World War 3 doesn’t play as round as Battlefield 2042, but is still the better alternative

By
Thomas
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World War 3

We’ll explain why we’d rather spend our time in the shaky and bulky World War 3 than BF2042.

I’ll put it bluntly: I was actually hoping for more from the World War 3 reboot. After the multiplayer shooter became a spectacular debacle upon its original release in 2018, the developers promised not just improvements, but a turnaround.

World War 3 was supposed to be what many Battlefield fans had wanted for years: A multiplayer shooter with a modern setting, a large selection of weapons, huge maps, vehicles, teamwork – the whole nine yards. They wanted to listen to the community’s feedback, improve the sluggish movement, get the sound problems under control and finally do something about the lags.

First the bad news: I’m still missing a lot of this in the (still paid) beta of World War 3. The good news: In exactly this beta I currently experience more Battlefield than in Battlefield 2042.

Tune and texture

World War 3 hits the nail on my head as a Battlefield fan by atmospherically staging the tug-of-war for flag points with heaps of details: soldiers yell for ammunition or medkits in their respective languages, helmets fly through the air when I get hit in the head, my HUD flickers with enemy jammers and smoke grenades create realistic fog. World War 3 offers a grounded and authentic counter to the sterile scenario of Battlefield 2042.

But it’s not just the atmosphere that fits: the focus on teamwork and target objects makes for a nice flow to the game. Since I can spawn on any member of my squad and taking objectives is rewarded with masses of points, my group usually stays close together and cooperates instead of running around as loners or camping in corners. Troop carriers and jeeps are also justified on the sometimes gigantic maps.

In general, World War 3 rewards strategic team decisions: Since only two captured flags connected to each other give our team points, targeted attacks on key positions and patrols with teammates through captured territory are worthwhile.

This brings structure and clear front lines to the match and I always have an idea of where we are needed next. While in Battlefield 2042 everyone scurries around like an anthill and clogs everything up at bottlenecks, I can always manoeuvre sensibly on the maps in World War 3.

A dash of hardcore shooter

The gunfights themselves also feel tactical and challenging: Depending on the armour selected for my soldier, I’m out of the game after just one or two hits, but the weapons generate decent recoil and are difficult to control, especially in full-auto mode.

This makes both controlled bursts of fire and the use of the leaning function essential for survival: at the touch of a button, I peek out of cover to the left or right, as in Rainbow Six: Siege, and cover important lines of sight or deliver barrage fire. You can even look around the barrel:

Using the spotting function, I pass on important observations to my team, call in drones for enemy reconnaissance or mark the next mission target as squad leader. Since friendly fire is always activated, I should also think carefully about where I throw my grenades or whether there might be allies where we are about to place the artillery.

By the way, a similar amount of thought should go into the loadout, because World War 3 does without classes and instead gives me full control over my kit: Do I risk being faster but more vulnerable with light Kevlar? Is a secondary red-dot sight worth it, so that my sniper rifle can also do some good in close combat? Do I pack an alternative grip for the machine gun in my rucksack so that I can change it in the field? Do I spend earned points to call up a tank or a Predator drone? World War 3 is crammed with options, equipment and more attachments than I feel I will ever unlock in my lifetime.

On top of that, there are countless uniform details such as helmets, camouflage patterns or insignia – all authentic and without fantasy frills. I can even customise the origin and language of my soldier myself! In terms of scope, Battlefield 2042 can and must simply step aside appreciatively here. Here you can see how extensive the equipment is in WW3:

Dangerous Construction Site

You can already tell: World War 3 is ambitious to no end! And that’s exactly what doesn’t always do the game any good. This is especially noticeable in the movement and animations: Whereas Battlefield 2042 runs buttery smooth thanks to the Frostbite engine and experienced developers, in World War 3 I repeatedly get stuck in the geometry or can’t climb over waist-high obstacles, while a colleague next to me overcomes a two-metre-high wall while playing. Movement sequences such as reloading or lying down also often look stiff and unnatural.

In addition, there is the still problematic sound design. I have to admit that I was already on the verge of despair, because enemy footsteps constantly sound as if they are coming from a floor above me – until I am suddenly surprised again from behind. Sometimes even an enemy tank turns the corner silently, without even suspecting anything. Sucks! In addition, there are annoying little things like the fiddly menu navigation or the regularly occurring lags despite a stable internet connection.

In many places you can tell that World War 3 was developed on a smaller budget than Battlefield or Call of Duty and by a team that is not particularly experienced in multiplayer. After all, with Get Even and Chernobylite, The Farm 51 have delivered good but manageable single-player projects so far! Battlefield 2042 can be criticised for a lot, but the great effects, buttery smooth animations and rich sounds are evidence of a high degree of “polish”, as the developers say.

By the way, in our report at GlobalESportNews we look into the question: Did the (negative Steam reviews hurt BF2042)? The bottom line is that World War 3 is technically no match for Battlefield – and still a serious threat! Already, the player numbers of both titles are almost equal on Steam:

The reason for this is simple: World War 3 delivers exactly what Battlefield fans are missing in many places: A modern-military setting with a gritty scenario without inappropriate specialists, a large weapon selection without fat balance blunders, a pleasant game flow without frustrating bottle necks.

That may not yet be enough to buy one of the expensive closed beta packages. But by the Free2Play launch of World War 3 at the latest, the Battlefield brand will definitely have to dress warmly!