If like our Paul you’re willing to tear items from the greed-sticky fingers of others in Aftermath DLC’s new Scavenger mode, you’ll soon come across the new crossbow. It’s neither primary nor secondary weapon – rather an extra item in your inventory to be equipped with standard, explosive, scan or sniper bolts on the fly.
We’ve already seen the first three bolts, but not in quite so much detail as offered in the new Battlefield Blog post, spotted by PCG.
Specifics, then. The standard bolt’s power will be offset by a “pronounced” drop and consequently short range. The same will be true of the explosive bolt, which power-wise burns just a touch less brightly than the RPG rocket or the existing C4 charge. The scan bolt, meanwhile, will find enemies within a range of 10 metres exactly.
There’s also a fourth bolt we missed in our preview – a double-feathered, aerodynamic sniper bolt, exempt from bolt drop and gravity as a concept.
The idea is to increase the repertoire of all classes, to better compensate for their weaknesses. For instance: a sniper bolt will never be a compelling alternative to the dedicated sniper rifle, but it will allow the decidedly mid-range Engineer a long-range option.
And of course, bolts can be swapped out in the heat of the fight – turning Aftermath’s battlefields into more dynamic and unpredictable affairs.
Here’s the new footage – though you’ll need to be a Premium member to access it.
Are DICE wise to further diversify approaches to the game with the crossbow, or do they risk muddying the distinct roles each class currently plays?