Battlefield 2042 has suffered a gigantic loss of players since its release. But our shooter expert remains faithful to the game – why?
I’m afraid this article is going to face a lot of headwind. With my preference for Battlefield 2042, I’m alone on the editorial floor, and not only there. Even my friends avoid the shooter like a ball pit with a shark warning.
And I promise: There is no tendency to self-flagellation in me, I actually have great fun with Battlefield 2042! In the meantime, the once disastrously released game is even in a technical state that comes close to an acceptable release version.
Please don’t misunderstand: I’m still pissed, but for five reasons I’m still keeping faith with Battlefield 2042.
1. it’s “my” Battlefield
No, I don’t mean that Battlefield 2042 creates a more intimate feeling because there are only a few thousand Steam players active. Also true. Knowing you’re playing with people who doggedly play through it like I do is oddly uplifting. Those who play now like the game. So do I. We understand each other.
Whoever is playing with me now can understand my sorrow. We share feelings, we’ve weaved our way through the tough early stages despite all the bugs, and we’re still holding the fort here. That creates a curious sense of togetherness.
Besides, I belong to the obscure target group that 2042 seems to be aiming at: it just picks me up in terms of setting and presentation. One trailer was enough and my mouse finger slipped over the buy button for the Ultimate Edition. Of course, I didn’t know then that the paid new content would still be a good six months away.
During the beta, I was so excited that I didn’t care much about all the problems (poor performance, lack of polishing, …). I was just happy to play a modern, new Battlefield.
2. I like most of the design decisions
Too big maps, too many players per match, specialists instead of classes: The Battlefield community was already fundamentally annoyed with the direction DICE was taking with 2042. Too few old Battlefield virtues, too many newfangled experiments, that’s the general thrust of the critics.
On the other hand, the specialists don’t bother me at all in the gameplay. Only the slogans at the end of a game are annoying. Rarely have I experienced such an absurd tone: the world is in ruins, there’s war everywhere, but of course everyone has a snappy saying on their lips.
In normal gameplay, on the other hand, I hardly notice the difference to soldier classes. Even in Battlefield 4 and its classes, a colleague with healing or an ammunition box was missing here and there. And in both Battlefield 4 and 2042, every now and then my character bleeds to death at the feet of a distracted medic.
3rd update 4.0 brought technical redemption
Finally I can fully engage in the game without getting annoyed all the time. Remember the unspeakable twitching and glitching at every turn, the annoying bugs and crashes, the weapon balance from hell? But DICE has worked on numerous bugs and errors, smoothed out the weapons and much more. The few thousand remaining players notice this today in a smoother game experience.
The latest update, 4.0, was a gigantic patch with bug fixes, optimisations and comfort improvements. Of course I had to try it out myself. And indeed! From the very first moment, one sentence came to mind: If Battlefield 2042 had been released like this, we would now have a happier community. Unfortunately, it’s not – and the cold shoulder of the disappointed fans is probably the just receipt. But it hurts me, because it is Battlefield after all!
4. Battlefield 2042 is really fun for me
If you can somehow bring yourself to do so: go see the game for yourself. Meanwhile, the overall vision behind Battlefield 2042 is coming across better. What excited me in the beta: The sense of movement provided by the dual sprint speeds, the satisfying gunplay, and the “signature Battlefield moments” that PR keeps referring to. I crawl a few centimetres to the side so that the jeep rolls smoothly over me instead of running me over. Olé. Something like that.
That intensity in big battles when dozens of you defend an objective point tooth and nail while the enemy team throws everything at you. That’s what made Battlefield great. I sincerely hope the brand can recover from the release fiasco.
And yet, even the little bit of progression that’s already present in Battlefield 2042 can keep specs like me busy for hundreds of hours. Provided you belong to the rare breed that likes to display fancy black and red icons on your profile picture. It’s only virtual junk, but damn hard to get. I do!
There I develop a strange attachment to my skin for the M5A3 assault rifle that I have experienced so much with. Simply because it lacks cosmetic content. So for me, necessity becomes a virtue.
So I set my own goals when I’ve been playing Specialist Falck for 80 hours in order to eventually get that black and red symbol for my profile. And well, I’m enjoying the game, so the time doesn’t feel wasted either. More like a bonus: In my head cinema, potential Season 1 returnees then recognise me as a lost cause. And dedicated Medic. I wish.
5. I don’t hold grudges
Yes, I, like most gamers, was beastly upset about Battlefield 2042. A game advertised as a AAA shooter by one of the biggest publishers in the world just can’t be thrown on the market half a year before completion. This is no way to treat loyal fans of a 20-year-old series. Reasons or not, that is my firm conviction.
But I don’t want to lose myself in cynicism. First and foremost, I’m interested in a good Battlefield. Without forgetting what happened, I want to look forward now. And I believe that Battlefield 2042 can become the game we were promised in the first trailer.
A bit of stubborn defiance is part of it too: I can now, with my bleached 120 marbles, finally have the fun I was promised at release. And I won’t let that be taken away from me!
On the other hand, I understand players who are turning their backs on Battlefield 2042 forever because of all the squabbles. I support this abundantly clear sign that such disastrous releases are unacceptable. But only as a passive spectator, because I am weak, like this game and will continue to play it.
Such long-held resentment is also just not healthy. So also for my own sake, I leave the anger behind, look to the future and play the damn Objective. Together with the few people who are also up for it.
