Just don’t tell them that. According to the Swedish studio, one of their main goals for the upcoming Battlefield 4 isn’t just appealing to more gamers than ever before, but righting the wrongs of BF3. The last installment in the series may have been met with rave reviews, but to those who made it, the fumbling of the user experience and customization systems is something they “should be slapped” for.
The developers have stated in the past just how obsessively they examine feedback from customers, and for those keeping a close watch on BF4, it’s clear some issues have been placed in the spotlight this time around (the new ability to test drive vehicles outside of multiplayer is no surprise).
Since several major publishers and developers have fallen into the pattern of ‘streamlining’ their games to appeal to a massive audience, diehard fans of Battlefield might bristle at the notion of DICE re-designing the user experience, possibly to make it more palatable to anyone other than the existing community. But in an interview with VG24/7, BF4’s creative director Lars Gustavsson explained that the systems being changed aren’t ones that new players had issues with - they’re the ones the developers weren’t pleased with:
No one will oppose the idea of creating seamless interfaces and more easily-readable menus, but there’s no overlooking the elephant in the room: EA wants nothing more than to make Battlefield a direct competitor with Call of Duty. But even if executives at DICE have blamed Activision’s annualized series for stagnation in the FPS space, there’s no question that there is a reason Call of Duty remains so popular with hardcore gamers and casual fans alike.
After all, massive armed battles incorporating tanks, fighter planes and helicopters can easily scare off newcomers - especially if the spawning or customization systems are more obtuse than they have to be. It’s DICE’s hope, then, that a ore streamlined and intuitive user experience will address the concerns of their devoted fans, while giving beginners the tools they need to join the action:
Lest anyone accuse DICE of trying to have their cake and eat it too - bringing in a more-complicated-than-ever Commander Mode, while giving newcomers fewer barriers to entry - Gustavsson reminds players that there is more than one way to be effective in their shooter:
“It’s totally up to you, but if you want to, even in the more complex mode, you can do your own lone wolf career. But if you want to there is a traditional layer — for those who want it."
Only time will tell how successful DICE will be, but the game has impressed so far. What did you think of the customization and vehicles of BF3? Are you more likely to try Battlefield 4 knowing these issues are being addressed? Give us your thoughts in the comments.
Battlefield 4 releases October 29, 2013 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. PS4 and Xbox One release dates have not been announced.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrew_dyce.
Source: VG24/7
