Firestorm – well polished but underwhelming
BATTLEFIELD V has added its long-awaited battle royale mode to the game in the form of Battlefield Firestorm and the result is distinctly underwhelming.
This is in part due to the recent proliferation of games in the battle royale genre, though games such as Apex Legends and Call of Duty seemed to have no problem adding their own innovative spin on a very well-trodden game mode.
Firestorm is well polished but never really sinks its hooks into you the same way that its similarly realism-driven cousing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds does. Matches kick off with the familiar sight of 64 players dropping into the admittedly breathtaking Halvoy map. The map is ringed by an enroaching circle of fire, which closes in until players are restricted to a very small area to fight.
The Halvoy biome is truly something special. Lush green forests and foliage are complimental by rolling hills and patches of snow, making this battle royale far-and-away the most beautiful of all current battle royale games. Unfortunately, the lack of truly distinctive named locations means that, for all its beauty, Firestorm’s map is very, very forgettable.
Another thing that Firestorm gets right is in the abundance of decent loot and a generous amount of spawning locations. One of the most frustrating things about certain other battle royale games is the paltry selection of loot, often resulting in players being undergeared towards the final circle, dying to players with much better loot and ultimately, wasting time looking for loot instead of having fun and shooting.
Firestorm’s loot distribution is very diverse and genrous. Cleverly, there are more than just your standard weapons, armor and backpacks to choose from. You’ll also find items such as airstrikes, vehicle fuel, ammo and flareguns scattered across every corner of the map. Flare guns are a way of marking opponents on your map, but you can also use certain types to call in support such as devastating airstrikes and vehicle drops. Another department Firestorm remains more diverse in is the selection of vehicles, with helicopters and tanks making a rather fun appearance.
For fans of battle royale games, Firestorm really doesn’t bring enough novelty to the table to separate itself from the other heavy-hitters in the scene. Particularly with the rise of the entirely novel Apex Legends, Firestorm will have an uphill battle trying to assert dominance in the market.