Battlefield Hardline

Battlefield Hardline

Developer(s) Visceral Games
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Writer(s) Rob Auten
Tom Bissell
Composer(s) Paul Leonard-Morgan
Series Battlefield
Engine Frostbite 3
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Release date(s) NA March 17, 2015[2]
EU March 19, 2015[2]
UK March 20, 2015[2]
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Distribution Optical disc, download

Battlefield Hardline is a first-person shooter video game developed by Visceral Games in collaboration with EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in March 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Unlike the previous games in the Battlefield series, Hardline focuses on crime, heist and policing elements instead of military warfare.

Gameplay

The focus of the game is the "war on crime", breaking away from the military setting that hitherto characterized the series. As such, the main factions in Hardline are the police Special Response Units and criminals. Players will have access to various military-grade weapons and vehicles, such as the Lenco BearCat, as well as having police equipment such as tasers and handcuffs.[3]

Hardline also uses the Levolution mechanic from Battlefield 4. For example, in the map "Downtown" players can send a construction crane crashing into the building, ripping down debris from the central buildings in downtown, which falls down on the streets of Los Angeles. But, this time, every map features multiple levolutionary events, both small and gigantic.[3]

Many new game modes are featured in Hardline, for instance: Heist, Rescue, Hotwire Mode, Blood Money and Crosshair Mode.[4]

Visceral Games ratified that the single-player campaign will not be linear and promised to deliver a better one than the predecessors. The campaign will feature episodic crime dramas where choices will heavily change situational outcomes and gameplay experiences. As a cop, players can use multiple police gadgets and personal equipments. The police badge can be used to strike fear into criminals' hearts and order them to lay down their weapons, the scanner is used to stake out a situation, identify high value-targets, log evidences, tag alarms, and mark other threats. To slip past unnoticed, players can use bullet cases to distract enemies.[7]

Synopsis

Setting

Miami is embroiled in a drug war and Officer Nick Mendoza (Nicholas Gonzalez) has just made detective. Alongside his partner, veteran detective Khai Minh Dao (Kelly Hu), he follows the drug supply chain from the streets to the source. In a series of increasingly off-the-books cases the two detectives come to realize that power and corruption can affect both sides of the law.

Plot

In 2012, Nick Mendoza and Detective Carl Stoddard (Travis Willingham) make a drug bust that goes violent. After arresting a suspect, Captain Julian Dawes (Benito Martinez) has Nick partner up with Khai Minh Dao to follow a lead to cocaine broker Tyson Latchford (Adam J. Harrington). Forcing his associate Tap Milstein (David DeSantos) to wear a wire, they find a new drug called Hot Shot being sold in the streets of Miami and rescue Tyson from a group of armed men. In the process Khai is wounded, putting her out of action for several weeks. After returning (against her doctor's orders), Dawes orders the two to bring in Leo Ray (Graham Shiels) from the Elmore Hotel but are forced to fight their way through armed men connected to drug dealer Remy Neltz (T.J. Storm), who is distributing the Hot Shot drug. While capturing Leo, Khai beats him up for seemingly insulting her.

Leo's information leads the two detectives to the Everglades, where drug bales are being dropped. Investigating the area, they find Neltz only to escape back to Miami. Before leaving, he mentions that he took a deal from Stoddard. The officers corner him in a Miami warehouse only for Stoddard to kill Neltz as he was about to elaborate more about their deal. Nick leaves in disgust after Stoddard and Khai take some cash before more officers arrived. Later, as a hurricane makes landfall, Dawes sends Nick and Khai back to the crime scene for any evidence incriminating Stoddard. Finding Neltz's recording implicating Stoddard, Nick finds his former partner in a meeting with other dealers but is forced to work with him to rescue Khai from more armed men. The three later meet Dawes, who destroys the evidence implicating Stoddard and revealing that himself and Khai are corrupt. The three betray Nick due to his refusal to go along with their scheme, framing him for laundering Neltz's drug money.

Three years later in 2015, while on a prison bus, Nick escapes with the help of Tap and Tyson. The mastermind behind Nick's escape is none other than Khai. Despite raw feelings about her betrayal and being framed, Nick leaves with Khai and Tyson for Los Angeles. Khai briefs Nick that during the three years he has been in prison, Dawes founded private law enforcement firm Preferred Outcomes, having 'cleaned up' Miami and is starting to expand into other US cities. Wanting to ruin Dawes, Khai sends Nick and Tyson to rendezvous with Marcus "Boomer" Boone (Eugene Byrd) and the three of them disrupt Korean Mafia leader Kang's drug business (Dawes' main drug distribution spot in LA). Although not finding much, Nick and Khai follow another lead to the house of drug kingpin Neil Roark (Mark Rolston). During Roark's meeting, Nick comes up with the idea to steal Dawes' money before he can launder it and uses Khai's phone as a makeshift tracking device by placing it in a briefcase to be taken to where the rest of Dawes's money is being kept. After surviving a brief assault by Roark's men, Nick and Khai make their escape.

Discovering Dawes' money is kept in the penthouse of his corporate HQ skyscraper back in Miami and behind an impregnable vault, Boomer calls a former associate of his for a safecracking robot. He and Nick drive to the desert to meet Boomer's contact, his ex-girlfriend Dune (Alexandra Daddario), who sets up a meeting with her father, Tony Alpert (Fred Tatasciore). Alpert backstabs them however, revealing he knows Nick is an escaped felon and that Stoddard has placed a bounty on him for his capture alive. Nick and Boomer escape their prison and retrieve their gear from Alpert's compound. Along the way Nick discovers that Alpert was behind the creation and manufacturing of the Hot Shot drug, and murdered an ATF agent (Josh Keaton) to cover up his plans of starting a civil war. Dune helps the two escape to an abandoned airfield but separate after surviving Alpert's ambush at a gas station. At the airfield, Nick retrieves the safecracking robot and wins a tank duel against Alpert, before he and Boomer escape in a plane Boomer had repaired.

As Khai, Nick, Boomer and Tyson prepare to leave for Miami they are ambushed by Stoddard and his men. Nick kills his former partner and sends a picture of Stoddard's body to Dawes. The group arrive at Miami and infiltrate Preferred Outcomes HQ. They find the vault in Dawes' penthouse only to find it booby-trapped. Tyson is gravely wounded by the blast. Nick answers Khai's ringing phone in the empty vault to hear Dawes on the other side, telling Nick to come find him at Santa Rosita off the coast of Florida. Nick departs from his group at the island, and infiltrates it alone to Dawes's mansion. Nick finds his corrupt former captain in his office, where Dawes tells him that he wishes Nick to join him and take over Preferred Outcomes once Dawes is gone and that the two are akin to be "more criminal than cop". Nick agrees to the last remark and unhesitantly shoots Dawes dead. Searching his office, he finds a letter addressed to him from Dawes explaining why he framed Nick three years earlier and follows a passage to his underground vault. Inside the vault, Nick finds Dawes' laundered fortune, which is now his.

Development

Battlefield Hardline was revealed on an EA blog post by Vice President and General Manager of Visceral Games, Steve Papoutsis. The game was due for announcement during E3 2014, but information was leaked early.[8] Unlike other games in the Battlefield franchise that feature military warfare, Hardline features a "cops and robbers" gameplay style.[9] The leaked trailer refers to the game as Omaha. "Visceral started work on Battlefield Hardline about a year before Dead Space 3 shipped," creative director Ian Milham has revealed, suggesting that the game may have entered development in early 2012.

On June 14, 2014, the Battlefield Hardline beta went public, coming after an official announcement at the 2014 Electronics Entertainment Expo that the beta would be coming soon to PC and PlayStation 4. The beta ended on June 26, 2014.[10]

On July 22, 2014, DICE announced that they would delay Battlefield Hardline from October 21, 2014 to March 17, 2015. The reason for the delay was to implement the feedback given during the public beta.[11] On February 3, 2015, the Battlefield Hardline beta became publically active for all platforms.[12] It was reported that 7 million people participated in the open beta and it was met with positive reception from both critics and players.[13] On February 24, 2015, Electronic Arts confirmed that the game had been declared gold, indicating it was being prepared for production and release.[14]

During Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014, EA confirmed that the game would be running at 1080p on the PlayStation 4 and was aiming to achieve the same resolution for the Xbox One version.[15] However, on March 8, 2015, Visceral Games revealed that the PlayStation 4 version would only run at 900p, with the Xbox One version running at 720p.[16]

Reception

Critical response

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(XONE) 75.00%[17]
(PC) 73.71%[18]
(PS4) 73.11%[19]
Metacritic(PS4) 73/100[20]
(XONE) 71/100[21]
(PC) 70/100[22]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid7.5/10[23]
Electronic Gaming Monthly7.5/10[24]
Game Informer8/10[25]
Game Revolution[26]
GameSpot7/10[27]
GamesRadar[28]
GameTrailers8/10[29]
Giant Bomb[30]
IGN8/10[31]
Official Xbox Magazine (UK)[32]
PC Gamer (US)76/100[33]
Polygon7/10[34]
VideoGamer.com6/10[35]
AusGamers7.3/10[36]
USGamer[37]
VentureBeat85/100[38]

Battlefield Hardline received mixed reviews from critics upon release. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox One version 75.00% based on 18 reviews and 71/100 based on 27 reviews,[17][21] the Microsoft Windows version 73.71% based on 14 reviews and 70/100 based on 25 reviews[18][22] and the PlayStation 4 version 73.11% based on 28 reviews and 73/100 based on 40 reviews.[19][20]

Anthony LaBella from Game Revolution gave the game a 4/5, praising its stealth element, action-packed sequences, detailed single-player campaign, compelling and fast-paced multiplayer and the Heist mode, which requires players to utilize team work. He also praised the other new modes featured in the game such as Hotwire and Crosshair, which he stated "has showcased the transition from warfare to crime and provide plenty of entertainment outside of the traditional Battlefield experience". However, he criticized the predictable plot, flat characters, poor presentation of the campaign and the uninteresting story. He summarized the review by saying that "The combination of the stealth-focused campaign and many multiplayer modes establishes Battlefield Hardline as a worthwhile standalone entry in the popular FPS franchise"[26]

Brian Albert from IGN gave the game a 8/10, praising its enjoyable campaign, surprising comedic moments, decent plot, voice-acting and animation, likeable characters, well-designed levels, realistic weapons and audio, rewarding stealth, as well as the single-player campaign for requiring player to utilize patience and skill and the game for encouraging players to use non-lethal takedown. He also praised the huge variety of multiplayer modes, the dynamic Hotwire mode and the well-designed and varied maps. He also praised the new gameplay features such as the grappling hook and zip-line for making transversal faster. However, he criticized the unlock system for not awarding players in accordance to their playstyles and the overly-simplistic AI. He summarized the review by saying that "Battlefield‍ '​s first foray into stealth makes for a fresh campaign, and the multiplayer has something for everyone."[31]

Ben Griffin from GamesRadar gave the game a 3.5/5, praising it new-players friendly and compelling multiplayer, refreshing multiplayer modes, rewarding interrogations system and detailed character models. However, he criticized the unfocused campaign, simplistic and predictable AI, as well as the campaign's over-reliance on stealth, which he stated "has never evolved during the campaign". He summarized the review by saying that "While not quite as main-event-essential as previous Battlefield blockbusters, the tighter, faster Hardline is most definitely the good cop."[28]

Jeff Gerstmann from Giant Bomb gave the game a 3/5, praising its collectibles, which he stated "have actual context", he critizied the idiotic AI partners as well as the poor story which has failed to deliver character development, tension and logic. He summarized the review by saying that ."Battlefield Hardline is hardly a disaster, but it feels like a franchise spinning its wheels with minor adjustments, rather than truly advancing forward." He also noted that the game generally enjoyed a more stable launch than its predecessor Battlefield 4, as he stated that the game performs functionally across all platforms.[30]

Brett Phillips from VideoGamer.com strongly criticized the campaign, calling it "the worst campaign in the entire series". He also criticized its poorly-designed spawn points, unnecessary item-scanning, cliched twists, anarchic and inconsistent Conquest mode, boring and frustrating Hotwire mode, as well as the removal of heavy weapons such as rocket launcher from the weapon menu. The progression system was also criticized for being incongruous with the narrative of the game. He also criticized the map design for lacking imagination and verticality, matches for lasting too long and the game itself for not taking any risks. He called the game "a forgettable, immature experience rather than one worth talking about" and he summarized the review by saying that "Battlefield Hardline could have been something unique, a chance for Visceral to place its own stamp on a long-standing franchise. What we instead get is a laughably-shambolic campaign and multiplayer that is merely serviceable and too timid to step out of Battlefield 4‍ '​s shadow."[35]

Sales

The retail version of Battlefield Hardline debuted at No. 1 in the UK software sales chart in its first launch week. It also became the best-selling title in the UK in 2015 as of March 23, 2015.[39] According to NPD Group, the game was the best-selling game in March in the United States.[40]

References

  1. ↑ McMurtrie, James (March 25, 2015). "We asked a player with 800 hours of Battlefield experience to review Hardline. This is what he had to say". Financial Post. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Yin-Poole, Wesley (October 28, 2014). "Battlefield Hardline release date announced". Eurogamer. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Battlefield Hardline Features". Electronic Arts. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  4. ↑ Dyer, Mitch (22 January 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Multiplayer Modes". IGN. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Battlefield Hardline: 'Crosshair' mode revealed". IGN. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Modes". Battlefield Hardline official site. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Taormina, Anthony (22 January 2015). "‘Battlefield: Hardline’ Campaign Won’t Be Entirely Linear". Game Rant. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Papoutsis, Steve (27 May 2014). "Battlefield Hardline Coming This Fall". Electronic Arts. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Battlefield Hardline Leaked Trailer - Multiplayer Modes & Gadgets Revealed!". YouTube. GameSpot. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Tach, Dave (19 June 2014). "Battlefield Hardline beta extended a week to June 26". Polygon. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "Why Battlefield Hardline will launch in 2015". Electronic Arts. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  12. ↑ "Battlefield Hardline Open Beta Starts February 3rd".
  13. ↑ "7 Million People Played Battlefield Hardline Beta".
  14. ↑ Pitcher, Jenna (24 February 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Goes Gold Ahead of Imminent Release". IGN. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Scammell, David (February 5, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline beta is 720p on Xbox One, 900p on PS4". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  16. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (March 8, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline: 900p on PS4, 720p on Xbox One". GameSpot. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Battlefield Hardline for Xbox One". GameRankings. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Battlefield Hardline for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Battlefield Hardline for PlayStation 4". GameRankings. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Battlefield Hardline for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Battlefield Hardline for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Battlefield Hardline for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  23. ↑ Hansen, Steven (March 16, 2015). "Review: Battlefield Hardline". Destructoid. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  24. ↑ Holzworth, Chris (March 16, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  25. ↑ Marchiafava, Jeff (March 20, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline review: Waging A War On Two Fronts". Game Informer. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 LaBella, Anthony (March 16, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  27. ↑ Concepcion, Miguel (March 16, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Review". GameSpot. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Griffin, Ben (March 17, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline review". GamesRadar. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  29. ↑ Huber, Michael (March 18, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Review". GameTrailers. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Gerstmann, Jeff (March 17, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Review". Giant Bomb. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Albert, Brian (March 16, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Review". IGN. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  32. ↑ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (March 16, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline review". Official Xbox Magazine. GamesRadar+. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  33. ↑ Wilde, Tyler (March 20, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Review - PC Gamer (US)". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  34. ↑ Gies, Arthur (March 17, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline review: public enemy". Polygon. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Phipps, Brett (March 17, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline Review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  36. ↑ Joaby (March 17, 2015). "Batttlefield: Hardline Review". AusGamers. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  37. ↑ Bailey, Kat (March 17, 2015). "Battlefield Hardline PS4 Review: Reasonably Arresting". USGamer. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  38. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (March 16, 2015). "Battlefield: Hardline successfully transforms the first-person shooter into an interactive cop show". VentureBeat. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  39. ↑ Crossley, Rob (March 23, 2015). "UK Games Chart: Battlefield Hardline is 2015's Best Seller So Far". GameSpot. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  40. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (April 17, 2015). "Battlefield: Hardline trumps Bloodborne in March US retail sales". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

External links