THE JOY OF SIX

BATTLEFIELD 6 is coming, and could be a renaissance for the series

- By Jake Tucker

Battlefield is back. For the first time in years it feels like Dice - and the collection of other dev studios that has assembled like the Avengers to make Battlefield 6 happen - might just have recaptured the series' magic. A back to basics shooter that emphasises teamwork and emergent chaos is just what Battlefield needs.

The Battlefield 6 beta was hugely successful, showing a streamlined first-person shooter that captures the magic of the series in its earlier days. It's heavy on the emergent chaos and lighter on big buzzwords and systems that most players didn't really want to interact with. In its best moments teams surge forwards like ants, and you feel like a cog - step away from a door to reload or heal and another player would step into your spot.

Fights, particularly in the beta's more close-quarters maps, feel like a teeming mass as players fight to defend flanks or overrun those defending. Fighting through an art gallery and the surrounding buildings and alleyways in New York, the confrontation rumbles forwards between smoke and rubble. The balance feels razor sharp, and the wall of defending enemies feels impenetrable until the dam breaks and the attackers flood through.

It's reminiscent of Battlefield 3, a high point in franchise history, and that's by design. Talking to developers at both the Los Angeles and London reveal events, everyone was eager to share how Battlefield 3 and 4 were the touchstones for its design. After years of experimentation, EA just wants to play the hits. "When we decided we wanted to do something in the near future, we looked at other Battlefield's from the same era," says lead producer Nika Bender. "We knew that Battlefield 3 and