About the Game

Battlefield Hardline is a first-person shooter and the first game in the series to focus on urban crime instead of military warfare. The game is done by a different developer and the single-player portion of the game is split up into ten episodes modeled after an episodic TV series format, including a preview of the next episode at the end and a recap of the previous one when starting a new episode. The game is set in Miami, Los Angeles, the deserts in California and many other locations around the world.

Story & Setting

The protagonist is the young detective Nicholas Mendoza who follows a drug supply chain with his partner Khai Minh Dao. Next to the classic Team Deathmatch and Conquest game modes that support up to 64 players, five new multiplayer modes are available with two sides: law enforcement and criminals. Hotwire is similar to the flags in Conquest, but they are replaced by drivable cars. Just like in Conquest the game is won by capturing them, but the cars need to be driven at a certain speed to reduce the reinforcement tickets for the other side.

Gameplay & Core Systems

The game mixes classic first-person shooter mechanics with non-lethal actions to resemble a realistic police approach, including stealth and the ability to hold criminals at gunpoint and flash a badge to perform an arrest rather than shooting them. When a case is solved a short conclusion cut-scene is shown, some more of the background story is revealed, and a new weapon or item is provided as a reward. The weapons in the single-player part are generally lighter than usual for the series. The pistol is the primary weapon and more powerful ones are generally unlockable assault rifles rather than military-grade machine guns. The multiplayer arsenal is more similar to Battlefield 4 with grenades, rocket launchers and heavy machine guns.

Standout Features

• The game is done by a different developer and the single-player portion of the game is split up into ten episodes modeled after an episodic TV series format, including a preview of the next episode at the end and a recap of the previous one when starting a new episode.
• Mendoza: As a detective Mendoza can also use a scanner to locate evidence.
• These lead to separate cases that can be solved and clues are often divided over multiple episodes.
• When a case is solved a short conclusion cut-scene is shown, some more of the background story is revealed, and a new weapon or item is provided as a reward.
• The weapons in the single-player part are generally lighter than usual for the series.
• The pistol is the primary weapon and more powerful ones are generally unlockable assault rifles rather than military-grade machine guns.
• A taser can be used to subdue suspects without killing them.
• There is a global ranking system based on experience.

Modes & Ways to Play

The multiplayer arsenal is more similar to Battlefield 4 with grenades, rocket launchers and heavy machine guns. The four main classes in multiplayer games are largely similar to those in the previous game, but modeled after police and criminal forces. Next to the classic Team Deathmatch and Conquest game modes that support up to 64 players, five new multiplayer modes are available with two sides: law enforcement and criminals.

Presentation & Atmosphere

Enforcers are hard hitters with additional gadgets, Mechanics are able to repair vehicles, sabotage bombs and use a satellite phone to generate spawn points, Operators are light fighters with medical gadgets, and Professionals focus on intelligence and stealth with range attacks as well as cameras, decoys and mines.

Display support includes HDTV 720p, HDTV 1080i, and HDTV 1080p. Audio support includes Dolby Digital and DTS.