Each class has access to an assortment of seven or eight primaries that, with the exception of Medics who only wield SMGs, present a variety of playstyle options. Pronounced and predictable recoil replaces the random-feeling spray of Battlefield 1. “Across the board, the 37 firearms of Battlefield V feel fantastic. Combat roles attempt to mix things up further by giving you the option of choosing between two archetypes, but the passive bonuses each confers are so minor that the entire system feels like an afterthought. When you’ve experienced the agony of going minutes on end with less than half your HP or running out of ammunition seconds after finding an excellent vantage point, the prospect of an infinite supply of medkits or ammo pouches feels like a bona fide superpower. Medics are still valuable, though, because they can revive allies faster and aren't limited to only reviving their squad members.Ĭlass identity in general in Battlefield V is remarkably well defined, thanks in no small part to the attrition system. Glitchy and awkward though it may be, the lengthy new animations give revives a much-needed nerf by making the action riskier and more deliberate. The ability for anyone to revive a squadmate, regardless of class, is another welcome incentive to stick together. Being able to scavenge ammunition from enemy corpses, on the other hand, encouraged me to take a lot of fun risks. when it came to recovering lost HP, which is certainly realistic, but retreating in search of a friendly medic or supply station rarely leads to any interesting moments. The scarcity of these vital resources, collectively dubbed the “attrition system,” succeeded in making me go out of my way to work with my squad, but felt a little heavy handed at times. Lost health no longer regenerates past a certain point without a medkit (you can only carry one unless you’re a Medic), and ammunition reserves are less abundant - most weapons are sustained by only two extra magazines to start, making a Support teammate a very welcome ally. On the whole, these changes aim to emphasize teamplay, satisfying gunplay, and immersion and all of them find their marks.The incentives for coordinating with your four-person squad are borderline coercive. This change helped me stay engaged with Battlefield V’s gorgeous environments instead of playing the HUD. And in lieu of the entire removal of 3D spotting, only a handful of gadgets and certain combat traits can now place that infamous red circle over enemies’ heads. For example, while time to kill is generally faster, sniper rifles deal less damage than ever before, lending a snappier feeling to gunplay without excessively disrupting the classes’ balance of power. After all, the revisions are more thoughtful than simply adopting all of the hardcore rules. And while some of these changes feel like a Band-Aid being ripped off, Battlefield V is a better shooter because of them. Health regeneration is limited, the time to kill is reduced, and the spotting system is almost entirely removed. “Across all of its current multiplayer modes, Battlefield V’s default mechanics take a bold step toward the hardcore.