Although it makes my "Top Games Of March 2015" list, Battlefield Hardline isn't as exciting to me as it once was, when I first learned it would be cops and robbers themed.
That's because from everything we've seen so far, it looks like the cops and robbers motif is more skin than substance.
That doesn't mean a cops and robbers theme is a bad idea, however, just that EA is implementing it in such a way that it feels more military shooter than anything.
And that's a shame, because the franchise really needs something to shake it up once again and make it feel more distinct and unique. The series has lost its edge, and Hardline doesn't look like it's going to change that.
Here are a few ideas---I'm sure you all will have tons more---on how EA could revitalize the franchise:
Battlefield: Chicago
This is the game I wanted when I first heard the new Battlefield was going to be a cops-and-robbers game.
Instead of heavily armed soldier-cops fighting heavily-armed soldier-criminals, wouldn't it be way neater to set a Battlefield game in 1920's Chicago?
Elliott Ness could square off against Al Capone. Prohibitionist cops with pistols and shotguns taking on Tommy-gun armed mobsters.
You'd have old cars, awesome costumes, and a totally destructible Chicago set in the Roaring Twenties. I'm just picturing some wise guys zipping by in an old 1928 Cadillac V-8 Town Sedan, like Al Capone's ride pictured above.
(Capone's car was armored and had bullet-proof glass.)
Battlefield: Trench Warfare
We've seen plenty of World War II games, including Battlefield: 1942, but far fewer games have explored the trench warfare of the first Great War.
And while there are fewer guns, and everything is remarkably more low-tech in WWI, some of the stuff that went on in that era would be really interesting in large-scale PvP matches.
First off, the trenches. Incorporating that into moving around a battlefield---the franchise's calling card---could be tactically fascinating. Second, you have everything from bayonets to chemical weapons to swords.
Vehicle-wise, you have everything from old-school tanks to horses, not to mention the really cool planes that predated the jets of modern warfare.
(The above image is just one of many German planes from WWI. The options are enormous once you start bringing in other countries.)
Battlefield: Black Powder
There are lots of historical options for a black powder Battlefield game. You could set it in the Americas during the French and Indian War or the Civil War. You could set it during the Napoleonic Wars in Europe.
But wherever you set it, the game itself could be a really interesting take on black powder armament. Like the WWI game, it would mix guns and melee weapons like sabers, spears, and other primitive weaponry.
Unlike the first two ideas, however, the "vehicles" would be rather more limited. Horses and various artillery pulled by men and beast, and quite possibly a naval warfare component.
It'd be really interesting to structure the game with actual reloading restrictions in mind. Loading a black powder gun isn't a speedy process. In modern shooters, there are those moments when reloading can cost you your life.
In Battlefield: Black Powder you'd be even more at risk between shots, making those melee weapons a lot more attractive at times. Also, it would be cool to carry six pistols around, discarding them as they were fired.
A Battlefield game with somewhat limited resources might be interesting.
Battlefield: 007
How about a Battlefield game set in the 60's and 70's dealing with the Cold War, international spying, and bell bottoms? There's a ton of great spy fiction and film from this era (or set in this era) but hardly any when it comes to video games.
You have all sorts of options for a great single-player campaign ranging from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Cuba and South America to Soviet Russia.
Multiplayer could be as diverse as you wanted also. But rather than focus on Vietnam a la Battlefield: Vietnam, you could have maps from across the world, and a much more diverse range of battles. You could even incorporate the spy element into multiplayer.
I think getting away from the notion that this franchise always has to be about soldiers. You could have really interesting battles between a spy agency and some international terrorist group taking place in the streets of Kabul, or the back alleys of Moscow, or the jungles of Cuba.
So long as costumes and hairdos were done properly, that is.
Battlefield: Bad Company 3
This one is, admittedly, a no-brainer. It'd be nice to see EA tackle a third installment in the Bad Company series because it's been five years since Bad Company 2 and the series could use another really good title like that.
Both games in the series received strong critical feedback as well as a good response from gamers.
Then again, it's possible that a third entry could ruin everything. That's always the risk with a series like this.
You can read Paul Tassi's argument on why a new Bad Company is the way to go for the franchise here.
What do you think? What would you like to see come from this franchise?
