Hard To Beat or Hardly Worth It? Sofa Surfer Reviews Battlefield: Hardline

Speaking of sofa surfing, Gamespot got some great footage of a drivable sofa back before Hardline went gold...check it out! <http://www.gamespot.com/videos/driving-a-couch-battlefield-hardline/2300-6423921/>

For a number of gamers, Battlefield and Call of Duty fight it out for multiplayer supremacy on their systems year after year. Some prefer the smaller maps and twitch-based warfare in CoD, while others enjoy the larger maps and more strategic (though not REALLY strategic, of course) and destructive leanings of Battlefield. Others despise both series for their annual releases and lack of innovation on a year to year basis, bemoaning each new release as a cash grab or pieces of over-priced, glorified DLC. There are also people who enjoy both series and enjoy waiting for EA to develop reliable servers (a million laughs). Personally, I enjoy both series, and (gasp) I play them as much for their single-player campaigns as for their cooperative and competitive online modes! Is Hardline an ill-advised cash grab or a diverting entry in the Battlefield canon (or since it's Battlefield, cannon)? Wellllllllllll...a bit of both. If you played and loved the Beta and know you'll be getting the title for its multiplayer, then the single-player campaign will not mean way too much to you, and even so, it's not good enough to garner a full purchase on its own. Sorry campaign lovers! All three of you.

Graphics and Sound
The first thing some will notice is the resolution numbers on the next-gen systems: 900p on PS4 and 720p on Xbox One (<-the version I reviewed). I was honestly surprised at the 720p. The game was not sharp or crisp as I had hoped.  Honestly, it did not hinder my enjoyment to a negative degree, as I still frequent my 360, PS2 and various Nintendo consoles. If you want to show off the power of your new system or feast your eyes on glorious new gen textures, this is NOT a go-to game. It's underwhelming in many respects, though not quite downright UGLY. Simply put, the graphics get the job done, albeit without flair or style or slick textures. This could be a turn off for many, but once you're in the thick of the action, you'll likely be more forgiving. Hopefully. What I could not forgive was the lack of flat-out destruction! Yeah, you can blow apart artsy sculptures in rich villains' digs and some walls can be destroyed (at least in multiplayer), but not to the degree that was present in the Bad Company series. It sort of makes sense, as this game is more focused on an intense, "urban police" experience (which means less blowing up structures and more sneaking up on thugs and surprising them). Still, I yearned for the days when an errant shaped charge (or three) resulted in a thundering shower of dust and shrapnel, culminating in the reveal of enemy combatants formerly in hiding. Oh well! Prepare yourself for disappointment graphically and you'll be fine. Trust me. Or knock a point of my score if it really matters! Go ahead, see if I care! (Ahem) Anyways...

As you can see, the weapons are all shiny and well-modeled. But more importantly they're shiny.

As always, the sound design of the game is fantastic. The various weapons sound suitably loud and powerful, with changes in scenery resulting in different responses from your firearms (example: moving from a wide open street into a cozy hallway yields a nice shift in the intensity of the weapons' cracks and bangs!). The excellent sonic experience continues into the voice acting of the game, with the actors providing fitting deliveries of the passable (barely!) dialogue. Their performances kept me involved more than the story did, though they certainly won't knock your socks off. As for the music, I don't think you'll be humming it the next day. It never elevated my experience, as an excellent soundtrack is able to do (see/hear Deus Ex: Human Revolution's OST for examples). A rock solid sound package all-around.

China White? From Arrow? Is That You?!

Gameplay

Is the game as good as Bad Company 1 and 2 or BF3 and BF4? In short, no. The open environments in the Bad Company games are sorely missed, though most areas in the campaign are set up similar to  Far Cry outposts (as many reviewers have correctly observed). This provides a nice change of pace, as almost every other level EVER made for the Battlefield series involves shooting everything that moves. Or buildings that happen to be in your way. Here you have the option to auto-freeze baddies with your badge, with the stealthy and non-lethal options at your disposal offering more choice than usual. This ability to sneak up on a group of up to three fully-armed enemies and automatically stop them dead in their tracks is absurd, albeit oddly satisfying. I relished the opportunities when I could directly run up to three shotgun toting criminals, flash my badge, and have them immediately drop their weapons. Clearing a level this way for the first time was a thrill in its almost comical efficiency. The thrill doesn't last for long, since you unlock most of the higher tier weapons halfway through the campaign by playing stealthily, which is pretty much the only motivator to cuff the criminals. Rewarding players for stealth is nice, but rewarding them with loud weapons is essentially encouraging them to go all out and take no prisoners in the final third of the game. Thankfully, the option to light up a drug lab with the game's numerous firearms is viable. At higher difficulties such an option isn't suggestible, as you'll fall like a sack of potatoes in no time after the enemies call in backup.

The most exciting character in the game? Or just another weasel spouting crap one-liners?!

The shooting mechanics are as smooth as ever, and although the enemies have a worse sightline than Stevie Wonder, they're not completely pushovers once they discover your presence. Well, they're kind of just stormtroopers with better aim at higher difficulties, like the cannon fodder in so many first-person action games. The artificial intelligence for these baddies is lacking but not absolutely horrible, though your teammates are pretty brainless. And are essentially invisible to any enemies that have seen YOU, the player. This is a blessing in disguise during stealthy sections, since they can walk directly in front of an enemy without consequence. I remember thinking "STOP you fool! They'll detect us! You're ruining everything aghhhhhh!" while sneaking through levels, only to be reminded of their apparent chameleon-like ability to blend into the background. Ra's al Ghul would be proud. The levels are pretty much linear, and though they have collectible pieces of evidence and certain enemies can be captured for bounties (extra nuggets of experience points), they don't offer much in the realm of choice or visual splendor OR even exciting design.

Set pieces can't measure up to the ones in past games, and the story doesn't do the experience any favors. Watched a cop drama before? Well, if you're surprised, I'll eat my SANDWICH. Yep, a whole sandwich. But seriously, even if you overheard a friend discussing a cop show, you should be able to guess what happens. The actors do a nice job and the TV episode presentation breaks from the norm, but other than an ending that I found mildly intriguing if only for setting up a different path for future games, nothing sticks with you. Remember shooting that one guy with the vest then talking to your partner? Yeah I don't either! It all blends together, with the lackluster revenge storyline barely registering. It was diverting enough for me to not despise the campaign, and I was also interested in seeing the various environments I could attempt to destroy. After playing through it twice, I don't intend on ever looking at it again unless it's out of the corner of my eye, with disdain! (Honestly though you can get cheesy enjoyment out of it. I did on my first completion). Admirable for attempting something new, but mistaken. If you really want to try the campaign, give it a rental.

I wonder what will break first, EA? Your servers OR your fan base?! 

Let's hug it out, Batman. Hugs bunny?

NOW, what you've been waiting for! The multiplayer. Once again, I ask, is it as good as the past few Battlefield games? In short, no. Is it bad? Certainly not. I personally missed the larger maps and tanks, but it has new game modes that at least try to offer some variety. Hotwire, Blood Money, and Heist were my favorite new modes, with Hotwire a variation of capture the flag with vehicles replacing the "flags" (and the other two modes are also variations of capture the flag, minus vehicles in Heist at least). Though the driving is a bit stiff, I enjoyed leaning out the window of a police cruiser and lighting up a van in pursuit. With the smaller maps, the combat encounters often take place in closer quarters, speeding up the pace of matches. This is both good and bad as there is less strategy involved but more emphasis on quick reflexes. If a twitchier BF experience sounds like your thing, then hot damn go for it! Perhaps it's closest to a mix between CoD and previous Battlefield titles?

One of the best parts of the game: destroying penthouse furniture!

Okay, that's a bit of a stretch. Matches move smoothly and usually go off without a hitch. Gunplay is responsive, and there are a host of weapons and tools at your disposal. Sadly, unlocking many of these just takes too damn long. Rewards aren't as frequent as I had hoped, and the past games had more options from the get go. I also prefer the more strategic leanings of a game like Bad Company 2, where I could find a good sniping spot and lay low or provide heavy cover with a tank. I felt like I could be a contributor to the team in BC2, even if I had a poor game in the K:D category (kill to death ratio). In Hardline, there were few cases that I really felt like a strong contributor unless I was taking down combatants at a good clip. I was also still annoyed by the battlepack system, if only because other people saw fit to pay REAL money to unlock more crap! Shame on them! How dare they have cool weapons already! But it's not a bad option for people who are short on time or patience and are willing to pay to experience more the game has to offer The multiplayer is solid all around, though if you're looking for a more classic Battlefield experience, Battlefield 4 would be the better choice.

The single-player is disappointing, with a weak story, and the though the multiplayer is good with some fun new modes, it can't match up to past entries. If you want a new-gen Battlefield more in line with past entries, BF4 is a strong multiplayer choice. As for me, I'll stick with Bad Company 2! If you loved Hardline's beta and want more, then this may warrant a full purchase. Otherwise, give it a rental to try it out before paying full price. It's certainly worth a rental! Unspectacular, but solid. Until next time, keep surfing.

Stock Photo Hotwire Action! (Insert Caption)

7.0 out of 10

Graphics: Although the game runs at only 720p on Xbox One (the version I reviewed), its frame rate was steady online and offline. It obviously does not look as sharp as I had hoped, but it's certainly not ugly either. Muddy and quite unimpressive at some points, but solid otherwise.

Sound: As expected the sounds of battle are captured extremely well. The rattle of automatic weapons in an alley never fails to provide immersion and excitement. The voice acting is also well done, though the music is not memorable.

Replay Value: The campaign offers a bit of replay value as the hardest difficulty can only be unlocked after a complete playthrough and there are cases that need hidden evidence from each level to complete, but aside from a couple of different approaches in some levels and a few collectible weapons otherwise, the campaign can be explored in its entirety in 6-8 hours. Now multiplayer, as with many shooters, is multi-layered and has multiple tiers, classes, and loadouts to unlock. You could conceivably play this every day until the end of time! If that's not you, then you'll probably get a good 25-30 hours out of it (or more, until the next installment comes out perhaps).

Entertainment Value: The campaign offers an interesting change of pace, though it still disappoints much like the past couple installments. The multiplayer is the real meat of the experience, as expected, and though it lacks the wide open, destructive majesty of past entries with pitched tank battles, it is still exciting and the new game modes were actually fun. Plus, the game actually worked when it released. Huzzah?!?! 

What's next for the Hardline series? Hard-hitting crime in US cities or in the favelas?

(Kind of just wanted to tell you guys to watch these...segway!)