Back in the day, every other shooter that came out took place in World War I or, more likely, World War II. It’s these settings where the two FPS leviathans – Battlefield and Call of Duty – both got their start, and fans of both have been asking for a return to those roots for a long time. While Call of Duty’s latest trailer showed fans a setting placed strictly in the realm of science fiction, Battlefield decided to go back to its roots, letting its latest title be set back in World War I.
The reveal trailer for this latest title dubbed Battlefield 1, is absolutely breathtaking, and most of the people in the YouTube comment sections would agree with that. Playing to the tune of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, the trailer for Battlefield’s new take on World War I combat has mobilized a legion of new and old fans, all excited to get their hands on it. Thankfully, the title is now available for pre-order on the Xbox store for anybody who’s already sold on the title and wants to secure their copy when the game finally hits store shelves in October of this year.
The last game in the Battlefield franchise, Battlefield Hardline, wasn’t particularly liked by critics or fans due to the fact that it strayed a bit too far from the classic formula, but Battlefield 1 promises to deliver an absolutely breathtaking blockbuster that can get back the loyalty of the franchise’s fans. After just 24 hours the trailer has gotten to over 8.7 million views and has people raving about how excited they are for the change in tone this marks for the series.
Whether Battlefield 1 is a brief reprieve from the modern warfare genre or if it’s a more permanent change in direction is yet to be seen, and could likely depend on how successful it is. Considering the game’s title ‘Battlefield 1’ alludes to new beginnings in the franchise, this writer suspects that DICE may be going back to its World War roots in order to better differentiate itself from its competitor, Call of Duty. Only time will tell, but Battlefield 1 seems like it’s going to help the franchise recapture the hearts and minds of shooter fans, provided they stay the course.
Further reading: Battlefield 1, Xbox, Xbox One
