Battlefield 2042 beta preview: A look at the future of warfare

While Call of Duty: Vanguard takes a step back in time, Battlefield is certainly taking a step forward and letting players experience the future of warfare. After a long pause since the release of Battlefield V, the franchise returns with a multiplayer-only game titled Battlefield 2042.

On October 4, 2021, Battlefield 2042 gave the players their first open-beta experience on the Orbital, the new medium-sized map in Kourou, French Guiana. To experience the map, the Battlefield 2042 beta also offers a first look at its Conquest mode, which can hold up to 128 players on PC and new-gen consoles. The new game also takes place after the events of Battlefield 4, which is exciting for fans worldwide.

Battlefield 2042 beta isn’t the final product so things might change a little bit before players get their hands on the final build. Until then, let’s dive into the futuristic combat setting of Battlefield 2042.

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Battlefield 2042 beta preview: Live the Battlefield

The Orbital map included in the open beta is massive and has been broken into different sectors for players to conquer. To add variety to the Orbital, different sections of the map have different clusters of an entire village, stadiums, or a large oil platform. The map will undoubtedly accommodate a total of 128 players.

The Orbital map is massive

Battlefield 2042 provides all types of options for traversing the map. Players can choose to simply travel, conquer the skies, or dominate the lands with infantry vehicles. However, no one is invincible if anyone gets their hands on these vehicles as they can be destroyed with a heavy gunpowder barrage.

Having a higher ground does help

Coming to buildings in Battlefield 2042, most of the architecture and objects in the game are destroyable. So, if anyone chooses to camp inside a building, they will be safe for as long as they have walls surrounding them.

Hiding is not an option

With all of these features, players have the ability to personalize the battlefield and make each situation feel unique by modifying some map variables.

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On-field weapon customization: Gun for the road

Unlike other shooter games right now, Battlefield 2042 brings a new take on weapon customization. Instead of giving the option to change attachments before entering a battle zone, Battlefield introduces a new on-field weapon customization which allows real-time weapon adjustment.

Short range to long range weapon within a matter of seconds

If a player wants to make adjustments to the weapon to fit a situation, they can do that in real-time while playing. Players have a plethora of options to choose from when customizing their weapons, such as scopes, muzzles, grips, and magazines.

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Specialist in Battlefield 2042

The Battlefield 2042 beta gives access to four different specialists named Casper, Mackay, Falck, and Boris. All these specialists have different traits and gadgets which make them helpful on the battlefield.

Healers are always there to save the day

Of these four, Mackay was the most fun to play as because of his grapple gun which allows him to travel not only horizontally but also vertically. Apart from him, Falck is also helpful because of her healing abilities.

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Destroying things is fun

Battlefield has always given a destructible environment to its players. Battlefield 2042 provides different types of explosives to its players to deal with “bigger” threats. Starting from performing a “Rendezook” to getting creative with C5s by attaching them on vehicles, players have the option to do it all.

Wait, the rocket can be destroyed?

Destruction doesn’t stop at vehicles or buildings; the entire world is destructible. Orbital features the same rocket shown in the gameplay trailer of Battlefield 2042, and that is also destructible if the criteria is met. The rocket can also launch itself, however, players don’t get to play any part in it, and it is completely automated.

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How does the game feel?

Battlefield 2042 does an excellent job of creating an ever-changing map that allows players to experience new things each time they play. The visuals are pleasing, explosions are loud, and guns feel different with every change made to them.

The guns feel different with every small changes made to them

The changing weather system adds depth to the game by switching the overall lighting conditions. The transition from clear skies to thunderstorms is always a pleasant surprise that alters the mood of the battlefield.

Dynamic weather in Battlefield 2042 is visually stunning

The shooting mechanics in Battlefield 2042 are satisfying in their own way. Real-time weapon customization in the game is helpful in certain situations and is enough to turn the tides.

As of now, Battlefield 2042 has some bugs. However, because the game is still in beta, it is likely that those bugs will be fixed before the final release. As a result, the game cannot be rated at this time, but it will certainly satisfy the players who are looking forward to it.

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Performance of Battlefield 2042 beta preview

The early-beta copy of Battlefield 2042 was provided by Electronic Arts and was played on the system with the following specifications:

• CPU: Ryzen 5 3600
• GPU: Gigabyte RTX 2060 Super
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Preset: Medium (Nvidia Reflex: On+ Boost)
• Framerates per second: 60-75 FPS

It needs to be mentioned that the Battlefield 2042 beta did produce some occasional frame drops, black artifacts on the screen, and heavy input lag. However, the input lag problem was taken care of by disabling future frame rendering which came pre-enabled.