This past weekend, Battlefield™ V took over EA PLAY and gave players their first gameplay hands-on with an early version of the most intense, immersive Battlefield yet. Below, we’ve assembled some video footage from a few of our EA GameChangers, who spent time fighting for supremacy in the ultimate multiplayer experience, Grand Operations.

Multiplayer and Grand Operations

Grand Operations pack a powerful narrative experience into a combination of maps and modes, representing up to four “days” worth of missions, where each day's results affect the conditions of the next. Everyone that got hands-on with Battlefield V at EA PLAY dropped into the heavily-defended Narvik map for the first and second days. Days three and four were not part of this demo, but you’ll get to experience the dramatic conclusion for yourself once the full operation is released through the Tides of War.

“The more [anti-air] cannons you destroy on day one will impact day two — so get to work.” – JackFrags

It's day one, 42 minutes to midnight, frigid, and more than a thousand feet above the Port of Narvik, Norway. JackFrags is joining 64 players in Grand Operations as an attacker by going Airborne, a mode that starts with a sky-high insertion. He jumps into anti-air fire and once he lands, scrambles with his squad to locate bombs and destroy enemy defenses. JackFrags discusses how day one performance impacts day two and how doing well is easier said than done. He comes across fortified machine gun nests, enemies trying to diffuse his bomb, and the chaos of all-out war.

JackFrags tackles day two in Breakthrough mode, where as an attacker, he fights to control sectors one by one in a sequential order from defending enemies. He's a skilled sniper (skip to 2:47 for a sweet headshot) but even he had to rely on his squad for spots and heals.

Squad Play

In Battlefield V, your squad will be crucial to the success of you and of your team. This has always been true to the franchise, but as players who joined forces at EA PLAY realized, the team play aspect has truly expanded. As we've covered in our gameplay deep-dive article, playing well with your squad brings many advantages. For instance, you can give the squad leader the opportunity to call in powerful reinforcements, which might even out a seemingly hopeless situation.

“No more running around like a chicken with no head. Team work always makes the dream work.” - MoonLiteWolf

A true believer in team work, MoonLiteWolf goes through the changes made to squad play in Battlefield V in the video above. As she notes, it truly pays off to stay close to your squad this time around. With less ammo, resupplies by Support players is even more vital, and so is having a Medic nearby. Have a look and learn about how all Classes now can use Buddy Revives to keep your squad up longer, so you can avoid getting squad wiped. Or, indeed, “squiped.”

Fortifications and Destruction

Battlefield is synonymous with demolition. A well-placed explosive on a sniping position atop a building can turn it into a coffin of rubble in seconds. With Battlefield V, DICE has added a counter to destruction with Fortifications. The ability to create cover when needed most also brings a renewed focus on defensive play, like closing entrances to control points and funneling enemies towards you.

“The destruction and Fortification system go hand in hand in Battlefield V.” - MrProWestie

Westie quickly equips the new build tool and shows how any class can now build Fortifications. He tackles Grand Operations with a unique level of strategy at his disposal: he builds a sand bag wall on the edge of the hill that blocks enemy lines-of-sight, places strategic tank obstacles on the road, and digs his heels in with a foxhole enclosed by sandbags. He also dives into the nuance of Fortification options available to the support class. Support is the only class that can build offensive emplacements — such as Anti-Air and Anti-Tank guns. Supports can also craft more heavy-duty materials like metal and concrete.

When he's not building, Westie is plowing a tank through buildings and watching the wave of destruction in his wake, one which “more accurately represent the impact that just happened.” Westie's explosives leave accurate debris, and his tank shells penetrate through walls and devastate from within.

Vehicles

Since the origin of Battlefield, vehicles have been a key pillar in the rock-paper-scissors gameplay. In Battlefield V, planes, tanks, and other vehicles will have an even more dynamic role, and mastering their strengths and weaknesses is key. You'll be able to use iconic WW2 vehicles to bring devastation to enemy strongholds – or to tow stationary weapons to maximize their devastating firepower. Be warned, though: you're not invincible just because you're surrounded by steel or flying high above the enemy. As always in Battlefield, every player has an Achilles' heel, and in the war of attrition in Battlefield V, you need to keep an extra eye on both vehicle health and ammo.

“You can see the hard work in making vehicle gameplay in Battlefield V the best ever in the franchise.” - Flakfire

At EA PLAY, Flakfire jumped into the aircraft and tanks of Battlefield V, taking both vehicles and their improved mechanics for a spin. In his video, Flakfire touches on how attrition makes vehicle gameplay more tactical this time around, since players must weigh the risks of going into combat with low ammo against withdrawing to stock up. You'll also get his thoughts on the revamped repair system, towing stationary weapons, and the mighty Squad Reinforcement vehicles like the Sturmtiger and Churchill tanks. Enjoy this runthrough – and learn what's so awesome about the Stuka, Flakfire's favorite plane.

The Most Immersive Battlefield

DICE knows that you can have all the best weapons in the world, but an army is only as good as its soldiers. Part of creating the most immersive Battlefield yet meant elevating the physicality of both soldiers and environments. All interactions are player-driven, so responsiveness and gameplay will always trump playing through animations when needed, such as cancelling an animation to deal with an immediate threat. New 360-degree prone movement, ledge grabs, window vaulting, and the crouch sprint are just a few of the ways that will change the way you play Battlefield.

“You’ll get a better idea of your surroundings from the third-person camera and know what you’re in for once you spawn in.” - Gabytron

Gabytron has been on active duty since Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam. In her roughly four-minute hands-on gameplay video, she talks about how the enhanced soldier movement and knock-back effects from explosions forced her to adapt a fresh Battlefield playstyle. Gabytron spent a lot of time in moving in crouch-sprint form – allowing her to move faster while keeping a low profile – because she “enjoyed it so much.”

You can also watch her plot her respawn in the squad spawn screen as she explains how it adds “a new level of immersion” and helped prepare her to return to the fight. She details the sequence that starts after you die, from the over-the-shoulder view of living squad mates to what happens when you jump back in.

–Jonas Elfving
–Jeff Landa (Follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffLanda)

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