Copyright manchestereveningnews
As a gamer who grew up playing Battlefield 3 and kickstarted his career with 4, it's been almost heart breaking to see the iconic shooter series take misstep after misstep. From the identity crisis of Battlefield V to the disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042, it's no wonder that EA has poured almost everything it maximising the chances of Battlefield 6 landing favourably among fans. Four studios, one extremely decorated franchise lead and god only knows how much cash later, the latest iteration of the Battlefield series is here. Playing things extremely safe, DICE and its supporting studios has stripped this formula back to what makes this series great - tight gunplay, essential teamplay mechanics and mightily impressive destruction. Ten years ago, this sheltered approach have been the nail in the coffin for a lot of game franchises. Going up against Call of Duty, Fortnite and the rest of the time-suck live service titles in 2025? It's the best thing EA has done in years. The biggest boon of Battlefield 6 's 'back to basics' approach is the return to the beloved class system. Separated out into Assault, Engineer, Support and Recon, each class has its own gameplay archetype that's good at somethings and less so at others. For example, the Assault class is what you'd pick to play aggressively, creating new routes with the deployable ladder or healing up quickly with a shot of adrenaline in the field. Meanwhile, the Support class now holds the defibrillators for reviving dead teammates, as well as the combined support pack for replenishing both health and ammo to surrounding teammates. These core classes build out the structure for Battlefield 6 's squads, which are made even better when played among a bunch of like-minded mates. Executing game plans to take control of Conquest capture points with co-ordinated comms and teamplay feels just as satisfying as it did during the good old days of Battlefield 3, showing just how little the magic has worn off. I do wish that DICE would commit to the closed weapon system of old, though. Previous class systems worked because classes had weak points - Recon's were usually naff in close quarters, and Assault players had no defence against armoured tanks. Now that all classes can use all weapons, there are very few scenarios where each class doesn't feel at least a little bit capable. That said, I haven't felt like there's one class that fits the 'jack of all trades' moniker, and having all weapons available at all times does make the XP grind much easier for live service addicts. A surprising highlight is the new Escalation mode which adds a fun twist to Conquest that periodically removes a capture point, ratcheting up the tension as the chaos becomes increasingly centred in fewer hot spots. Taking around 20 minutes per match, I really enjoyed how this mode eases players into the action, with tactics taking a priority to begin before the closing minutes descend into a mad scramble for victory. Tactics can only get players so far with a good handle on gunplay also necessary to win matches. The Battlefield 6 weapon handling feels as good as it ever has with each armament feeling distinct from one another. A deep customisation system allows unique builds to be crafted with hundreds if not thousands of variations possible through the extensive number of unlockable attachments. A well laid-out menu makes it super easy to see how each adjustment affects the handling, with a training zone accessible to the tangible benefits after each tweak. For the most part, all nine of the maps available at launch are a joy to play. Mirak Valley and Siege of Cairo are two highlights, each providing all-out warfare while providing a range of both open and urban environments. Adding Operation Firestorm in there as a tasteful call back to Battlefield 3 and 4 is much appreciated, fuelling that nostalgia fire even further. More classics maps are no doubt in the works, but with the new original additions to the roster, it's clear that DICE hasn't forgotten how to make a good map. I'd also like to take a moment to mention plenty of the small details that have made digging into Battlefield 6 multiplayer a joy so far. Dragging while reviving works flawlessly, and makes a huge different to the amount of times I feel like I'm getting revived - the days of watching a nearby medic refuse to get you back into the fray are almost behind us. I hugely appreciate the detailed graphic that displays the amount of damage dealt between players upon death, and the super fast turnaround time between finishing one match and starting another. The developer has also gone to great lengths to build out an extensive list of accessibility features, making this Battlefield game as playable as possible for those with both visual and aural disabilities. Although it feels wrong to give credit for the absolute bare minimum, Battlefield 6 has to be praised for how flawlessly it seems to just... work. Aside from the initial server queue fiasco, I've experienced no dropped servers, very short queue times, a single crash to desktop (which was my own fault), and barely a frame drop below 100fps on a PC I bought four years go. What's more, the multiplayer feels like a very complete package with nine maps that all feel distinct from one another, plus a plethora of modes that cater to a wide variety of playstyles. Battlefield 6 regularly gave me that 'one more match' feeling, before realising that swapping from Conquest to Rush scratched an itch that turned one extra match into several. If there's one area that's taking some getting used to, it's the progression system. New weapons are unlocked gradually as part of the level progression, but unlocks do seem to arrive quite slowly - even after pouring ten hours into the game, I'm still stuck with two assault rifles out of eight at my disposal. While this is a bit of a culture shock as someone who remembers having the entire Battlefield 4 arsenal unlocked inside a couple of weeks, I think the slower progression speaks more to EA's confidence in the legs of BF6. Progression is stretched out just enough to give a small amount of grind, exemplified by the challenges that provide meaningful hoops to jump through to unlock particular weapons, and it makes unlocking those rarer weapons all the more satisfying for doing so. Despite the launch package already feeling sizeable, it's only three short weeks until the first seasonal content arrives, adding even more maps, modes and weapons to get to grips with. It's a stark contrast from the absolutely barren state that Battlefield 2042 launched in that I almost feel like a kid in a candy shop with BF6 - you hardly know where to start. There's also a campaign sidled in amongst this content offering, but it's not something I'd be rushing to play immediately. It ultimately serves to set the narrative backdrop of the multiplayer, with a fuzzily-defined paramilitary organisation sweeping across the globe and butting heads with NATO. Each mission tends to highlight one or two key gameplay aspects that Battlefield is known for. Highlights included storming the beachfront of Gibraltar in a tank, or providing covering sniper fire for your squad from above. However, most of the missions can be boiled down to running down streets and corridors while peppering the same bland enemy models with bullets as you make your way to rendezvous point after rendezvous point. The latter few missions do open up the environments a tad, but with few major set pieces to speak of, it leaves the Battlefield 6 campaign feeling like a product of an era we've long since evolved from. As cold as I might be on the mode, I don't think it detracts from the main event in the slightest. The vast majority of players could only engage in the Battlefield 6 multiplayer and never feel like they've been short changed by ignoring the campaign entirely - the package is that good. Battlefield 6 reminds me of what multiplayer shooters can be at their best. It's a meaningful reimagination of what makes Battlefield tick, and it's clear that immense effort has gone into not only making a game that works well, but one that fans will really want to stick with for the long run. The single player mode is disappointing to the point where it might as well not be there - but anyone who says they're buying this game for the campaign is a liar. The core multiplayer offering is exciting, bombastic, and a respectable take on how to pull off a live service game in 2025. I was hesitant to call it at first, but the first few days of Battlefield 6 's launch has all but confirmed it - Battlefield is SO back. Reviewed on PC. Code provided by PR. Battlefield 6 is available on PC , PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It can be purchased for £43.42 at Argos by creating a new TopCashback account using our unique link . Shoppers who create a brand new account with TopCashback will be rewarded with a £15 cashback bonus on their purchase. That takes the effective price of Battlefield 6 from £58.99 down to £43.42 once the money makes its way back to your account.
