Well okay then, it’s probably fair to say that most of us weren’t expecting Battlefield 5 to be called Battlefield 1. The World War I setting? We kinda saw that coming.
Still, despite the fact that the setting has managed to leak out in places over the past few months, the official announcement (via DICE’s big Battlefield Twitch stream) means we can finally stop speculating and start getting properly excited.
At the end of a special world premiere that wasn’t at all dragged out, the team at DICE finally shared the big trailer, complete with an awesome cover of Seven Nation Army.
It looks like we’ll be getting a heap of ridiculously violent ways to deal with our enemies in this one: Land, sea, and air combat all look to be playing a part with bi-planes, horses, tanks, and even massive zeppelins.
Cavalry charges seem like they’re gonna be a thing too, which is very cool.
DICE described the game’s WWI setting as “the dawn of all out war”, – that’s why they’ve called it Battlefield 1
The “physicality” of the game was also discussed, with the team talking up the intensity of the battles. It certainly looks like the grittiest Battlefield game yet. Weapons include mustard gas, shovels, and clubs, none of which look or sound very friendly.
We’ve got your standard range of weapons too, of course. Shotguns, rifles, flamethrowers, and the like, while we have a “huge” variety of vehicles to choose from, including battleships which make you feel “unstoppable”. Weapon customisation was also confirmed.
Aleksander Grøndal, Senior Producer, DICE said:
The game will deliver a fresh experience full of what makes Battlefield great, with a multiplayer sandbox, immersion, epic scale, authenticity, team play and an ever-changing world full of unexpected Battlefield moments. We’re inviting players on an epic journey across a war-torn world, taking them to the Great War and providing something both varied and unique in Battlefield 1.
Check out the trailer below. You can see the wide range of environments, weapons, and settings for yourself. From imposing fortresses in the Italian Alps, to horseback cavalry charges in Arabia – variety looks like it’s gonna be key.
Battlefield 1 will launch worldwide on October 21 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.