Battlefield One Beta Blues: Why I can't wait until launch

Ever since last Thursday, life hasn't been the same. The beta for Battlefield One ended and now I have nothing to play. Just like looking through a wardrobe full of clothes but seeing nothing to wear, there are plenty of games I could play but none of them entice me in.

After all, with such a unique setting and with such exciting new gameplay mechanics, where else am I supposed to get my fix of WW1 multiplayer action and more importantly, where else will I be able to fly around in my Gotha G.IV Bomber dropping bombs on unsuspecting enemies?

Below I cover the top 5 reasons why I can't wait for Launch day.

Air to Ground combat

With a strong interest in Drones and aviation, flying combat aircraft in competitive multiplayer environments has always appealed to me. With the air to ground combat in StarWars Battlefront a huge blast, I had hopes Battlefield One would be equally as fun, and thankfully that is indeed the case.

With a choice of 3 aircraft to choose from, all with unique abilities, taking out ground enemies from above has never been more satisfying.

Whether you decide to drop a few bombs from the Gotha G.IV bomber or go in for a Kamikaze kill with the attack plane, Battlefield One has nailed the airborne combat. It is just as fun firing back from the ground too, courtesy of the anti-aircraft cannons.

War Horses

In the First Person Shooter (FPS) multiplayer market, I can't think of any other game that allows you to run around horseback shooting off rifles and wielding very sharp swords. This feature in game is huge fun and can lead to some to serious pain being dished out.

With the horses seemingly graduates from the parkour school of Assassins Creed, they are indeed a great way to travel around the combat area and make for some blockbuster action movie set pieces.

Power-ups

Going back to StarWars Battlefront, there was a lot of controversy around the whole power-up pickup system whereby high-powered weapons, perks and vehicles were obtained by those lucky enough to spot them in the field.

However, the way the pickup system has been implemented in Battlefield One is a lot sleeker, with the ugly arcade-like coins removed in favour of subtle crates of goods with discreet class logos.

The power-ups themselves are powerful but not overly so, forcing the player to be more tactical with their movements. For example, If you have the flame thrower and are in close quarters with enemies, you definitely have the advantage but at longer range you are, pardon the pun, toast.

I couldn't quite get to grips with the sniper class – you have to be prone for the gun to work, which makes it's use rather limited – but it's addition into the game is welcome and adds to character variety.

Ground Vehicle gameplay

As a staple of the Battlefield franchise, being able to go solo or team up in buggies and tanks has always been one of the funnest things to do in game. In Battlefield One, the situation is no different.

Whether you decide to go for road-kills, hop into the back of the tank to save yourself from the opposition or spam the gun-turret while at an objective, the ground vehicle gameplay is varied and huge fun.

There have been complaints that the tanks are a little overpowered, and having gone on long kill streaks myself and being on the receiving end of others, I can sympathise. However, it's important to remember that not every weapon was present in the beta and as long as you have anti-tank grenades and the rocket gun equipped you can easily give the enemy a fair fight. I just don't want to see the tanks made as weak as they were in Battlefield: 4.

Setting

Finally, the main reason why I can't wait for launch day: the setting. As the reaction to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare illustrates, gamers (myself included) have very quickly grown tired of the futuristic shooter. The fantasy sci-fi weapon upgrades and the fast-paced game mechanics of wall-running, jet pack jumping and ground-boosting is exhausting and makes matches too chaotic.

Indeed, there is a desire amongst gamers to go back to the days when things were simpler and Battlefield One, in a good way delivers that. The fact that the game is set in an era never really explored before in a triple A game, adds to the intrigue and uniqueness of the title.

By going in back in time, EA and Dice have unearthed era themed gameplay mechanics that even further add to the title's uniqueness. The charge mechanic of running at enemies before brutally impaling them with your bayonet, the mask that you carry in case an enemy soldier unleashes a mustard gas bomb and the aforementioned horses that you can oh so majestically ride in to battle all come together to create a thrilling, fun and special multiplayer shooter.

I can't wait for late October.