Battlefield V (2018 Video Game)
7/10
A Tapestry of War Stories with Mixed Realism and Gameplay Experiences
14 November 2023
Singleplayer Plot:

My Country Calling:

The prologue, following Battlefield 1's "Storm of Steel," comments on society's quick forgetfulness of the horrors of World War I. Serving as a tutorial, it introduces players to basic mechanics and sets the tone for war stories. Spanning various locations and characters, it starts with a British paratrooper in Narvik, a German tank commander in Tobruk, a Free French sniper at Kasserine Pass, a Bf 109 pilot in the Bombing of Hamburg, and a British machine gunner in the Final Defense at Nijmegen railway bridge.

War Stories: Under No Flag:

Set in 1942 during the North African campaign, the story follows William Sidney "Billy" Bridger, a convicted bank robber conscripted by the British army. He, along with George Mason, infiltrates North Africa to sabotage German airfields. Depicting the first SBS Operations in Libya and as part of the upcoming Operation Albumen.

Nordlys:

In 1943 during Operation Checkmate in Rjukan, Norway, the story revolves around Astrid, a Norwegian resistance soldier, and her daughter Solveig. A British commando unit, accompanied by Astrid, attempts to sabotage a German-occupied facility producing heavy water for nuclear research.

Tirailleur:

Set in 1944 after the Normandy landings, Senegalese Tirailleurs soldiers, including Deme Cisse and his older brother Idrissa, face discrimination from the French army. The story follows their struggle to gain recognition, culminating in a daring assault on a German position. Despite success, the Senegalese soldiers are forgotten, and Deme recounts the story in the present, expressing pride in their actions.

The Last Tiger:

In April 1945 during the encirclement of German Army Group B, veteran Tiger I commander Peter Müller and his crew defend the Ruhr against American forces. The narrative explores the crew's loyalty, disillusionment, and their ultimate fate.

Negative Aspects:

EA's venture into open-world gaming results in the opposing military in the game lacking situational awareness and communication. Actions like destroying a large enemy radar less than 1 km in direct view of an airfield do not trigger an alert at the airfield. This contributes to an overall more 'arcadey' tone, worsening the series' emphasis on the player and a small team winning the war, rather than a combined arms effort. This is somewhat countered by having multiple campaigns, as in BF1, but with the exception of "Tirraileur," you almost have no friendlies.

The anachronistic use of gear and optics is evident. The first reflex sight for a portable weapon, the Nydar, was patented and released in late September 1945, after the war had already ended. It was designed for hunting shotguns, was relatively expensive, somewhat fragile, and never gained widespread popularity.

Enemies in Battlefield 5 drop Universal Ammo, so you never worry about weapon/ammo compatibility.

Medics can revive enemies, even with HE shots to the head.

Positive Aspects:

Graphics.

Joke at the end of the first campaign.

All characters speak in their native language, with subtitles provided for the non-English speaking campaigns.

War Story "Tiralleur" tackles a point almost no one dares to speak of.

War Story about the German perspective.
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