IN THE NEWS: Bots Are Coming Back to Battlefield

The bots are returning to the Battlefield series. I repeat…the bots are returning to the Battlefield series. EA DICE revealed Battlefield 2042 this week as the series will move from the periods of the two World Wars into the not-so-distant future. When it is released this October, it will be the first modern-themed Battlefield since Battlefield 4 was released in 2013. And for some gamers, Battlefield 4 was the last great Battlefield game.

Getting back to the bots, they have been missing from Battlefield games for well over a decade. The bots are the main reason I play Battlefield 2 to this day. It’s been amazing to see the progress made in modding Battlefield 3 on Venice Unleashed with Joe91’s Fun Bot Mod adding working AI into the game’s multiplayer modes. The campaigns have been a blast to play over the years in Battlefield games but gamers have been requesting bots for years. Call of Duty has included them since the original Black Ops in 2010. Yet, I’ve always believed that the total package that Battlefield offers is superior to Call of Duty. The only thing I’ve felt the series has been missing is bots. This is why it is very exciting they will be included in Battlefield 2042.

In place of the story-driven, blockbuster movie-like campaign, EA DICE will now allow single players to battle with up to 127 bots in massive large-scale battles. As soon as I saw this news, I was elated. I’m hoping that the game itself lives up to the hype because if it does, and is also financially successful, it will influence other developers to prioritize bots in their future games. I believe Battlefield 2042 is currently the test subject that developers may be watching in this regard. And it begs the question: Can bots positively affect the bottom line?

Kudos to EA DICE for even being willing to implement bots in the first place. Perhaps it was the revival of Star Wars Battlefront II that played a role in this. The addition of the single-player offline “Instant Action” mode is touted as one of the main reasons for Battlefront II’s comeback. It allowed for single players to experience a generous portion of multiplayer gameplay that had only been available in a player versus player (PvP) environment. Instant Action could also be played offline. That means if the servers were to be taken down, the user still has a playable game minus the online functions. Of course, all of this is just speculation. I’m just happy the bots are back.

There is a part of me that will miss having the single-player story mode for the upcoming Battlefield. I’ve mostly enjoyed all of them, particularly the ones in Battlefield Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and Battlefield: Hardline. But I’ve also felt that I’ve had more than my fill of Battlefield campaigns. Combine that with Call of Duty and Medal of Honor campaigns over the years and there’s the feeling of “been there, done that.” And it isn’t the campaigns that provide the replay value, it’s the battles.

While I’m thrilled about the bots and do plan to purchase the game, I’m not convinced yet to buy it on or around its release date. I still want to confirm the content that will be available at launch, what free content will be released at a later date, and what will be behind a DLC paywall. Also, will the game be fully playable without game breaking glitches and bugs from the start? Will the game be moddable? Will the bots be fun and challenging enough to play with and against, or will they be a work in progress at launch? These are all questions that need to be answered.

From what I have seen so far, EA DICE definitely has my attention. For more information, check out the official Battlefield 2042 page. What are you thoughts on the new Battlefield?

-TVGA
admin@videogamersadvocate.com

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