Battlefield 2042is widely known as one of the biggest recent flops in the gaming industry. The game launched in a poor state and was mired with several bugs and missing features that were present in past entries. While it has gotten better over the course of many patches and in-game seasons,Battlefield 2042still has a long way to go before it can truly regain the trust of players.
One of the most controversial systems introduced inBattlefield 2042is the Specialist system. In contrast to the franchise’s tried-and-true class system, the Specialist system gives players unique characters with dedicated backstories, gadgets, and appearances. Specialists seem to have been born out of the current trend of hero shooters, where companies can create new characters each season to breathe new life into their games. But whilethe system may work with newer IPs likeOverwatchandApex Legends, adding it to an established franchise likeBattlefieldwas bound to ruffle some feathers.
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Specialists Mixed With The Traditional Class System Cause A Lot Of Problems
Back duringBattlefield 2042’s launch,each Specialist had a unique Specialty gadget and a passive Trait. A bruiser like Santiago “Dozer” Espinoza would be able to pull out his SOB-8 Ballistic Shield to defend himself and reflect frontal damage while his passive Trait made him more resilient to explosive damage. While Specialist abilities are still currently in the game, DICE has decided to bring back the class system after fan backlash.
Adding the class system after the game was built with Specialists in mind has caused the former to feel half-baked. Each class can still use every weapon available, and some classes come equipped with gadgets that dip into other’s specialties. To give an example, all Assault class Specialists come with a Med Pen that allows them to heal themselves in the middle of combat. This not only makes them tankier but reduces the overall usefulness ofSupport class Specialists like Maria Falck.
Too Many Individual Characters Just Don’t Work In The Battlefield Franchise
Because the whole point of the Specialist system is to have multiple unique characters, it immediately contraststhe coreBattlefieldexperience. There are a lot of soldiers per team in anyBattlefieldgame that it becomes easy to get lost in combat. For a hero-based system like Specialists to work properly, players should be able to easily identify which characters they are playing with and against and come up with a plan based on the current situation.
The class systems from previousBattlefieldgames give players on opposite teams different cosmetics to easily identify them.The Russian, Chinese, and American soldiers fromBattlefield 4, for instance, were easy to distinguish based on their appearances and voice lines.Battlefield 2042doesn’t give players that luxury. Firefights are already loud and hectic, and the fact that all Specialists can be on either the Russian or American side makes it harder to tell friends from foes. This was done so that players can show off their character skins no matter which side they are on - which is another trend theBattlefieldfranchise seems to be following with little concern for the core gameplay.
The Next Battlefield Should Stick With What Works
This is one of the big reasons whyBattlefield 2042failed. In chasing trends that don’t fit with the franchise, DICE has ended up alienating its player base. The Specialist system is just one of the few features that have been reworked to appeal to more players. While it is good that the developers are listening to fan feedback, it is much harder to modify an existing game’s framework than to make sure everything runs properly before a title releases.Battlefield 2042is slowly getting to a point where it can contend with other gamesin the franchise, but DICE should take an inward look at what makes the franchise work before adding new features that break the coreBattlefieldexperience.
Battlefield 2042is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
