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Having grown increasingly complex, and thus more difficult for first-timers, the Battlefield series is going in some very different directions for its newest installment,
Battlefield Heroes. At a recent press event at EA's HQ, we spoke to DICE's Ben Cousins, the executive producer for the whole Battlefield franchise, about this PC shooter.
1. It's free ... sort of: While it'll won't cost anything to download or play, there will be ads in the menus, and you'll be able to buy stuff that, Cousins explains, "won't have any advantages in the game itself, they just give you an enhanced experience. Like you can buy your character a hat or cigar, or buy a convenience item that will double your experience points for two days."
2. They're tiny, they're toony: Because it's free, Cousins says, "We need to reach a wide audience with this game, so we had to go with low system specs. [As a result], we went with a cartoony look since realistic graphics on a computer with low specs look like crap." However, the visuals make up for it, Cousin notes, "by being influenced by the anime 'Porco Rosso' and the British cartoon band Gorzillaz."
3. It's third-person, not first-person: While the game has first-person shooter-style controls,
Heroes is actually third-person. "We found that people have a much easier time with third-person," Cousin explains. "They don't end up looking at the ceiling as much. Though I think it's also advantageous to play that way because you can see around corners."
4. It's "Battlefield Lite": The look and perspective aren't the only ways
Heroes is a simpler shooter. There are only three classes: Commando (fast but light), the Gunner (slow but strong), and the Soldier (even-keeled). "We also have a system," Cousins adds, "that makes it easier to find a game online, we've added a tutorial for the first time, and there's now an arrow directing you towards the action so you don't have to decipher the mini-map."
5. But it's still Battlefield: Especially since the basic game is "Conquest," the classic Battlefield mode that's a "Capture the Flag," except that capturing a flag subtracts points from your enemy. "Though in
Heroes," Cousin adds, "the only way you can reduce an enemy's points is by killing them, and you now get more points per kill when you capture a flag." But while
Heroes is the simplest
Battlefield, it's also the deepest. "The addition of the abilities system," Cousins explains, "which lets you level-up and customize your character, has really opened things up."
The Crispy Forecast: While hardcore Battlefield fanatics might decry its cartoonish look and simplified gameplay, fans of the series and arcadey shooters might enjoy it if they give it a chance.
This "Five" is based on an interview and demo conducted during an EA event.