Battlefield 6 Open Beta Part 3

Aug 14

The second Battlefield 6 Open Beta test started earlier today. A 7.6GB download added additional maps, new game modes and also resolved some technical issues. I was able to select my second monitor to display the game this time round and also made some basic performance related tweaks. The colour grading is still an issue for me and I struggle at times to correctly identify players and objects at distance due to the muted palette. Minor gripes aside, the game still performs well and all the game modes have something to offer. King of the Hill and some of the other close quarters maps are a little too intense for my skill level but I still had fun with projectiles and explosives. I still prefer the Conquest mode with its bigger maps and greater variety of gameplay options.

For me, the key to enjoying any of the Battlefield games is to find yourself something useful to do. Something that is within your skillset so you don’t get frustrated. I am not especially good at a straight forward infantry role. My aim is too poor. So I tend to favour the Engineer class. I can ride in vehicles and then fix them when they’re damaged. I can also use RPG and Surface-to-air Missiles to destroy enemy armour and aircraft. All of which are beneficial to the team. I became quite competent today using the Sidewinder Missile. My technique was to position myself towards the rear of the map and wait for aircraft doing strafing runs. I would aim and achieve weapons lock, then stop aiming. The enemy aircraft would then use its countermeasures which have a cooldown. I would then immediately aim again and fire, once I had a weapons lock. It proved quite a successful procedure.

This current beta is available till 17th August. It should be noted that this is still not a complete build of the game. Team Deathmatch and Escalation Modes are not currently included. The tactical ladders and sledgehammer are also conspicuously absent for the time being. Yet there is sufficient to play and try, to be able to get a handle on Battlefield 6. Overall I think the developers have retained enough of the old school elements and added just the right amount of new mechanics. The game certainly has a “wow” factor. The question is will it retain it. There still isn’t a server browser but there is a gameplay filter in the latest build that allows you to select the modes you prefer. So far, I have not had to wait too long to access content I enjoy playing the most. I have also not encountered any server queues.

Finally, there is one aspect of Battlefield 6 that is perennial. Each game you play is only as good as the people participating in it. So far, during both beta tests, I have had some excellent games where your squad sticks together, works towards objectives as well as spot, heal, resupply and repair. These games were rewarding and enjoyable. Then there have been others where everyone does their own thing. Thus you have dozens of snipers dug in, vehicles being driven away the moment they spawn, without waiting for a full crew and irrespective of whether the player can use them effectively. I did find things to do in these games but they were demonstrably weaker. It’s the one aspect of this genre that developers can’t fully fix. It’s why many players would happily play against bots instead. That’s a post for another day. In the meantime, Battlefield 6 is proving to be one to watch.