Battlefield Hardline (3)

Bad cops, bad cops, Battlefield Hardline cops are on the take! But what do you expect for the money they make? Whether in a car or on a horse, we don’t mind using excessive force! Bad cops, bad cops, Bad cops, bad cops..

Hard Knight

Battlefield Hardline (2)

Battlefield 4 may have been a disaster at launch, a next-gen title with heavy graphics and even heavier bugs that resulted in frequent updates to a game that had clearly been rushed out before any real quality testing had been done, but it did have a positive side effect. And that’s creating a savvier customer who was wary of week one launches.

Enter Battlefield: Hardline. A tag-team effort from Dead Space creators Visceral Games and DICE, it’s all about leaving the sandy dunes of (INSERT WAR-TORN MIDDLE-EASTERN NATION HERE) and hitting the down and dirty streets of the US of A as a member of the thin blue line. Drugs! Betrayal! Corruption! Explosions! Shootouts! It’s every single cop drama/ action movie cliché bundled into one single-player experience, and handled with the care of a Russian direct-to-DVD action porn movie.

Battlefield Hardline (1)

And what a cheesy product it is, a game that is dangerously close to being harmful to anyone who is lactose intolerant. You’re cast in the boots of Nick Mendoza, a bland Cuban immigrant looking to serve the public as a fine member of the Miami police force. There’s a drug war going on in Miami, cops are dirty and Nick’s partner is a grumpy Kelly Hu who clearly needed money more than pride at this point.

Hard Limes

Battlefield Hardline (5)

It’s up to you to stop the drug trade, take down the perps and run into plot twists that are more telegraphed than an RKO outta nowhere.

And really, the game drops the ball and then some in terms of a single-player story. Cops aren’t exactly well-liked these days, due to the fact that they’re armed with enough weaponry to overthrow a small nation, the escalating militarisation of their actions or just some downright deplorable and despicable behaviour as we’ve seen in Ferguson, and elsewhere, lately.

Battlefield Hardline (10)

And I get that, that’s Ok. There’s a missed opportunity here to spin a story that touches on recent events and controversies within the American police system, from Ferguson to just about any racially-motivated shooting in the last couple of months.

But doing so would have derailed the entire story, which has been in development for many months by now. You can’t expect development on a game to always be socially relevant and timely. But what Hardline does, is attempt to tow both sides of the blue line of justice entertainment. And it’s an approach which just doesn’t work.

Hard To Excite

Battlefield Hardline (6)

It’s a game that wants to be both The Wire and Bad Boys. It’s naturally a terrible idea, as combining those two elements of cop movie entertainment is like wondering why you can’t get blood stains out of your carpet with red wine. The story plods along, slowly building up until you’re about to pass out, then finally giving you an excuse to arrest some suspects or save yourself some paperwork by reading them their Miranda rights with several highlighted bullet points from your guns.

Battlefield Hardline (14)

There’s two sides to the Hardline experience when you’re finally allowed to uphold the public trust. You can go in cleanly and quietly, flashing a badge and magically freezing up to three perps at a time and arrest them one-by-one while your partner keeps an eye on them, in a mode that borrows heavily from Far Cry. Your police scanner can highlight criminals, provide intel on cases to investigate and single out suspects who offer higher experience points rewards when properly arrested. It all adds up to character progression which allows you to harvest better guns with which to kill, and earn more points in a vicious never-ending circle of violence that would make Robocop proud.

Hard Knock Life

Battlefield Hardline (7)

And it’s…alright. Hardline never feels like more than your stock-standard shooter even in the most frenzied of firefights. It neither excels nor dips below your expectations, feeling accessible but never exceptional. It does have some of the finest acting ever seen in a video game, or at least properly captured acting thanks to what must have been some incredibly expensive technology. The episodic touches are also rather spiffy, with animated intros and outros that try and impart a sense of high budget TV action to the player.

But all that bombast, and all the fanciest tech from EA and DICE can’t save it from being an otherwise boring and unimpressive attempt to not be a Battlefield game. And then there’s the multiplayer side of Battlefield: Hardline. A component of the game that is…actually really damned good.

Battlefield Hardline (12)

It’s the cleaner, shinier and newer side of Battlefield, and it shows. EA had a lot to answer for after the massive letdown that was Battlefield 4. A legendary example of how not to launch a game with a heavy online component, Battlefield 4 is still spat on to this day. Hardline’s multiplayer however, makes up for the sins of the past, and then some.

Hard Rewrite

Battlefield Hardline (11)

Every night since getting the game, I’ve been hitting online lobbies, waiting for more players to have the game and spend their weekends on it. That’s a proper stress test right there, and the game passed with flying colours. There are of course some small niggles here and there, but hardly of the game-breaking variety that characterised Battlefield 4. Games are smooth, connections were constantly maintained and joining a lobby was as quick as greased lightning.

Battlefield Hardline (13)

Battlefield: Hardline boasts a superb online game that talks the talk and walks the walk. If EA can keep things smooth like this, Battlefield 4 won’t even be a bad memory. With the cops vs. robbers theme firmly in place, Hardline has a few neat gameplay modes on offer. Heist has you breaking into banks and taking down armoured cars as the criminals, while cops have to assemble and stop the crooks from getting away with the cash. It’s essentially a new variant on Capture The Flag, that is further explored in Blood Money, a mode with higher stakes and more movement.

Hard ‘n Tight

Battlefield Hardline (8)

Hotwire is  a mixed bag of ideas. You’re stealing cars and tankers, driving them back to your base and earning points as you attempt to reduce the ticket score of the opposing team to zero. It’s crazy, frantic and dangerous but the actual maps on offer are either too large or too small. Still, overlook that flaw and Hotwire is easily the best new multiplayer mode to hit Battlefield in many a year.

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And then there’s Rescue. Eerily familiar to a certain Counter Strike mode, players need to rescue hostages while criminals need to keep them around long enough for Stockholm Syndrome to set in. You’ve got one life to live in this mode, making for a tense and nerve-wracking experience. Rounding out the multiplayer additions comes Crosshair. It’s easy enough. You’ve got three minutes, it’s five on five and there are no respawns. The catch here is that one of your players happens to be a VIP who must be kept alive at all costs as the cops escort him into witness protection, with the criminals looking to subpoena the state witness with a legal waiver of live ammo to the face.

Hard Bite

Battlefield Hardline (4)

Overall, Hardline’s multiplayer is a smaller, more intimate affair of guns and grenades. Maps aren’t as massive as the large military playgrounds you’d find in older Battlefield games and vehicles are now more limited. There’s still some of that fancy Levolution tech to see which renders in some fancy environmental effects that change the game up, and player progression is now linked to how much cash you can bank. Earn enough, and you can buy the weapons you want instead of grinding through a particular class. That means more meaningful games, at your own pace.

Battlefield Hardline (9)

Last Updated: March 24, 2015

Battlefield Hardline
Devoid of any real personality, Battlefield: Hardline's single-player campaign is cheesier than an 80's pick-up line. It is however saved by a superb multiplayer that is both solid and entertaining.
6.9
Battlefield Hardline was reviewed on Xbox One
71 / 100

69 Comments

  1. Not bad for a mod.

    Reply

    • Greylingad

      March 24, 2015 at 11:12

      A mod that is, at full price…

      Reply

    • Norm

      March 24, 2015 at 11:27

      It could of been a demo… XD

      Reply

      • Aries

        March 24, 2015 at 11:28

        True that

        Reply

      • Greylingad

        March 24, 2015 at 11:30

        If it had been it’d be awesome, but it isn’t, which makes it awkward and truly embarrassing to say the least…

        Reply

  2. Dutch Matrix

    March 24, 2015 at 11:09

    No. You cannot have a gun. But here: Have a baseball bat and a grenade…
    (Refresh your browser)

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      March 24, 2015 at 11:18

      Flashbang and a bat, lethal combo!

      Reply

      • Aries

        March 24, 2015 at 11:28

        Got a few flashbang kills in BF4, says something

        Reply

      • Dutch Matrix

        March 24, 2015 at 11:28

        I’d rather not bring a bat to a gunfight.

        Reply

  3. Admiral Chief

    March 24, 2015 at 11:18

    I think I enjoyed reading the review more than I will enjoy playing the SP (once I get this game somewhere for free over some EA special)

    Reply

  4. Greylingad

    March 24, 2015 at 11:20

    I can’t… I just can’t see how I’m supposed to pay full price/double for a game that has chucked most of it’s amazing features out the window (amazing set piece Levolutions etc.) for a dumbed down mod of a clichéd story, had they gone the route of True detective even it would have been a hell of a lot better, but this… just another EA cashgrab with nothing other than another Battlefield with different skins… No way… there is just no way…

    Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      March 24, 2015 at 11:22

      • Norm

        March 24, 2015 at 11:26

        BWAHAHA!

        Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        March 24, 2015 at 11:28

        Bwahahaha

        Reply

      • Greylingad

        March 24, 2015 at 11:37

        You see, what is the most disappointing is that it came from the guys that brought us dead space, which I for one had to change pants and underwear on various occasions during that game… It was full of suspense and really nerve wrecking, I’d have thought that they’d stick to the same recipe for this reskin… Ag well, let me just re attach the milker…

        Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      March 24, 2015 at 11:37

      full price and full price+ again for maps that no one plays, a few guns and queue priority.
      totally seems legit…

      Reply

  5. ElimiNathan

    March 24, 2015 at 11:22

    This game is awesome, screw the haters

    Reply

    • Dutch Matrix

      March 24, 2015 at 11:23

      I’d rather screw someone that I can love and that loves me.

      Reply

      • ElimiNathan

        March 24, 2015 at 11:25

        Cute

        Reply

        • Dutch Matrix

          March 24, 2015 at 11:27

          • Hammersteyn

            March 24, 2015 at 11:29

            They are cute

          • Admiral Chief

            March 24, 2015 at 11:37

            Dawwwwwwwwwwwwww

          • Greylingad

            March 24, 2015 at 11:38

            Why can’t we have a mass effect where we get to rescue the baby Krogans!? This needs to happen!!!

          • Admiral Chief

            March 24, 2015 at 11:46

            Agreed

          • Rock789

            March 24, 2015 at 11:39

            Awwww… Look at that. So cute! I wouldn’t dare wiggle their little cheeks though – they might pull out a phase-rifle and shoot me! Them Krogans start killing at a young age.

          • Matthew Holliday

            March 24, 2015 at 11:54

            phase rifle, lel.
            this is mass effect, not Halo 😛
            M-300 claymore is a krogans weapon of choice

          • Rock789

            March 24, 2015 at 11:58

            LIES! Everyone knows Krogans prefer hand-to-hand – so they can watch the light in their foes eyes go out! o_O

          • Matthew Holliday

            March 24, 2015 at 12:03

            i disagree, watching an opponents head explode, like a grenade went off in their skill, from a claymore shot to the face, seems way more krogan.

            they also have such short arms, their heads are so big that two krogans wouldnt be able to reach each other, theyd just end up headbutting each other, in which case, head to head combat :S

          • Matthew Holliday

            March 24, 2015 at 11:56

            all this talk of krogan babies, but no talk of the genophage o.O

          • Rock789

            March 24, 2015 at 11:58

            Well, it’s cured… If you were a nice Sheppard! If not, then how could you be so cruel?! I mean look at that Krogan baby – look at it! 😉 :p

          • Matthew Holliday

            March 24, 2015 at 12:00

            what if i liked mordin, the scientist salarian, more than i liked bro wrex? :<

    • Hammersteyn

      March 24, 2015 at 11:29

      As long as you enjoy it, that’s the important thing.
      #dont support mods, BF5 is coming

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      March 24, 2015 at 11:47

      more focussed and cleaner.
      but “less” than its predecessors.

      its a weird route to take, its tailored more to players that werent fans of the previous games.
      guess thats what happens when the most played maps in previous games (by far) were 1000 ticket metro and operation locker.

      more common FPS and less military.
      the scale is what separated BF from CoD, lowering the scale is admitting defeat, saying that CoD wins, which is what i dislike the most.

      Reply

      • ElimiNathan

        March 24, 2015 at 12:30

        Operation Locker has to be the worst map out of any Battlefield game

        Reply

        • Marcus

          March 24, 2015 at 13:45

          No, Parcel storm… that fucking map!

          Reply

  6. konfab

    March 24, 2015 at 11:52

    What other multiplayer game has a drivable couch called the American Dream.

    Plus there are some funny reload animations.

    So for what I can see, it should be worth the enjoyment.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      March 24, 2015 at 11:53

      Funny reload animations?

      Reply

      • Geoffrey Tim

        March 24, 2015 at 11:55

        The reload animations are BOSS

        Reply

      • konfab

        March 24, 2015 at 12:15

        • Admiral Chief

          March 24, 2015 at 12:49

          Yeah, found the video, watched, and thoroughly enjoyed!

          Reply

        • Jonah Cash

          March 24, 2015 at 13:28

          That third arm handing you the mag is just brilliant!!! Buddy system at its best!!

          Reply

  7. Marcus

    March 24, 2015 at 12:13

    I’m having a blast with this game. Yes, the single player is short, I think this review was longer than the campaign. Yet, I still had a good time playing it.

    As for the mod, dlc thing. The only thing that they used from the other titles is the engine. If this is what makes it a mod, then BF4 was a mod as-well. It’s getting a bit old.

    Is there a single FPS game out there that’s not getting some form of hate? It seems gamers are becoming whiners. Always complaining about something, never happy with a new title yet complain they want new things??? WTF?

    Reply

    • Greylingad

      March 24, 2015 at 12:27

      The reason, kind sir, why we are complaining is that there is no innovation with regards to the storyline of the SP campaign (often a lot of confusion, like the helicopter out of the building scene where there’s this cable which you are grappling on and then all of a sudden the thing, and the that, and the this, like what is actually happening, why am I and then I’m on the floor and why, just Why!?) then the almost complete removal of the awesome feature that made the 4th battlefield an awesome multiplayer experience, the innovation behind the levolution, the complaint comes from having an amazing team that brought us an amazing experience in the previous games, not delivering something that even remotely resembles what they can do if they are just a little ambitious…. Yes theere are some awesome moments, but it’s turning into the copy paste version of CoD and may the Lord forbid it ever turning into one of those… My apologies for the rant, I’m just a little disappointed in having to fork out so much for it…and then still have to pay for half of what I had in BF4 in the multiplayer…oigh… ok let me stop there…

      Reply

      • Marcus

        March 24, 2015 at 12:43

        If you were hanging on a cable getting thrown around in the sky by a choppie, would anything make sense at that point? Would you be able to figure out up from down? They wanted to create the feeling of confusion, nailed it. Thought that bit was good. Realistic? 3 people running Rambo in a building flooding the place and no one notices? Where did the water go at the end? How did the bad guys get up there? But if we start nitpicking at simple non important details, well, gaming is going to become very silly.

        Just because they used the same engine, does that mean they did not tweak it for their game? Was Crysis 3 a mod? Same engine…

        Hats off to the game developers for trying something new with the BF series. Did you want another Advanced Warfare game? Not enough of those, am I right?

        Complain about the price, there is real reason to go on about. Just don’t aim it at certain games as ALL developers are guilty of that.

        Reply

        • Greylingad

          March 24, 2015 at 13:03

          Yeah… ok… Maybe we should apply a few filters, like: “I want an entertaining campaign with an amazing level of detail, immersion and some really awe inspiring moments” Check box ticked, sort of, maybe – still making my mind up about this one. Did they use the same engine in Crysis 3? Yes! they did! and they went for the full cashgrab!! full price, half the entertainment value of Crysis 2, but guess what, people bought into it, using phrases like “It’s the final instalment of the series, let me buy it to get closure, 20 minutes later, Why did I buy this, I should ask my money back” – I think maybe I should explain a few things, as to why I personally feel this way, first off,having to tweak an engine for the most part saves money, which, reduces development costs, right? So if you’ve managed to save the most part of half of your dev costs, WHY!? as I live and breathe do you still charge me the full price for the game? Yes sure, we have to create new content(artwork, skyscrapers with massive windows etc., interiors of buildings etc.) with a new story(which, by the way was plucked, no, really, now I’m lying, torn from the rotting carcass of what was a failed 80s cop series with a viewer base of three people) and slap the full retail price on it, why you might ask? You know what, I’m going to calm myself down now, before I pop a vein in my head….

          Reply

          • Marcus

            March 24, 2015 at 13:28

            I do enjoy your posts. Had me in stitches with popping a vain. I’m gonna explain it this way (hope you like cars): Golf 1.4 TSI and Jetta TSI, both VW yes, but why does one perform better than the other with the same motor? Weight. Now the same weight, same motor, why does the Audi A3 1.4TSI run better? Tweaks. Why did VW not do the same tweaks? Simple, other people looked at it.

            Same logic can be applied here. Dice developed this engine for BF3 years ago. they used it in BF4 again. So now with BFH… ag i give up. It costs the same as a full game because it is one. No matter how you look at it.

          • Greylingad

            March 24, 2015 at 14:05

            Hehe, thanks man! Well I’m in full agreement with you there, the reason why I’m so upset is because I’m disappointed more than anything else, I expected more, especially because those horror experts that worked on Dead Space worked with DICE, but yeah, I think that they are like all of the other devs, getting pushed into yearly releases and then ending up releasing lackluster products and we accept it(yes we do criticise) but we don’t do anything about it…. But with respect to cars… Have you seen, even if it was just a 240p video of Project Cars? The time is near… I will probably die behind my PC during a 24 hr Le Mans race or at least the seventh one in a row…

          • Marcus

            March 24, 2015 at 14:14

            There I agree with you! These fucking day one patch BS must stop! Then the damn patch has no effect other than a spelling mistake!

            I do see why people get disappointed with games. Destiny pissed me off so badly I traded my game for fruit. Seemed like a fair trade to me. (Jonah Cash is gonna rage at me now)

            I like what they did with BFH, risky, the same but new. Hope more game developers take risks.

            Did look at that game, looks good. And I’m not a racing game fan. Last racing game I played was PGR! hahahaha

          • Greylingad

            March 24, 2015 at 14:24

            Hehehe, well I suppose it wouldn’t be a problem had all of south africa had Free internet connections, but the fact is we live in an expensive telecomms country… the thing is though, with day one patches, it detriments the game from the start, I mean, you install the game with the expectation of playing it now, then you get stopped with a download bar that lasts ad infinitum…. Anyway, I’m not buying day one copies anymore, and fruit is totally worth it!

    • ElimiNathan

      March 24, 2015 at 12:28

      Thank you. Someone talking some sense around here

      Reply

  8. Klipkop1980

    March 24, 2015 at 12:24

    Meh…

    Reply

  9. Kikmi

    March 24, 2015 at 12:37

    Sorry, I can’t hear you over all this dota I have been playing.

    Reply

    • Sageville

      March 24, 2015 at 13:35

      Away you!

      Reply

  10. Fnuik

    March 24, 2015 at 12:47

    I’m loving the game. The fact that they tried something new was n bold move and I love it. Most gamers are like previous articles showed, self entitled babies. Cries if a game is the same as the previous, cries if it is not. I truly cannot understand why people still make games if all they get is moaning.

    This is the first Bf game since 2142 that feels like a new game!

    Reply

    • Sageville

      March 24, 2015 at 13:37

      I just feel the mechanic is a wasted class, The vehicles are not as core to the game as in BF4, why have a class so dedicated to vehicles.

      Still, I’ve only played a few games, nice fast pace.

      Reply

      • Fnuik

        March 24, 2015 at 13:40

        I agree, the mechanic plays more like the Assault. I mainly play with the mechanic, like the Smg’s, but I have never had to repair any vehicles. Traded the torch for armored insert. Like blowing up vehicles with the grenade launcher.

        Reply

  11. SmokyPaprika

    March 24, 2015 at 13:00

    so if read that correctly there is no lag on xbox one?

    Reply

    • The D

      March 24, 2015 at 13:04

      Slight lag, but not game-breaking. I’ll upload some multiplayer footage this week to show people.

      Reply

      • SmokyPaprika

        March 24, 2015 at 13:09

        better than call of duty xbox one? that i would say was game-breaking? was a complete waste of money

        Reply

        • The D

          March 24, 2015 at 13:19

          A bit better than that. It’s something we’re all too used to by now unfortunately. I’d put it more along the lines of Titanfall lag.

          Reply

  12. Captain JJ the damned

    March 24, 2015 at 13:32

    PayDay2 > Hardline

    Reply

    • Sageville

      March 24, 2015 at 13:33

      I need to check PD2 out again, been a while.

      Reply

      • Captain JJ the damned

        March 24, 2015 at 14:07

        They’ve added a few new free heists and stuff. There’s a car heist too now, which really brings Gone in 60 Seconds to PayDay. 🙂

        Reply

        • Sageville

          March 24, 2015 at 15:48

          I stopped playing when your apartment was never still “under construction” felt like it was never gonna get upgraded….

          Reply

  13. NACADIA

    March 25, 2015 at 05:44

    Made so many mistakes, traded bf4 in to buy hardline…. Hands down the worst bf ever, all the good features, gone, what’s left, horrible….. Team death match with 64 players on small maps, 40% of deaths happen in 1-3 seconds of spawning killed by enemies you don’t even see because you spawn in front of of beside them…thanks to the small maps.. . Then 7 seconds wait to Respawn just to do it again… My only guess is this is there attempt to minimize the number of servers that support their own game…. Net result is the multilayer that was always 90% of the value is now horrible and so with it goes the value of the game…. Was a die hard fan, but will not be buying the next instalment without some serious consideration….. Ill probably trade this piece of trash back in for my bf4… So much wasted potential

    Reply

  14. JJNutter

    March 25, 2015 at 06:58

    After the let down of Battlefield 4, I spent a total of 5 seconds thinking if I will support this game. The answer came to me when I noticed I was still using my Battlefield 4 disc as a coaster for my morning coffee. So no thanks EA.

    Reply

  15. Charl van der Merwe

    March 25, 2015 at 08:15

    Great Multiplayer, bad single player ? never even touched BF4 single player and neither will I with this. Game should be judged more on its multiplayer to be honest, you get what? Like 15 hours single player entertainment and 200-400 hours multiplayer hours ? Maybe the score should reflect that?

    Reply

  16. 40 Insane Frogs

    March 25, 2015 at 09:57

    Meh to the Mod!

    Reply

  17. MakeItLegal

    March 27, 2015 at 08:31

    this game is shit , the multiplayer is just like bf 4 , basically a reskin , not happy with my purchase

    really should of read this review first ffs

    Reply

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