Just Horsing Around?: Battle in Battlefield 1

There is something aesthetically appealing about historical games that I value and appreciate. While I am not a huge fan of contemporary war games, I am fascinated with games that feature historical combat. One of my favorite games of all time is Call of Duty: World at War. This game was one of the first I’ve encountered that visually depicted damage and diminishing health (and my health diminished often). The screen would fill with red and it would take me forever to get into cover to regain my health. I thought this was such a cool feature.

The excitement I had playing World at War has returned for me in the Battlefield 1 beta. I didn’t complete the previous installments of Battlefield because I didn’t feel that there was anything new or innovative about it. And not to knock these kinds of games, but I don’t have a lot of free time to just explore for exploring sake. But I did take time to play this beta and I’ll discuss some of the cool features that first drew me to the game and have kept my interest.

Many games that are situated in the desert fail to capture the essence of the landscape. So to my surprise, I was overjoyed at having to navigate a dust storm. I lived in Phoenix, AZ for several years and I experienced a few dust storms, so I was glad to see that they didn’t just make you, as the character, ride through the storm unequipped. No, press up on the D pad and you get a full mask to traverse this treacherous terrain!

Another interesting feature of this game is the raw feel of old-school battle. Using the bayonet charge, I ran up on an opponent and started to melee. I felt like a cop beating the shit out of that dude. It’s up close and personal combat in a way I haven’t seen in a few years. But this is what historical battle will get you. And hiding out in the trenches also brings to mind the Denzel Washington Civil War era movie, Glory. In particular, the scene where they are on the beach getting ready to charge Fort Wagner – y’all probably don’t know that movie, but you should.

Since this game is rooted in history, it’s appropriate that they did not provide speedy modes of transportation. But we have one of the most reliable vehicles ever – a horse. So I’m from Kentucky and horses are kind of a big deal in our culture. So anytime a game features horses I tune in and critique it for its ability to truly capture these beautiful creatures. Thinking back to the robotic qualities of the horses in Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption, the designers did a great job.

Battlefield 1‘s horses, on the other hand, seem like they walk on a cloud of air. They leap barriers and barbed wire, hopping handily over boxes, low walls, and the other detritus of the Great War. Plug any other video game horse into Battlefield 1‘s messy levels and you’d have an exercise in screaming frustration, the animals whinnying to a halt as they brushed up against discarded bricks or other bits of inconsequential garbage.

Rich McCormick actually provided an interesting and funny overview of how badass the horses are in this beta.

Let me tell you about my most epic experience with my Bessie – yeah I named my horse Bessie! So I happened upon a fool slipping, pulled out my sword, and rode around forever trying to slice him! The turn radius on this horse is awful, but realistic so I was riding in circles forever. It was the coolest thing when I finally connected and cut his head off (goodness it sounds so gruesome actually articulating what happened).

Since it’s a beta, I won’t harp on the negative aspects of the game, but the servers being down the first day wasn’t a good look and I almost didn’t return to play it. I am also getting bored with the bland background – I’ve grown accustomed to bright, vibrant games. I hope other maps are not as drab.

In the end, it’s a pretty cool game thus far.