With the popularity of Call of Duty Mobile, it was only a matter of time until Electronic Arts found a developer to work on a mobile version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Battlefield Mobile has been in production since April, and a new Play Store entry for the game appeared at the beginning of September, confirming that it is still in development. This listing was made public in advance of the first alpha test, which was launched in Indonesia and the Philippines this past weekend and is still ongoing. Gameplay footage has been leaking online, as you might expect, and it appears like EA failed to region-lock the game, which is how I was able to sideload the APK and film a 25-minute gameplay video at 1080p/60 frames per second. For anyone interested in getting an extended first look at how the Battlefield Mobile alpha is shaping up, I’ve put together a handy guide for you.
A look at the Battlefield Mobile settings is provided in the video above, followed by a demonstration of many rounds of gaming. The fact that this is an early alpha build limits the amount of material available, but online matches are functional on a couple of the Conquest capture-the-flag maps, and the competition was fierce. While I got off to a good start with a few kills, I quickly discovered that running and gunning is bad approaches. At least in the capture-the-flag variant that is currently accessible in the alpha, and as a result, I was swiftly singled out whenever I ventured into the open. I.e., I was butchered, which was absolutely not enjoyable for me in the least. This is the point where everyone will urge me to “get good” in the comments section, but please allow me to first explain why I didn’t have any enjoyment in this situation.
To begin with, the touch controls are unwieldy, and there is no controller compatibility other than a functional left thumbstick that does not have the capacity to move the character. The worst part is that clicking to shoot does not appear to be there, and auto-shoot looks to be delayed (which is why I had this option turned off in the above video, potentially to my detriment), which may be due to a problem with the server’s proximity to my position. As a result, you’ll find yourself swinging your pistol wildly to compensate for the fact that you won’t be able to snap on any targets. It would appear that player distance had a significant impact as well, as I was able to unload a full clip into an enemy at a distance, obviously hitting them but never burning their energy down to the point of death. By the time I got close enough to my target for my gun to do any significant damage, I was dead at the hands of someone who did not have any aiming troubles.
It’s also far too easy to get tangled up in objects outside of your peripheral vision, despite the fact that other players were jumping, running, and generally being elusive, all of which are telltale signs of experienced players who know how to doge during shootouts on memorized maps, as I discovered. To say that matches were unbalanced would be an understatement, but my team consistently won, almost entirely without my assistance. And I’m not unfamiliar with touchscreen shooters, but something wasn’t quite right here.
Another issue that I find concerning is that matches seem to drag on for an inordinate amount of time, which I don’t believe will translate well to portable gaming environments. The amusing thing is that, if you look at the game’s subreddit, gamers are already moaning about how short the matches are getting. Because the primary title is known for having prolonged bouts that can last up to 45 minutes, the further EA deviates from its original formula, the more dissatisfied long-time fans will be. But, as you can see, this comes at the expense of the casual audience, and I have my doubts about whether inexperienced players will be ready to put in the effort to engage in lengthy bouts. As a result, it will be interesting to watch how Electronic Arts addresses this.
As for the graphics, I believe they’re fairly excellent for an alpha, and I’m glad to see that map destruction is included, which has been a feature of the series since the beginning. So far, the performance has been rather satisfactory. While recording on the ROG 5, I was able to play at 1080p at 70 frames per second while using the highest graphics settings accessible on the computer. You can also set your framerate to a maximum of 30 frames per second, which should be beneficial for people who are using mid-range hardware.
As a result, my observations on this alpha should be taken with a grain of salt, as the game is still in its early stages and is being tested on servers halfway around the world from where I am located. EA is already trying to enhance the game, so it’s possible that my aiming troubles are connected to the delay from the testing servers., which is what this alpha is all about: ensuring that Battlefield Mobile is appropriately balanced before its official release next year, which is when this alpha will conclude. In the end, while dying at the hands of far better players who weren’t hampered by server delays was not particularly enjoyable, it already appears that Battlefield Mobile is on its way to becoming a serious competitor for other shooters on mobile platforms. The game is currently leaning towards hardcore gameplay, which should appeal to longtime Battlefield fans. So long as Electronic Arts can resolve the issues with the shaky gunplay and the length of the matches, we could be looking at a hit on our hands.
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