Page 15 - overlock
P. 15






 new features like the much-touted   smaller numbers of players. Maps
 Levolution send the intensity level   are also once again destructible on a
 soaring to impressive new heights.  less significant scale, many of them
 Having maps that evolve as you   littered with smaller buildings and
 wage war on them has been a   foliage that can be torn to pieces.
 Battlefield staple since Bad Company,   As usual, theres a wide variety of
 but the scale of the destructibility has   vehicles with which to toy around on
 never been quite so imposing as it is   both land and sea, as well as in the air.
 here. Siege of Shanghai s crumbling   Theres a definite focus on improving
 skyscraper that was so heavily   water-borne vehicular combat, with
 featured in BF4s marketing push is   all-new heavily armed boats to use to
 obviously a particularly memorable   pummel the enemy along with small,
 exercise in Levolution, but other maps   nippy craft useful for zipping around
 feature everything from a collapsing   more water-centric maps. And while
 dam wall to an aircraft carrier that   we re on the subject, for the first time
 ploughs into an island. It s not only the   players are now able to draw their
 physical destruction that s pertinent   secondary weapon while swimming
 either  environmental effects   so that they re not completely
 dramatically alter the nature of maps   defenseless in the water. You re also
 as well. Flood Zones waters rise as   able to dive below the surface of the
 the map progresses, forcing the use   water to hide from enemies.
 of boats, while Paracel Storms calm   There are a couple of new
 seas become violent when a powerful   game modes to enjoy in BF4, and
 storm rolls in.  Obliteration is the standout mode.
 Even without the spectacle of   Obliteration sees a single bomb spawn
 Levolution, most of the maps are   between the two opposing teams,
 masterfully designed (with a few   and each team must vie for control of
 painful exceptions, as with any   it in order to deliver the bomb to key
 game), offering up a pleasing mix   enemy points to destroy them. It s a
 of opportunity for everything from   heavily mobile mode and the frontline
 the large-scale warfare of the   is constantly shifting, keeping the
 64-player matches that have become   fighting strongly concentrated around
 synonymous with Battlefield, to more   the bomb. The intensity of it suits
 intimate skirmishes between much   Battlefield perfectly.



                                              Previous games in the series      really empower the visuals, bringing
                                            have always had a strong focus on   this digital battleground to life in a
                                            teamwork, encouraging players       highly effective way. Unfortunately,
                                            to work together to overcome the    it s got its problems as well. By now
                                            enemy rather than facing the enemy   you ve probably heard that, at launch,
                                            solo. That s still very much the same   Battlefield 4 is a bit of a mess. It s
                                            case here, but that doesn t mean you   pretty shocking really. Audio randomly
                                            can t play the game as a lone wolf.   cuts out. Battlelog is still no fun to
                                            For those whod rather work with     work with. Crashes to desktop are
                                            others, teams are again divided into   commonplace. Still, its teething
                                            smaller squads. This time around,   problems don t change the fact that
                                            squads gain small bonuses when they   this is a brilliant, utterly absorbing
                                            perform particularly well together.   multiplayer game.
                                            Commander Mode returns from                            [Dane Remendes]
                                            Battlefield 2, putting certain players
                                            in charge of directing their teams
                                            efforts from an RTS-style aerial view.   Would you buy it?
                                            Commanders can call in support
                                            powers like supply drops and gunships     Yes. There s nothing
                                            that circle the sky and rain down fire    else out there that can
                                            on enemies. It s a worthwhile addition    match the large-scale
                                            to the game and a nice change of pace     multiplayer devastation
                                            for when the fighting on the ground       of Battlefield 4.
                                            gets too stressful.
                                              As we ve come to expect from DICE,     The Score
                                            the games an absolute technological
                                            powerhouse throughout. Not only
                                            are its Frostbite 3-powered visuals       8.5/10
                                            absolutely breathtaking, but the
                                            audio deserves a mention as well.
                                            The immersive sounds of the battle
 38   The OverClocker   Issue 27 | 2013                                                Issue 27 | 2013  The OverClocker  39
   10   11   12   13   14   15   16