Battlefield V: Firestorm Review

Weapons

Naturally, players enter Halvøy without weapons. You have to search for weapons using the game’s new loot system. Battlefield has never had such a feature, but it works as you’d expect. Weapons are scattered throughout the map and players have to manage limited inventory space. They are mostly scattered inside buildings, but players may come across an occasional chest with slightly rarer loot. There are also supply points on the map, which players must capture to earn better gear.

Weapons come in various rarities, accompanied by stat boosts and better accessories. Players can upgrade their inventory space and newly incorporated armor system by finding larger backpacks and armor plates on the map. Ammo capacity is also limited, so players have to manage the different types of ammo. This system seems like a nice middle ground between the complexity of PUBG and the simplicity of Fortnite.

Fight

Combat has some notable changes to the battle royale type of game. Players spawn with 150 health to account for the lack of regeneration, while rifles and snipers do less damage than they would in standard multiplayer.

These are minor changes, but Battlefield purists may have trouble with them. However, combat with the franchise’s base vehicles plays a part in Firestorm, which really sets the game apart from its competitors.

Common transport vehicles such as cars and trucks are scattered throughout Halvøy, but closed vehicles are as well. These blocks contain combat vehicles such as tanks, giving any player who finds one a great survival advantage. A team with great teamwork can run the battlefield with these, while lone players will likely have to run and hide.

Of course, stealth players can still take down tanks – mines and anti-armor weapons are in abundance, so this doesn’t ruin the game’s balance. It helps to keep some of these weapons close at hand towards the end of the game when the playable safe area is at a minimum. If someone has a tank and there is nowhere to run, the game will not end happily.

Final verdict

It’s hard to summarize Firestorm without comparing it to similar games. Battlefield V is already a decent game in its own right. Firestorm feels like an afterthought, as if DICE just wanted to jump on the battle royale trend. However, the game mode is a nice addition and doesn’t feel particularly exploitative or half-cooked.

Is Firestorm fun enough to justify buying Battlefield V? Well, no, probably not. It is nothing special. Battlefield V is fun enough to warrant a purchase without it, so Firestorm is just another plus for an already good experience.