After a twelve-year wait for a “classic” Battlefield experience, Battlefield 6 has finally arrived. However, the reviews are a bit mixed, and the campaign is the reason behind it. From what we’ve seen so far, the new Battlefield campaign seems to be stuck in the past and lost in finding its identity.
On the other hand, fans and critics praise its epic multiplayer as a return to form for the franchise and for Electronic Arts. And so the end result seems to be this: Battlefield’s story mode is here, but not why you’re here. But is the campaign doomed by design, or simply overshadowed by the excellence of its multiplayer?
Battlefield 6’s Campaign Can’t Find Its Own Identity
From the start, it seems like Battlefield 6’s campaign struggles with identity. As several reviews have noted so far, it’s a blend of familiar military tropes and forgettable characters wrapped around some admittedly impressive set pieces. We take control of “Dagger 13,” an elite NATO task force on a mission to dismantle Pax Armata, a private military corporation attempting to destabilize the world order.
The setup isn’t anything super original, but that’s alright. It feels ripped straight from a mid-2000s action game, and that’s both its strength and its weakness. Now we know that the reviews are calling the story predictable and poorly written, with emotional plots that don’t resonate. But why is that so?
The Battlefield 6 campaign doesn't deliver on a great story but it DOES deliver on great action, cinematic set pieces and large scale spectacles.
I'll have a full review soon but if you're going into this for action and the cinema of it, you'll have a good time. Story? Nah. pic.twitter.com/A8pDqs8b3o
Well, the most obvious answer is that there is a lack of a recurring cast or a broader Battlefield universe, which means that the campaign feels detached from any larger narrative. This kind of thing is something that Call of Duty has done quite well in, with its sub-series like Modern Warfare and Black Ops.
That isn’t to say that Battlefield isn’t capable of such a thing. It’s just that the franchise’s focus hasn’t really been on the multiplayer side. Battlefield 2042 wasn’t received very well a few years ago, and the game didn’t even have a campaign. So it’s safe to say that the franchise hasn’t tried to tell a story in a while. So it does make sense that this attempt hasn’t been too successful.
The Multiplayer Steals the Spotlight
It’s not that the gameplay itself is bad. In fact, gunplay and destruction are excellent this time around. Weapons feel powerful, and blowing holes in enemy cover never stops being satisfying. But that raw, tactile fun isn’t enough to save a story that feels both outdated and shallow. But that’s where the multiplayer steps in.
Battlefield 6 | Reviews
10 – Digitec
9.5 – ButWhyTho
9.5 – Critical Hits
9 – ZTGD
9 – PSX Brasil
9 – WellPlayed
9 – Game Rant
9 – PCGamesN
8.5 – GameGrin
8 – VGC
8 – CGM
8 – Gamespot
8 – TheGamer
8 – Eurogamer
8 – TechRaptor
8 – Screen Rant
8 – GamesRadar
MC: 83
OC: 85 pic.twitter.com/2VdIkRGmRM
If the critics are left wanting more from the campaign, the multiplayer has done the opposite. In fact, we don’t even need to look at the early reviews of the game to know how good the multiplayer is. Even as early as the Open Beta for the game, players praised Battlefield 6’s online modes as the best the franchise has seen in over a decade.
Dynamic destruction, the new Escalation mode, and refined class systems make multiplayer feel both familiar and fresh. Gunplay is tighter, vehicles feel more balanced, and environmental destruction adds a layer of tactical depth that we haven’t had before. You think you’re safe firing at the enemy behind this wall? Their tank just destroyed it. What next?
The consensus is clear across the board. Battlefield 6 succeeds spectacularly in multiplayer but stumbles in single-player. The campaign isn’t bad so much as irrelevant. You could even call it a cinematic side dish that pales next to the epic main dish that is the multiplayer.
Will that even stop any potential buyers? Will it stop you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
