On October 4th, 2013, the beta for the popular first person shooter Battlefield 4 was released to the public. I got the chance to download and play the game on October 1st. I was both impressed and set back by some of the changes and visuals the beta presented.
The Battlefield series has always been known for its grand destruction and team based strategies and it hasn’t change in their newest game. With the help of the new Levolution being introduced, the ability to cause great damage to the battlefield has been enhanced, especially witnessing an entire skyscraper be reduced to dust. The sound design has also been improved making the guns sound even more visceral then before.
One problem however plaguing the new beta is the noticeable dip in graphics. While it is greatly understood that this is a beta that was created months before its release some people will find room to complain. I myself am very curious how not the current gen versions will look, but how the graphics will appear on the Xbox One and Playstation 4. The next gen version of Battlefield 4 will be released for PS4 on November 15th, and Xbox One on November 22nd.
One difference in the game from Battlefield 3 was the change of controls for the vehicles but for simple actions in the game. crouching and going prone is now done with the O and B buttons which is common for many first person shooters today. Getting out of vehicles now requires players to hold X, and vehicle controls are now relied on the analog controls.
Gameplay is fun and I can already predict how the action is going to increase on next-gen platforms, while the current-gen versions look to be impressive when the final game comes out and the graphics are set in stone for the environment.
