There's a decent core game here, but these changes are badly needed if Battlefield 2042 wants to keep a player base much longer...
Battlefield 2042 didn't take off the way devs were hoping. In fact...it was a pretty abysmal launch. But before we start complaining about the Specialists, or giving up on the franchise altogether, we're going to get into what could save this title instead.
Improvements for Battlefield
7. Rework XP & Scoreboard
You'll hear this complaint made more than almost any other in the community, and rightly so. The lack of a scoreboard and the new ways in which XP are awarded make the game feel like any other generic shooter. You don't get rewarded nearly enough for helping to damage vehicles or for reviving squadmates, and so, as with other items on this list, it makes the game feel less like a "classic Battlefield".
6. Persistent Lobbies
It might sound corny, but so much of Battlefield is about the friends you make along the way. In the best games the franchise had to offer, you really felt a sense of comradery; you were grateful for the ace pilot on your side, or the medic who would put themselves in the firing line to keep your squad fighting. Going into new games on new maps with those same players gave you a fantastic sense of being on a team, and not just solo-queueing. Unfortunately, this has been dispensed with. Please bring it back EA.
5. Make Hazard Zone Free-To-Play
This was mentioned by multiple pros in a recent group interview we hosted, and we completely agree. Hazard Zone could have been the mode that gets more folks into the community, because at the current price point, the player base will sadly die off quite soon. Hazard Zone itself should just have been a Battle Royale, but that's another argument...
4. Give Us More Modes
At present, we only have Breakthrough or Conquest. And before people say, "what about Portal?" We shouldn't be forced to go through a separate part of the game if we want more than two modes. This was a design choice they probably made when they realized how poorly their maps played with fewer players, but still, it would be nice to at least have the option to play Rush.
3. We Need A Proper Urban Map
The maps we currently have in Battlefield 2042 are clearly designed for vehicle play above all else. They're all very open and provide only minimal cover for infantry, but more importantly, there are almost no areas for CQC. We need our Metro DICE, we need our Amiens, don't let us down.
2. Buff Most Weapons
They've promised to nerf the PP-29 in Update 3,and that's promising, but honestly, we need a lot of other weapons to be buffed. This applies especially to assault rifles, which have been very poor so far. They need to tone down the recoil and, more importantly, they need to completely remove bullet bloom - a new mechanic they've introduced that forces some of your shots to deviate rather than hitting where the crosshair was aimed. This mechanic has no place in a PVP shooter.
1. Classes Should Be Limited To Certain Weapons & Gadgets
In the biggest departure from franchise history that we've seen, Battlefield 2042 allows anyone to use anything. And Specialists like Angel can therefore do everything. This feels so entirely against the spirit of Battlefield, and it makes the game play like ordinary shooters, in which everyone is playing only a handful of "meta" weapons. Not to mention, half the gadgets and equipment go entirely unused. If they want to keep Specialists, at least go back to limiting the gear they can use based on their class.
With these changes, Battlefield 2042 could yet be a fantastic game.