Battlefield Hardline's beta test is currently ongoing but what of the shooter's single player campaign?
While past Battlefields haven't been noted for having remarkable campaigns, the cops-vs-robbers dynamic coupled with the fact that the game is being developed by Dead Space studio Visceral could be about to change all that.
Speaking to RPS at E3, creative director Ian Milham commented:
“When we were thinking about how to do this game, I think anybody who knows us at Visceral knows that singleplayer is near and dear to our heart. We’ve done a pretty OK job of it before, and we have some pretty cool ideas for this one.
“On the singleplayer side the stuff that’s important to us is maybe not do as much of a single-path linear rollercoaster that’s been done before. We want more tactical choice, more player choice. Things to do besides just shoot everybody. That’s not really a cop thing as much.”
Milham mentioned Hollywood cop movies several times, likely suggesting those films will influence the game and the fact that players will have options that don't involve simply shooting everyone is welcome given that you're a police officer rather than a soldier, albeit, part of a heavily militarised police force.
The campaigns of Battlefield 3 and 4 were unusual for the series given that the games are generally about large open spaces and destructable environments and hopefully we'll see more expansive missions in Hardline.
Battlefield's chief rival Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare developer Sledgehammer Games is also talking up their story but whether or not either shooter can pull it off remains to be seen.