The Battlefield game series lives up to every description of the name. This first-person shooter is famous for its large maps, multiplayer gameplay and the ability to use military jets and other war machines.
The idea behind the game is not to lose the areas you conquer while fighting to conquer the rest of the regions at the same time.
With an adrenalin-pumping storyline and effects, it's no wonder Battlefield has been a staple in the gaming circles since it was first introduced. Here is a full list of every Battlefield game ever released.
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Battlefield 1942
Release date: September 10, 2002
Supported platforms: PC
Battlefield 1942 was a first in many ways in the first person shooter-themed games. It traded the traditional capture the flag and deathmatch modes for a more appealing Conquest approach. Gamers had to capture control points spread across the map and keep launching attacks against other locations on the map.
The game also had a class system that put players into different soldier roles including assault, medics, anti-tank, scouts and engineers.
Before the second edition of the series was released, there were two expansions to Battlefield 1942 that were released. These were The Road to Rome and Secret Weapons of WWII.
Why not play it on your Fierce Gaming PC.
Battlefield Vietnam
Release date: March 14, 2014
Supported platforms: PC
The second edition of the series didn't change the gameplay. However, there were some new concepts to the series like passengers being able to fire from the sides of vehicles and also the ability to air-lift vehicles into battle.
The second edition also features some popular military vehicles and prototype weapons. Battlefield Vietnam also included a licensed soundtrack that featured a multitude of songs from the era which included some from Vietnam-based movies.
Battlefield 2
Release date: June 21, 2005
Supported Platform: PC
Battlefield 2 had a change in scenery. It takes place in the early 21st century using a fictional world war. The game pits allies United States and European against China, which is paired up with a fictional Middle Eastern Coalition.
The riveting game has militaries from both sides of the divide, trying to infiltrate enemy territory. Players have 15 maps to choose from ranging from urban settings to swamplands.
Each map has three variations designed to cater to a different number of players. With a ton of additional features on Battlefield 2, it’s now easier to manage large scale battles and players who can communicate through an in-game VoIP.
Unfortunately, despite the critical acclaim the game enjoyed, the glitches and a plethora of bugs earned it its fair share of negative reviews. The game was patched to remove the bags and few expansions released as well. These included:
- Battlefield 2: Special Forces
- Battlefield 2: Euro Forces
- Battlefield 2: Armoured Fury
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
Release date: October 24, 2005
Supported Platforms: PS2 Xbox, Xbox360
By the fourth edition release, Battlefield was hitting its stride and was finally available on gaming consoles. Modern Combat features a single-player campaign revolving a fictional war that takes place in Kazakhstan between NATO and China.
The multiplayer version of the game had a conquest to capture the flag conquests and battles of up to 24 players with 12 players on either side.
Battlefield 2142
Release date: October 17, 2006
Supported platforms: PC
Battlefield 2142 was more like Battlefield 2 in quality. It was based on the modern concept but had a Sci-Fi feeling to it. There was also an emphasis on making this a fast-paced combat game with fictional weapons.
The storyline of the game takes place in the 22nd century in the ice age where a war between the Pan Asian Coalition and the EU Union breaks out.
There’s a new multiplayer mode called Titan which requires players to have Anti-Titan Missiles to destroy opposing players’ Titan artillery.
Before the release of the next edition in the franchise, there was one quick expansion to the Battlefield 2142 called Northern Strike. It featured a new mode called Assault lines that were similar to the conquest mode.
Battlefield: Bad Company
Release date: June 23, 2008
Supported platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Bad Company is one of the most exciting and exhilarating games in the franchise. It has an incredible storyline and standout characters.
The single-player campaign is one of the best in the series. There was also a new introduction, Gold Rush to the multiplayer mode which was the only multiplayer campaign in the game until the conquest mode was added later on.
The storyline of the game revolves around the life of Private Preston Marlowe of the B-Company a ragtag group of trouble makers commonly used as cannon fodder in the field.
The single-player campaign is about quenching the B-Company's thirst for treasure. With the multiplayer campaign having the objective of finding gold crates placed in strategic locations on the map.
Battlefield Heroes
Release date: June 25, 2009
Supported platforms: PC
Battlefield Heroes is the first in the EA Play 4 Free series. Players can download and play the game free. However, some content requires microtransactions.
This edition is also the first to have a third-person shooter view. Compared to previous games in the franchise, Battlefield Heroes has unique graphics and looks similar to Fortnight.
While the game is pretty interesting, the unbalanced pay-to-win system ruined the game, forcing it to shut down in 2015.
Battlefield 1943
Release date: July 8, 2009
Supported Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
EA retraced its footsteps back to Battlefield 1942 to create Battlefield 1943. 1943 is awash with multiplayer game modes and doesn't have a single-player story whatsoever. The game has three maps, each updated to suit the latest version of the game.
The fourth map can only be used in the Air Superiority mode. The 1943 edition has a few modified mechanics to make the game unique. Some of the tweaks include unlimited ammo and health that regains overtime.
Even without the single-player mode, Battlefield 1943 is one of the best multiplayer first-person shooter games ever.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Release date: March 2, 2010
Supported platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Given the success of Bad Company, it was almost predictable that the franchise would be revisiting this storyline. True to expectation, in 2010, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was released.
This edition has a more intense single-player campaign but retains the same unique experience offered by the original version.
The game starts in the great WWII where the B-Company team is sent in search of special operatives trapped deep behind enemy lines.
The game comes with a copy of a VIP pass that you can use to unlock a free DLC. The original edition of the Bad Company had a luck lustre multiplayer mode, in this edition, the multiplayer modes are better and tighter. The sound effects and destruction are some of the notable improvements in the game.
On December 21, 2010, a downloadable expansion pack called Bad Company 2 Vietnam was released. The expansion takes action inside the Vietnam War. In the expansion, the character classes remain the same. However, the vehicles, weapons and gadgets are different and era-specific.
You also get to enjoy up to two hours of 1960s music in the radios of the vehicles. You will also note that finally, there’s a compass integrated on the mini-map which was conspicuously missing from the BC2 game.
Battlefield Online
Release date: March 25, 2010
Supported platforms: PC
Battlefield Online is not EA's best work. It is a remake of Battlefield 2 only with worse visuals, and the player base is dead, to say the least.
However, considering that this is a free-to-play edition, the visuals are not that bad and are somewhat acceptable.
Other than the visuals, the game also had a flurry of technical issues, and eventually, EA had no option but to shut down the game once and for all in 2013.
Battlefield Play4Free
Release date: April 4, 2011
Supported platforms: PC
After the mess that Battlefield Online turned out to be, it’s surprising that EA would follow up with another edition of a free-to-play game.
Taking from the lessons of the previous game, the approach on Play4Free was more cautious and heavily inspired by Battlefield Heroes. Like Heroes, the new edition was a mix of free-to-play and pay-to-win versions. Using in-game currency called Battlefunds, players can buy powerful weapons and armour. Players can purchase the Battlefunds using real money which allows them to keep the weapons permanently or use the Conquest points and keep the weapons and armour for a limited time.
Unfortunately, there's no single-player mode in Play4Free. All the campaigns are multiplayer, including the conquest mode.
Most of the weapons and artillery featured in this edition are borrowed from Bad Company 2 while the maps are from Battlefield 2. As a result of nit-picking from different games, Play4Free has no identity of its own.
Battlefield 3
Release date October 25, 2011
Supported platforms: PS 3, Xbox 360, PC
Battlefield 3 takes the mantle from the award-winning Battlefield 2. The game features military combat with jets and vehicles in large scale. The game can support up to 64 players in the multiplayer campaign on PC.
Luckily, single-player lovers don't have to miss out. There's also a single-player campaign and co-op missions that you can try out.
The game has an upgraded Frostbite 2.0 engine and improved features like destruction and lighting elements, which makes gameplay more interactive and life-like.
The game has a total of five expansion packs. However, players can only receive the packs through the premium membership platform that requires players to pay $50.
It's also possible for players to get each of the packs individually at the cost of $15 per pack. Each of the packs is quite catchy. It features new maps, game modes, weapons and vehicles.
Battlefield 4
Release date: October 29, 2013
Supported platforms: PlayStation 3, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The large-scale vehicular warfare continues in Battlefield 4. There are some new and old features in the game. The Commander mode in multiplayer makes a comeback and thanks to the use of the Frostbite 3 engine, the destruction is enhanced.
In Battlefield 4, the players can also alter the physical characteristics of the map like toppling a towering skyscraper containing one of the conquest flags then kicking up dust and smoke that covers the map for the rest of the match.
There are some neat expansions available for this edition that add new weapons and maps among other features. Basically, Battlefield 4 is an upgrade of Battlefield 3, but it doesn't take away the self-identity and value of Battlefield 3.
Battlefield Hardline
Release date: March 17, 2015
Supported platform: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360
Unlike the other games in the franchise that prominently featured EA as the lead developer, Hardline was developed by Visceral Games.
The game deviated from the usual military approach and went for a Police and Robber approach. The single-player mode made it possible for players to arrest the robbers. That was the only main feature added to the game. The game also featured several multiplayer modes like Heist, Blood Money and Hotwire.
Ultimately, Hardline is missing the military concept and carnage that is synonymous with the franchise. It's merely a spin-off that doesn't get close to what Battlefield 3 and 4 have to offer.
Battlefield 1
Release date: October 21, 2016
Supported platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Battlefield 1 is one of the best games in the franchise and is full of firsts which is probably what makes this the best edition. For the first time, the action takes place in World War I. It covers a ton of WWI frontline stories and war fronts in the war. The war machines and weapons used in the game like poison gas and flamethrowers were all WWI-inspired.
The game has excellent graphics, and the introduction of horses into the game adds a touch of authenticity. In the multiplayer campaign, players get new features like charging at an enemy with a bayonet and sticking it dead centre in the chest of the enemy, new mechanics that allow you to choose whether you want someone to revive you or keep going.
The single-player mode is just as satisfying. The War Stories campaign allow you to experience the story of different characters in the war front, making this one impressive and historical masterpiece worth your time.
Battlefield 1 has premium membership features just like Battlefield 3. However, it’s most likely going to be the last.
Battlefield V
Release date: November 20, 2018
Supported platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
As impressive as the WWI theme was, the franchise retracted back to WWII for the latest edition in the franchise. It is the second time the franchise is going back to WWII after it was first featured in Battlefield 1943.
However, Battlefield V borrows heavily from Battlefield 1, including the war stories, single-player gameplay, and the operations mode.
In this game, you can modify weapons and vehicles, and there's no premium membership included which is a great plus.
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Battlefield 2042
Release date: October 22, 2021
Supported platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
DICE's Battlefield series will return this year with Battlefield 2042, a futuristic rendition of the Battlefield shooters that promises the same "only-in-Battlefield moments" on a grander scale, thanks to futuristic weapons of war, real-time destructive weather like tornadoes and sandstorms, and massive maps that can support up to 128 players.
Within Battlefield 2042, there will be three multiplayer experiences. The first "All-Out Warefare" will be classic Battlefield gameplay.
The second mode is reportedly an experience "completely new for Battlefield", called Hazard Zone. This mode is set to focus on close squad play.
The third multiplayer experience has yet to be announced. EA have not given specifics yet, but calls the third mode "a love letter to Battlefield fans" and stresses that long-time players will feel right at home with.
We are pretty excited for this next Battlefield release and can't wait to see more details in the coming months!
Final Thoughts
You can choose to be part of one of the greatest first-person shooter games ever with 16 editions to choose from. Some of the sequels didn't quite pan out and had to be shut down, but those that are still standing remain very interesting and worth every minute of your time.