The Battlefield 4 beta is currently open to some, and will be open to all on October 4. In preparation, Electronic Arts has released a video showing you what to expect.
Most of the game should sound familiar to fans of the previous Battlefield games. You will have four classes of characters to choose from. These classes remain the same as in the last games: Assault can issue med packs; Engineers can fix vehicles; Recon are meant to be snipers; Support can throw down ammo.
The map on display, “Siege of Shanghai,” is one of 10 maps that will ship with the full game. The two game modes you can choose from, Conquest or Domination, are also just part of the final selection. The map is a good example of what has really changed in Battlefield 4 though.
Destructible environments have long been a staple of the Battlefield franchise, but it is on a different level in Battlefield 4. Instead of simply destroying a wall, you can now destroy the ceiling and create a path to the higher level through the wreckage, or you can alter the landscape by destroying pillars and part of the street. Most significantly, you can destroy an entire sky scraper.
Besides the bragging rights associated with taking down a skyscraper, there is a tactical advantage to this. If a team is holding the point on top of the building and your team simply cannot break through, then salt the earth and bring the building down. Then no one can have it!
