I tried out the open beta on PC, which taught me that, once and for all, the 745GTX in my Dell will not cut it for new games...
Tried it out on the PS4 I got as a Christmas gift last year and the results were much better. I agree with Hellshade. It's a Battlefield game. And while Battlefield is *more* realistic than say, a Call of Duty title, it has never been a fully authentic simulation of real events - even back to Battlefield 1942. What makes the game work is a sense of teamwork, and meaningful objectives beyond team deathmatch. If you want a military simulator, I hear the ArMA series is much more in line with what you'd be looking for.
After trying it out, it's not bad, if you accept it for what it is. The mechanics are decidedly different from Battlefield 3 and 4. Your player, though he moves far faster than most WWI troops would, does feel noticeably slower than his BF4 counterpart. Weapons too, feel heavier and slower (again, much faster than was reality, but when compared with previous BF titles). Accuracy too is far less than previous titles, with the Lewis gun pulling shots that would, generously, hit the broadside of a barn under sustained fire. The very basic loadout provided by the Beta teaches compromise - you have to adapt to the weapon you're using. A shotgun is great at close range but you are buggered out in the open. The same can apply to vehicles - you have to think about what the strengths and weaknesses are before you jump into the fray. Graphically it's very pretty (man what OBD could do with the Frostbite engine), and in terms of audio, DICE has always been off the scales brilliant. Gunfire, explosions, even the clatter of your equipment on your pack all sounds satisfying. Hellshade, if you haven't, set the Audio mix to "War Tapes" and you won't be disappointed!
As for the airplanes? I actually enjoyed the fact that years of OFF has given me a laser like ability to lead shoot other machines. I attacked a large bomber from the confines of a Dr1 and picked its left wing apart until it collapsed. The damage is pretty. The flight modeling is non-existent and the controls, with rudder and throttle tied to the left thumb stick and the aileron and elevator to the right feels counter-intuitive. You can't over stress the machine and you can't really stall it out. It sort of feels like an X-Wing from Battlefront slowed down.
With all of that said, it's a very interesting turn in the BF series. We've moved away from WWII and the Modern Era of Battlefield Bad Company, Bad Company 2, BF3, BF4, etc. I think it's a great shift for DICE to take - I read that EA gave them massive push back against this idea so I wonder how much of the mechanics are compromise to keep the publisher happy. I'll be curious to see what other maps will ship with the final version.
That said, when I've got the extra $40 to get a game - I'm getting WOFF 3!
