Battlefield 1942’s bike was its heart, beating at a thousand controlled explosions per second. Before they knew what a capture point was, or even how to wield a mouse, a new player could hop into a sidecar-laden vehicle, feel the expansive map rolling beneath their wheels, and run down at least one man before taking a stray bullet to the head.
End Game brings the bike back to Battlefield, and with it nuanced strategic potential that goes far beyond the 1942 suicide run. DICE blogger H Brun is on hand to talk us through its application in the DLC’s accompanying Capture the Flag mode.
In Battlefield, as in everything else multiplayer ever, Capture the Flag requires a well-balanced mix of defence and “lightning quick” offense if you are to have a chance at scoring at all.
“Once you’ve captured the enemy flag, it’s carried on the back of your infantry soldier or attached to your vehicle,” says Brun. “While we love the fast and agile dirt bike, you will always have to weigh its speed against its low safety against enemy fire.
“If you would prefer a slower but more armored ride home, we’d recommend a jeep or tank instead – but whatever ride you choose, you will always be asked to make that judgment call whether speed or armor is your top priority at any given time.”
The nature of Capture the Flag, combined with the sheer scale of End Game’s maps, means that matches are “highly dynamic”.
“You either protect your flag, snatch it back, or grab the enemy flag,” says Brun. “Those are the only strategically sound actions you can take in a round of Capture the Flag. Coupled with the mobile nature of both flags, this means that firefights can suddenly erupt anywhere across the map and then suddenly change location again.”
In another recent blog post, DICE explored the nitty gritty of dirt bike jumps. Here’s the incentive:
Update: if this still isn’t enough End Game for you, DICE have just teased an image of the new map map Kiasar Railroad. Does it show much? Nah, not really, but we’ve included it so that we can be comprehensive.
Battlefield 3: End Game comes to the PC in March.