When you’re at a convention like Gamescom in some sort of capacity as press – particularly when you’re there with a small team – your time is rather limited. You have three days to see and do as much as you possibly can, before buggering off. So it stings when your time is essentially wasted – by late appointments, unnecessarily long queues or the worst offender; showing exactly what we’ve seen before. Such was the case with EA’s Battlefield: Hardline.
I stood in a queue for over an hour to catch a glimpse of Battlefield’s Hardline at EA’s behind-closed doors session. I was hoping perhaps to get some hands on with the single player, or even a look at the newly announced rescue mode – which sounds for all the world like Counter Strike.
Instead, it was just a sit down and a trailer. at least they’d be showing new stuff, right? Nope. It was pretty much exactly the same as the single player campaign’s gameplay trailer that we saw from EA’s conference. Thankfully though, Battlefield Hardline’s single player campaign actually looks like it’ll be pretty good. Sporting a darker aesthetic, and slower slightly more methodical bit of gameplay. it borrows quite heavily from Far Cry – with a scanner that allows players to mark targets and sneak bout, picking them off one by one.. That’s if they prefer the stealthy approach, of course. The game allows for pathed playing.
The option exists for players to go in guns blazing, all Shooty McShooterperson – but that strikes me as the far more mundane, boring option, to be honest. The demo in question, we’re told, takes place about half way through the game – which sees Miami cop Nick Mendoza travel cross country to Los Angeles in a series of misadventures that see him straddle the good cop/bad cop line. It takes its inspiration from gritty TV dramas like The Shield and True Detective, and will even be presented in that sort of episodic format. The game will even feature actors from True Detective, Law and Order, The Shield, and CSI Miami.
Truth be told, the single player aspect of the game seems to be at least intriguing and I’m actually rather keen to play it. It seems far removed from the purer, frankly boring military shooting of past games, and more like something worthy of your time.
Last Updated: August 20, 2014
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:10
Hardline does look cool. But can you stealth some missions or is it all just guns blazing?
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:11
I’ve seen your “stealth”
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:11
Coming from the person who gives the position away each time that’s rich ;P
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:12
Can’t be me, I’m the epitome of stealth. Was that buddy of yours!
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:12
He likes to think he’s the backup for when stealth goes wrong (though I’m convinced he ruins it just so he can go in with his shotgun and kill everyone)
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:12
He likes to think he’s the backup for when stealth goes wrong (though I’m convinced he ruins it just so he can go in with his shotgun and kill everyone)
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:11
Wait, I see now you can.
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
August 20, 2014 at 10:20
Yeah, you can stealth bastard your way through the game – which is how I intend to do it.
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:25
Personally it’s the only way to really prolong the life of the game, because you can get so nice and creative with it. Similarly with PayDay 2. I’m 130 hours in now and I still have so many things I want to try.
Sgt. M
August 20, 2014 at 11:16
How is PayDay2? I’m thinking of getting it on the ps3
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 11:36
I love that game. It’s most time I’ve spent on a game since Skyrim. And it was worth every penny for me. Admiral isn’t too fond of it, but I think it’s because he sucks in it (huehuehuehuehue).
But honestly, it’s especially fun if you play with other people and there’s quite a big South African group playing it.
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 12:06
AHEM, if your connection was actually STABLE enough we could play. DAT LAG
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:29
Same here
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:31
I’d play it the way I did Far Cry 3. Let my shogun do the talking.
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:34
Shogun? Like a Japanese follower or something? 😉
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:36
HAI
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:38
FFS
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 20, 2014 at 10:41
No, it’s an FPS :/
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:50
If we all chip in, I’m sure we can afford spelling classes for him…
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:53
XD
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:36
HAI HAI HAI
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:38
Hahahaha oh wait…. .shogun
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:10
I wish you could get two or three versions of the game:
1. SP only
2. MP only
3. “Full” game
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:13
SP won’t sell nearly enough
Sith JJ
August 20, 2014 at 10:15
Surely by SP you don’t mean Single Player? This is Battlefield after all. Their single player mode is kind of like that decorative frosting. Tastes like nothing, but at least it’s there.
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:28
I might actually buy this just for the SP. But secondhand. Because EA is evil.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 20, 2014 at 11:05
SECONDHAND BABY!!
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 11:08
That sounds, so, soooo wrong
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 20, 2014 at 11:09
The pre-used… FIVE FINGER SHUFFLE!!!
Rinceable
August 20, 2014 at 10:33
4. DLC?
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:36
Pass 😛
Rinceable
August 20, 2014 at 10:46
😉
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:12
1:48 Ive relatively good news.
Really?
Yeah, this isn’t BF4
*Fixed
Rags
August 20, 2014 at 10:20
Animation looks slick, the engine is evolving nicely for Mass Effect :P.
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:23
This…….. this looks fun. I love how you can approach the stronghold from any side and have the option to use stealth or not. Just one thing, you handcuff a couple of guys, leave them on the round and then zipline away when their buddies arrive. Aren’t they being freed while you run for the hills?
Rinceable
August 20, 2014 at 10:31
Mmm, if it is even 5% like rue Detective I am interested.
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:36
Ok, so you “arrest” that one guy, but run away, HOW DOES HE GET TO PRISON???
Hammersteyn
August 20, 2014 at 10:38
Through teh cloudz?
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:49
BATTLEFIELD LOGIC
Admiral Chief Assassin
August 20, 2014 at 10:36
WOLVERINE HEALING FACTOR!!!!!!!
eXpZA
August 20, 2014 at 10:40
This so could’ve been DLC.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
August 20, 2014 at 11:04
This is a Second-Hand Bin Game!