After I first heard about EA and Battlefield Studios’ plan to implement an open weapon system within the upcoming Battlefield 6, I scoffed! And taking part in the sport in Los Angeles for an occasion final month didn’t promote me on it, both; I nonetheless frightened it might make courses really feel much less distinctive. Now, after taking part in the open beta for practically 20 hours, I’m right here to say: I used to be improper.
Let’s again up for a second and clarify, briefly, open and closed weapon class techniques in Battlefield. (I promise this received’t be too boring.) Mainly, for practically so long as the franchise has been round, courses have been locked to sure weapons. Recon, for instance, had to make use of a sniper rifle. Over time, builders at Cube tweaked this and added “impartial” weapons that may very well be picked by a number of courses, or they unfold particular varieties of weapons throughout just a few courses. Battlefield 2042 threw a number of this out the window when it launched with out courses and let gamers primarily construct customized heroes who might use any gadget or gun. It then added courses again in when folks received offended. Anyway, Battlefield 6 is looking for a cheerful steadiness between 2042‘s complete, unbalanced openness and the traditional closed weapon system of the previous video games. And I believe, regardless of being nervous concerning the change and all the controversy raging on-line amongst gamers on either side, Battlefield Studios has principally nailed it.
In Battlefield 6, any class can use any weapon. So you possibly can spawn in as a recon soldier, however as a substitute of a sniper rifle, you possibly can carry an SMG. Engineers, historically a category that makes use of SMGs, can rock snipers and LMGs. At first, this appeared like a nasty concept to me. I frightened that gamers would simply decide the category with the very best skills and decide the very best assault rifle, and also you’d lose all the individuality that comes from BF’s old-school class system. And in some smaller, extra combat-focused modes, that is certainly the case. However in greater, extra Battlefield-y modes, like Conquest and Rush, I’ve been pleasantly shocked by how issues have labored out.
In my hours with the beta, I discovered that in lots of matches gamers have been unfold throughout the 4 courses. In some previous video games (taking a look at you, Battlefield 3), folks would decide no matter class had the very best assault rifle, and that was that. Throughout a Q&A with the devs final month in LA, they talked about this and stated that the open weapon system was partly designed to fight this. The thought is that now folks will decide courses primarily based on what the group wants and their distinctive skills and instruments, fairly than the weapons they will and may’t use.
And yeah, that’s precisely what I noticed taking place in lots of BF6 open beta matches. If the enemy group, for instance, introduced in a bunch of autos or tanks, I’d see gamers swap to engineers to make use of that class’s RPG to take all these machines out. Likewise, I noticed gamers and pals swap to the assist class to assist maintain a degree and revive folks, or swap to recon to assist pin down a goal. It appears now that weapons might be freely outfitted on any class, persons are way more open to taking part in totally different courses and serving to out the group. Positive, perhaps a few of these gamers have simply outfitted the identical assault rifle on all the courses, but when it helps my group cease a tank from destroying us, I’m fantastic with it. That’s a significantly better state of affairs than in previous BF video games, the place a complete group is likely to be assault troopers and also you’d be unable to get ammo resupplies or combat again towards helis.
Battlefield 6 additionally rewards gamers for selecting a weapon that’s extra aligned with their class. Recon troopers get a ton of unique sniper perks that make it virtually foolish to make use of a sniper rifle on another class. However you are able to do it, if that makes you cheerful. And that is the place I’d counsel some tweaks.
I believe rewarding gamers who decide class-specific weapons is a brilliant concept, however I virtually really feel just like the devs might do extra to verify choosing an assault rifle on each class isn’t a straightforward possibility. Maybe class-specific weapon punishments might work? An assault class soldier choosing a sniper rifle would possibly imply they don’t get the recon advantages, and maybe in addition they reload the massive rifles extra slowly. Or an engineer choosing an assault rifle has extra kick and may’t carry as a lot ammo for it. These tweaks would reward folks taking part in courses extra historically, may very well be overcome with ability or teamwork, and would nonetheless enable for the weapon freedom the devs need in BF6.
However even when Battlefield 6 devs don’t steal my totally-awesome-and-perfect concept, I believe the open weapon system is an efficient change. It lets gamers take pleasure in all of the courses with out forcing them to play with particular weapons. This results in matches through which all of the courses are used, and that results in extra gratifying Battlefield motion. And that’s what I’m on the lookout for. Positive, perhaps it implies that I’ll be killed rather a lot by just a few standard assault rifles, however it may also imply that there might be extra medics working round who can heal me. That might be good. And don’t fear; when you hate the open weapon system, EA goes to supply playlists and modes that characteristic locked weapons, too. Everybody wins.
