The first open beta for Battlefield Hardline, the upcoming installment for the popular Battlefield franchise, will begin on February 3rd and will run until February 8th.
The much-anticipated FPS game will be available via Origin for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 during the time frame which adds plenty of new features into the franchise.
A new trailer was also released to highlight these areas, which sees the addition of new weapons, gear, vehicles and gadgets to allow for more diverse and dynamic gameplay. As well as access to an entire set of multiplayer progression within Hardline, players will also have the opportunity to form new strategies, with things like the zipwire gun and muscle cars allowing for faster getaways, and features such as the grappling hook and non-lethal takedowns - arrests, interrogations and stun-guns - showcasing new ways for players to enter the game.
They’ll be able to do this in three different modes within the beta. The first sees the return of the signature Battlefield multiplayer mode in Conquest, which will now allow up to 64-players to take part in PC and current-gen games (last-gen will have a cap of 24) across the Dustbowl map; Hotwire mode sees high-speed car chases added to the game, as criminals attempt to steal a list of marked cars whilst the cops try to intercept and repossess them within the prior-mentioned Dustbowl map, as well as Downtown; the final mode that players will get to test out is Heist on the Bank Job map, which will see criminals trying to break into a bank vault by securing various drop-off points, whilst the cops attempt to work together and stop them.
Players will also be able to test out a new feature called Hacker during the beta phase. This allows one player from each team to access the surveillance cameras within an area and establish where the next area they strike should be, dependent on enemy location and tactics.
Hardline was initially set for release back on October 21 last year, but Visceral decided to delay it, in order to incorporate the feedback from the earlier closed beta. “There’s nothing more valuable to our team than the relationship we have with our community. Their passion feeds our passion and their feedback has definitely helped make Hardline a better game,” said Steve Papoutsis, General Manager of Visceral Games and Executive Producer of Battlefield Hardline on the decision to delay. “We want them to play the hell out of the beta next week and trust that they’ll keep that feedback coming so we can continue to fine tune the game.”
In our preview of Hardline last year, Alister Price was cautiously optimistic, finding the game to be largely enjoyable, but with little that drastically shakes up the established formula. Here’s hoping that Visceral has taken the time since then to refine and add to the framework that was on show back last July.
Battlefield Hardline is set for release on March 20 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PC.
