic Arts. June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013. Unknown Speaker: Clock's ticking on the Titan. I need eyes on board before she's lost forever to the deep blue. Now there's a number of variables at play; we don't know who attacked them, or if they'll be back. We can't afford any surprises. … I'll make room for any survivors.
  30. ^ Strickland, Derek. "Delving into Battlefield 4's marine combat with "Angry Sea" E3 demo". VR-Zone. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  31. ^ "New Battlefield 4 campaign info emerges". July 24, 2013.
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  35. ^ "Battlefield 4 Levolution". Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  36. ^ Chacos, Brad (September 27, 2013). "AMD's low-level Mantle graphics could mean big things for PC gaming". pcworld.com. pcworld. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  37. ^ "Battlefield 4 Beta Information". October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  38. ^ "Battlefield 4 teaser trailer 'Prepare for Battle: Air'". March 25, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  39. ^ "Battlefield 4: 60 Second TV Spot". YouTube. Electronic Arts. April 16, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
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  41. ^ "Battlefield 4 retailer image shows October 31 release". gamespot.com. GameSpot. April 25, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
  42. ^ "Battlefield 4 Beta". Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  43. ^ Galang, Gilda (May 30, 2013). "Battlefield 4 Multiplayer at E3 2013". International Business Times. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  44. ^ "Online Pass has been discontinued, and its requirement for older games will be eliminated.|EA Help". help.ea.com. May 30, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
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