Battlefield V: Fire Storm – Finally battle royale in Battlefield
Long before Battlefield V appeared, it was already clear that the game would not have a battle royale mode at release. DICE had announced that the shooting game would eventually contain a variant of the popular subgenre, but only after the release. In November, we concluded that the game could actually use the extra back then. Not only because Battlefield V wasn’t exactly overflowing with content, but also because the missing battle royale mode was an “elephant in the room.” Every reviewer knew that it was not there yet and would come in March, but at the same time everyone was very curious about that addition.
A nice bonus is that all extra content is free. So you had to wait a while, but if you have Battlefield V, you now have a ‘free’ battle royale game. Whether it is also an immediate reason for gamers who do not yet have Battlefield V to buy the game remains to be seen. Firestorm clearly feels different from other battle royale games on some points, but at the same time does not seem to add much in terms of content. We therefore wonder whether Firestorm will be a keeper in the range of battle royale games.
Best battle royale game
In one area, DICE has already won the battle against other games in the subgenre. After all, there is no battle royale game as beautiful as Battlefield V. Halvøy, the peninsula on which all the action in Firestorm takes place, is beautifully designed and extremely versatile. The area is home to lakes, hills, villages, harbours, a dam and so on. As in other battle royale games, there are certain areas where you have a better chance of getting good loot, because of course in Firestorm you start with nothing but a knife and you have to collect your weapons and other equipment during the game.
Here we immediately find two important points with which Firestorm knows how to distinguish itself from other battle royale games. On the map you will find a number of small blimps hanging low. At certain moments, such a zeppelin rises somewhere in the playing field, as a sign that a strategic point has been created there. You can then take that strategic point with your team, similar to how it works with the flags in Conquest of Domination. If you have successfully conquered the point, extra good loot will be dropped on that spot. The disadvantage of an attempt to get hold of that loot is of course that other players also see where that strategic point is and can approach it. There is therefore always a trade-off between risk and reward.
Tanks in bunkers
We see that same consideration when getting hold of the best vehicles in the game. Normal jeeps, APCs and other light vehicles can be found in the area. However, heavier vehicles, such as tanks, are in bunkers. To get into a bunker you have to open two heavy wheel valves. That takes quite a lot of time. Even more annoying is that an alarm goes off as soon as you start opening it. All players in the area know that you are trying to get a tank. They will probably try to stop you, although it is of course not without risk for them. When they are too late, they suddenly come face to face with that tank.
The presence of those tanks can cause annoying situations, but we still do not find the game unbalanced. There are many anti-tank weapons to be found and the vehicles themselves also have a limited amount of fuel and ammunition. Although they can be supplemented, it is certainly not the case that you can smash everything haphazardly. Yet we have also experienced final phases where we were forced by the shrinking circle to move into an open area where a tank had free rein. It is clear that these are not the nicest moments in Firestorm, but it certainly adds an exciting element to the battle royale gameplay.
Why 64 players?
The strategic points and the way you earn heavy weapons and tanks are clear plus points for Firestorm. Unfortunately, there are also less positive sides. It is striking that DICE has opted for a maximum of 64 players, instead of the 100 you may be used to from other games in the subgenre. That seems to betray that the Swedish developer believes that a smaller number works better, but we do not agree with that reading. It happens all too often in Firestorm that you move through the game world on your own for quite a long time before you meet someone. In that sense, Firestorm moves a bit more towards the ‘flow’ of PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds, where the same problem occurs. Intuitively we say that it would have been more fun with 100 people instead of 64.
And then there’s the loot system. In Firestorm, as a player you choose a type of soldier, but that has no further consequences for your armor. As mentioned, you can simply find the stuff in the playing field. Firestorm only has a fairly cluttered system. Even after an update that added a somewhat clearer inventory screen, it is not optimal. For example, it is not always clear to us what we can and cannot do. Also inconvenient is that the armor plates always end up under a different button, depending on whether or not you had picked up other items first. Ideally, you always want to have those kinds of items, which are aimed at recovery, under the same button, so that you have them quickly when needed.
These flaws do not greatly hinder the fun of the game. The problem is more that we didn’t get too much fun out of the standard gameplay at all. Well, that may be a bit exaggerated: the action remains good, Battlefield V is a good game and Firestorm also benefits from that. It’s more that we find few decisive things in Firestorm that would pull us away from other battle royale games. For example, Apex Legends, which was released earlier this year, has better systems than Firestorm in several areas. In addition, Firestorm arrives late and starts behind. Where many longer-running battle royale games already have more maps, Firestorm only has one. In addition, it is not clear if, and if so when, DICE will add new elements to Firestorm.
Conclusion
For example, Firestorm has a number of nice elements that can ensure that gamers who already own Battlefield V will start the game again if they have dropped out in recent months. If you belong to that group, it would be a shame not to at least try this free new mode. If you haven’t bought the game yet, you may be wondering whether Firestorm is strong and unique enough to purchase Battlefield V for it. In our eyes, Apex Legends remains the smoothest and best-thought-out battle royale game out right now. Partly thanks to the audiovisual aspect, Firestorm is stronger than, for example, PUBG or Call of Duty’s Blackout, but not so much better that you would have to buy the game specifically for it. Firestorm is a nice addition to Battlefield V and the overall range of battle royale games,
Firestorm is an update to Battlefield V and therefore does not receive its own rating in the form of a grade. The November review of Battlefield V can be read here.