Battlefield Hardline Beta Impressions and Short Review

http://www.simhq.com/land-combat/battlefield-hardline-beta-impressions.html

From what I saw from Magnum's video's from the Xbox One beta, I won't be picking this up. Even my son who loves BF4 didn't seem all that interested...

That pretty much mirrors my experience in Hardline. I was sceptical about this spin-off of the Battlefield franchise but after playing the beta last year it changed my mind. Last years beta ran on the Downtown map using the Blood Money game mode and it's still possibly one of my favourite game modes. I enjoyed Heist mode most in this beta, you can run and gun if you want, snipe and suppress from rooftops or hold territory and the drop off points. Im not a fan of Hotwire as its a bit too fast and furious, the cars just drive in circles and then you get a few guys in the middle takings the scraps of what's left of the battle. The return of the grappling hook is a welcome one, just when you think you have all the angles covered you get someone in an area you don't expect, rather than aid camping it can make it harder because you never know where a shot might come from or if you are holding an area say the car park stairwell rooftop and you put your laser trip mine on the ladder and cover the top floor doorways you can still have someone pop up behind you after they deployed a grappling hook up the side of the building.

I think the levels, particularly Bank Job look really good, as good as some of the levels released in the last DLC for BF4. I think the loadout/customisation/class UI is a bit cluttered and could do with simplifying and the vehicles a bit too tough to take down. Sniping seems a bit easier too, I could take down enemies at close range with quite rapid fire using the scout while they had assault rifles and SMG's. I'm definitely buying this game based on what I've seen in these two betas, it's not going to be to everyone's taste but I had a lot of fun playing.

I'm trying to figure out how they plan to add jet combat to what is essentially an online 'cops n' robbers'.

I'm hoping they don't add jets in, I agree it just wouldn't fit with the cops n robbers theme, if you add jets you may as well go the whole hog and add tanks and gunships.

leave it a helo's, little birds for the Cops!

I played the beta for a couple of hours. I have just gotten into BF4 in the past few weeks, and think I am going to stick with it.

BF4 has matured really nicely since its poor release although even back then I still found it fun. The DLC is well worth getting in my opinion if you've not already bought them and some of the levels in the later packs really show a marked improvement graphically over the earlier content.