I've been playing Battlefield: Hardline for a week and a half post-launch to see how the servers take the strain, and exactly how the community's splitting up between the different game modes.
My main issue with all team-based online shooters is how my squad members often seem unwilling to either follow or to give orders, and the community in Battlefield thus far is little different. Still, who am I to talk? I spent a good hour trying to avenge my death rather than hit the vault during one session. But, I digress...
Most of what I wrote in our original Impressions article is still valid, so there's really not that much to add here. I'm jumping in and out of modes and matches with no trouble at all, and my online experience is very much the same as before. Some occasional lags, glitches and pop-ins do occur, but it's not something that ruins my experience (I should of course mention my experience has been limited to the PlayStation 4 version thus far).
As for the different modes, we see some of them playing out the way I imagine Visceral had intended, while others are not. It's clearly a case of the latter in the Hotwire and Crossfire modes.
In Hotwire, you need to steal cars which operate as control points and drive around for as long as possible. This mode has not managed to keep my interest for very long, much of the reason due to the handling of the vehicles and the lack of sensation in speed. Crossfire on the other hand, where you need to escort or kill a VIP, is failing because of us, the players. Too often I see the under-powered VIP running in front, voluntarily engaging in gun fights and other behaviour that's not recommended for the role. The rest of the players also tend to attack each other head on instead of applying any shred of tactics.
The Heist mode, on the other hand, has really come to life. What started off as an unbalanced mess has now turned into a tactical multiplayer with what I feel is drawing the most serious players. With different squads focusing on different tasks I've had a ton of fun trying to get the carrier to the drop-off point, or teaming up to protect the vault from attacks from all sides. It's intense and rewarding fun.
There's also fun to be found in Blood Money. This mode has also just gotten better with time, and players are adapting new play styles on a daily basis.
My thoughts on the large Conquest (64 players) haven't changed, and I really don't see why this mode should make you want to buy Battlefield: Hardline. That been said, I've seen a lot of other players testing their conquest skills, so you won't be alone on the larger maps.
All in all I've enjoyed my time in some of the new modes, and those which work best seem to be evolving naturally in the right direction. The rest, not so much. And don't worry about spending a lot of time ranking up and unlocking gear - you'll be bombarded with boosts in the beginning, so you'll be up and running (and gunning) in no time...
Our final Battlefield: Hardline verdict will be on the site shortly.
