BattlefieldandCall of Dutyhave been the leaders of the military shooter genre since it burst onto the mainstream in the 2000s, and fans of each franchise have spent hundreds of collective hours debating their respective merits. Despite the two series being remarkably and fundamentally different in a number of ways, they are oftenconsidered to be in direct competition with one another, and it would be unrealistic to assume that neither IP responds to the other through game design.
The competition between the two franchises can lead to each of them doubling down on their unique aspects, but it can also seemingly result in one aping the other’s style. A clear example of this can be seen inBattlefield 2024, which came under fire a few years ago for releasing weapon and character skins with outlandish, out-of-place theming. At the time, this sort of content was received poorly, to put it lightly, with dedicatedBattlefieldfans viewing it as a hollow attempt to imitate games likeWarzoneandFortnite, which fully embrace goofy and incongruous ideas. While not everyBattlefieldplayer was devastated by this loose commitment to tone and identity, it was enough for DICE to back off from the silly stuff, at least for a while, and the series should stay this course.
Sticking to the Military Simulation Vibes Could Benefit Battlefield on Multiple Fronts
Players Come to Battlefield for a More Realistic Experience
Naturally, video games about war are rarely going to be realistic—few should expect a one-to-one simulation experience from mainstream, multi-million-dollar enterprises likeBattlefield. That said,Battlefieldhas always been defined by its groundedness andgrittiness compared to the likes ofCall of Duty, which has become excessively wacky and bizarre over the years. This slow but decisive shift away from realism inCall of Dutyis exemplified by a number of infamous multiplayer skins, including:
These absurd skins have been more or less accepted by theCall of Dutycommunity, perhaps by virtue of the franchise decoupling from realism long before their introduction: something like the originalZombies mode inCall of Duty: World at Warmay have helped ease players into the idea of the series being loosely connected to reality. Regardless,Battlefieldhas become something of a bastion for those seeking a more grounded military shooter that still retains contemporary design staples, and implausible skins like the notorious Santa Claus cosmetic in2042undermine this identity, spurring accusations of derivative, trend-chasing antics.
Battlefield Could Win Over Call of Duty Players with a Commitment to Realism
While theCall of Dutycommunity is largely comfortable with sillyand over-the-top skins, they definitely aren’t universally loved. For one thing, glowing guns, cartoon characters, and celebrities can all detract from the military shooter fantasy that many have come to associate withCall of Duty, even as it shied away from realism over the years. In other words, it’s quite immersion-breaking to see Nicki Minaj in a game that purports to be about military operations.
But there’s also a certain cynicism emanating fromCall of Duty’s colorful and pop-culture-influenced cosmetics. It can feel an awful lot like pandering, dangling recognizable iconography before an audience in a hypnotic effort to generate profit. In the context of a live-service metaverse likeWarzone, such pop-culture references contain an implicit promise of self-expression: if a player likes Snoop Dogg, they can “be” him in-game, thus expressing themselves. But it’s ultimately a hollow and surface-level expression, designed to lure money out of pockets.
This is a sentiment held by manyCall of Dutyplayers today, and some of them might be looking for a change. IfBattlefieldcan hold on to its military-sim identity, then it could be the perfect alternative for these players.
Battlefield 2042
WHERE TO PLAY
Battlefield 2042 is a first-person shooter that marks the return to the iconic all-out warfare of the franchise. With the help of a cutting-edge arsenal, engage in intense, immersive multiplayer battles.Lead your team to victory in both large all-out warfare and close-quarters combat on maps from the world of 2042 and classic Battlefield titles. Find your playstyle in class-based gameplay and take on several experiences comprising elevated versions of Conquest and Breakthrough. Explore Battlefield Portal, a platform where players can discover, create, and share unexpected battles from Battlefield’s past and present.This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items.
