Not since Wings of Glory in ?94 has Electronic Arts invited players back to the throes of World War I but with Battlefield 1, both EA and DICE are cooking up one of the most authentic, visceral takes on The Great War ever seen in the video game space.
Pegged for release on October 21, anticipation for DICE?s marquee shooter is feverish, particularly coming out of the record-breaking beta ? at 13.2 million players strong, it proved to be the biggest technical test in EA?s history. But Battlefield 1 represents something of a creative risk for the franchise. Broadly speaking, World War II is considered the more cinematic, global conflict, with clearly defined, almost cartoon-like villains that have so often served as the basis for a palatable good versus evil story. That?s simply not the case with WWI ? it?s more obtuse, difficult to define, and involved empires from a by-gone era such as that of the Ottoman. Lawrence of Arabia and Paths of Glory notwithstanding, how many WWI movies can you name off the top of your head" Now do the same, only switch the focus to films set in World War II and you?ll begin to understand that gulf.
The Great War was a complex, messy, crippling state of affairs ? it?s small wonder why DICE and EA initially expressed doubt about issuing the green light in the first place. But Battlefield 1 has no intention of shying away from the nitty gritty; through Mud and Blood, as one of the campaign?s War Stories proclaims.
All in all, there?s certainl...