The Battlefield franchise is certainly an interesting correlation to Call of Duty.

One is an annual franchise, constantly churning out epic campaigns and consistent multiplayer year on year, the other is a treat we get every few years with familiar vibes but its own distinct style.

The thing is, year on year, that annual franchise has slowly but surely diminished in popularity. It’s not the powerhouse it once was, though it absolutely still commands a room, and especially now it has the full backing of Microsoft and GamePass behind it.

And with the release of Battlefield VI, what we’re seeing today is a series that is finally pushing past the massive, looming shadow of the mass market fan favourite and carving its own presence over the entire genre. While it would be a little bit of a stretch to say this game is Battlefield’s real coming out party, what we can finally say is, the series may finally be in the driver’s seat.

We’ll know the true answer to that next month once Black Ops 7 drops, of course, but from what we’ve sampled of the multiplayer and having now played through the campaign, I can categorically say this is my favourite Battlefield to date, and the campaign was a real thrill ride from the word go.

A far cry from Battlefield 2042, then, the campaign of 6 feels extremely topical in a very politically tense world with NATO right at the heart of it. With NATO starting to crumble – its head assassinated by a private military firm, Pax Armata, there is a balance of power shifting in the world. And as NATO haven’t responded, not wanting to escalate tensions – sounding familiar? – you are part of a military group tasked with dealing with this new threat before they get their feet too ccomfortably under the table.

Much like previous Battlefield campaigns – and indeed, Call of Duty – the campaign is loud, explosive, full of Oscar Mikes and plenty of gunfire. You’ll control heavy weaponry, anti-aircraft rocket launchers, blow buildings apart, snipe soldiers from crows nests, and run through sewers while trying to stya undetected. The campaign takes you through the full suite of soldier warfare.

And it does make for a mostly enjoyable experience, though the difficulty can definitely be brutal at points, it’s not always clear to see where you’re being hit from and your AI team mates aren’t always the sharpest or quickest on the trigger. I did also encounter once or twice a few glitches in the campaign that forced me to restart the checkpoint, like the armoured vehicle I was supposed to protect not moving forward after an enemy wave had been wiped.

I also got really fed up of hitting the barrier markers for mission exit when trying to find collectibles and then the game kicking me out because I didn’t have enough time to get back or got a bit lost on my way. But honestly, none of this is especially new or surprising for these kinds of campaigns.

As someone who has played most COD and even Battlefield campaigns over the years, it’s pretty par for the course. It’s not rewriting the rule book or doing anything especially fresh or exciting. In fact, it feels a little stripped back compared to some with no loadouts and a high amount of linearity. The story itself also isn’t really setting my bones ablaze and I can’t really say I connected with any or many of the characters.

But it works and I had fun. I was able to switch off and just enjoy the simplicity of it all without thinking too much or feeling overwhelmed or especially frustrated. It’s good enough to give some added weight to the package as, we all know, the meat of the experience is the multiplayer. And we’ll get to that in another piece.

All that said, you’ll change perspectives, see different settings, get the opportunity to try out new ways of destroying things and fighting back against the ever present threat. In 4K the visuals are truly stunning and the setpieces are spectacular, from taking a helicopter down out of the air, to sprinting through burning buildings, this will keep your attention and your heart pounding in a drive to constantly keep you moving.

And just when you’re finding yourself switching off entirely from the game’s story, it’ll throw in a massive sequence that might make your jaw drop or at least your eyes twinkle. Then it’ll switch to seeing human characters up close and personal and the game’s extremely impressive visuals are allowed to shine.

As campaigns go, this really is as safe as it gets, not outstaying its welcome, not exactly doing anything particularly memorable, but it’s a good way to get your feet wet again in Battlefield, earn a few Achievements and prep yourself for the main event which is the multiplayer itself.

And we’ll be back with more on that once we’ve got a chance to really sample its treasure trove for ourselves. For now, we’ll say Battlefield definitely feels like it’s come back, but it won’t take a huge amount for Call of Duty to steal the crown of better campaign this year. We’ll see how that one pans out in a few weeks…

Verdict

Battlefield VI’s campaign mode plays it safe but what it does, it does very well. With huge setpieces, good variety, stunning visuals and great moment to moment action and gunplay, it’s a decent campaign all told that rarely innovates but keeps you on the edge of your seat, nicely setting you up for the main event – multiplayer.