Battlefield Hardline will, like other recent entries in the series, feature a single player campaign and Visceral is aiming for a new dynamic inspired by the game's cops and robbers theme.
While other Battlefield campaigns have been criticised for removing the series' main attraction, massive open environments, Hardline's creative director Ian Milham wrote on the official Battlefield blog that:
"Taking Battlefield into the world of cops and criminals gives us an opportunity to do something completely different than what's been done in the past, not only in the series but in the genre. When we look around the landscape of gaming these days, there are a lot of gravel voiced super soldiers saving the world from domination.
"But that's not the world of cops and criminals, and that's not something we're interested in doing with Hardline. Our world is more personal and relatable. There won't be any five-minute cut scenes where the evil general explains his super weapon in our game. Instead, we want to create the look, tone, and pace of our favorite TV crime dramas."
Hardline is the story of Miami detective Nick Mendoza's quest for on corrupt former colleagues and is presented in an episodic format. Visceral says the story will offer greater freedom and choice than franchise creator DICE's previous single player efforts and more open environments.
"Like all gamers, we've enjoyed some great, linear, rollercoaster style games in our day. We may have even made one or two. But these days we think gamers are looking for more tactical choice and depth in their games, not just whack-a-mole shooting galleries. So for the Battlefield Hardline single player campaign, we are trying to fill our world with those choices."
Here are some of the choices which will await players in the single player campaign:
- Do I grapple and zipline past these guys, or try to get through on the ground?
- Do I intimidate this guy into giving up or go for the Taser?
- That guy has a warrant on him, and I could use the cash. Do I take him down here or get his flunkies first?
- How many bullets do I have left in this gun? Do I feel lucky? Well, do I?
While deciding whether or not to fire your gun in a shooter may not seem like much of a choice, warrents and ziplines could present very interesting options for players. Milham added:
"We are bringing more depth and choice to our campaign, and by using a TV crime drama aesthetic, delivering a different type of storytelling and a new tone that feels different from the from most of the first person shooters we've all played a lot of lately."
Battlefield Hardline is set for release on October 21st for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
