A Look Into The BFV Beta

At the start of September, console players on PS4 and XB1 finally got the opportunity to get hands on with BF V in the form of a pre-release beta. PC players had previously had this opportunity in the the form of an earlier alpha. XB1 Squad Staff member JoeyWarFighter of Iron Horse squad was one of those who spent a chunk of time in the week long beta access to get some insight into the Fall release of the latest edition of the Battlefield series. Here are his thoughts on his BFV beta experiences.

               I have had play time with BFV before the beta. I was lucky enough to get into the second alpha test for PC. I was more excited for the beta though at the time. With the beta taking its course here are my impressions of the Battlefield V beta. For a little bit, I had to learn the new learning curve (TTK, getting ammo and health, etc). After I had that studied, the TTK felt a lot like a mixture of BF3/BF4. Next, it was time for me to find the weapon to have my back. Those weapons would included the Sten SMG, The Gewher 43, The Erma SMG, and the STG 44. With my time using some of the guns, I really like how you can earn camos just by using the desired weapon. My favorite camo is the Urban Tactical. The thing that confused me though was the upgrade system. Why give us so much stuff to upgrade without no negative consequences? I also wish they could just scrap this system in general and go back to BF4's attachment system (although there would be less options to choose from) you could make this system happen. The STG 44 and the ZH-29 were OP and that's kinda expected during beta phases. 

                Rotterdam was a welcome addition to the game, because I was so sick of Narvik but, now that i think about it, it's the only map I knew very well or had passed experience on because of my involvement in the second closed alpha and it turned out that both of the maps are good in there own way. I can't explain it at this time but, both maps are good. The fortification system is also another welcome addition to the game too. its a good way to defend positions (like the D flag on Rotterdam and the AA guns on Narvik) and to create new pathways (Bridge building on Rotterdam). DICE can do great things with this system and I can't wait to see what they do with it next. On the vehicle side of things, I tried the German Panzer IV and found out quickly that I was not going to be using tanks in this game unless i was forced to. Planes on the other hand is a different story. So, they have a complex flying system and a arcade flying system. When I found this out i was a very happy boy. If there was one question that really wanted the to, it was this one and i'm glad that the answer was Yes. So both flight systems from past battlefield games have made it into this game and with this. I piloted the Messerschmitt BF 109 to my heart's content. This mattered to me the most because of my grandfathers involvement in WWII. He was a plane mechanic and ill never forget his service. 

                  Some other smaller things that i didn't like and have discussed with my squad are the DBNO (Down but not out) system and the bullet count for primary and secondary weapons or a.k.a the attrition system. Some of my squad mates have asked me why they can't execute an enemy when they are down? My answer to them is because of the Geneva Convention. Yes, this was the answer being mentioned as the reason why we can't execute players from DICE in an interview with Design Director, Dan Berlin hosted by the Youtuber named Jackfrags. Although, I get the legitimacy of the Geneva Convention, You as the player (if your not too huge into history or don't like history at all) need to understand that the Germans didn't give a crap, they were ruthless, especially during the Blitzkrieg phase of the German war machine. This mentality carried over to the Allies side as well to the end of the war. Being in a squad full of veterans from different branches of the US military, they found this answer...displeasing. The attrition system does need to be worked on as well. The question that was asked was why are we allowed one or two extra mags or clips but for our sidearm we have NINE extra mags? I couldn't give them a straight answer because I didn't know the answer either but, the answer was the attrition system.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with the beta and with the recent changes on cutting down on wacky customization and future changes to systems I didn't like. I can't wait to see the final product of the game. It's a shame that we won't get the co-op mode at launch because I really wanted to play it.