With Battlefield V and Battlefield 2042 failing to meet both players’ and EA’s expectations, there’s a lot riding on Battlefield 6. Though official details on the next Battlefield entry are still scarce, a few tidbits have slipped through the net, and it seems like the four studios currently working on the game are fully aware of the pressure on their shoulders.
In a September interview with IGN, Head of Respawn and Group GM for EA Studios Organization, Vince Zampella, made it pretty clear that Battlefield 6 is aiming to be a return to form for the franchise. Battlefield 6‘s developers are trying to achieve this by taking a “back to roots” approach, with Zampella stating in the interview that Battlefield 3 and 4 are the teams’ biggest inspirations for the new entry. If that’s the case, then Battlefield 6 could have the perfect opportunity to bring back some old features, and there’s one Battlefield 3 mode that deserves another chance in the spotlight.
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Battlefield 6 Should Borrow Battlefield 3’s Co-Op
Battlefield 3’s Co-Op Missions Were On The Right Track
Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, co-op modes were becoming all the rage. Call of Duty: World at War‘s Zombies mode and Gears of War 2‘s Horde mode both released in 2008, and Halo 3: ODST‘s Firefight dropped just a year later. The first Borderlands also came out in 2009, heralding a golden age for the co-op shooter.
Naturally, Battlefield 3 wanted a piece of the same cake. Upon its October 2011 release date, Battlefield 3 contained a dedicated co-op mode. In this mode, two players could play through an entirely new campaign, complete with six missions. These missions ranged from Operation Exodus’ wave-based defense, to Fire From the Sky’s aerial action, to Drop ‘Em Like Liquid’s hostage situation that requires sniper support.
These missions were fairly short, but they packed a nice punch, offering a completely different experience from the one available in Battlefield 3‘s multiplayer mode or main singleplayer campaign. It would be nice to see a similar co-op feature in Battlefield 6.
Co-Op Would Be a Worthwhile Addition to Battlefield 6
Co-op games have experienced a bit of a resurgence this year. Helldivers 2 made a big impact at the start of the year, with its challenging 4-player co-op encouraging players to coordinate and strategize in fun and unique ways. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 offered a similar Sci-Fi co-op experience a few months ago, incentivizing players to keep slaying hordes of Tyranids by letting them unlock shiny new weapons and abilities for their multiplayer classes. And most recently, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6‘s Zombies mode has cemented just how popular horde modes still are.
It might be a good idea for Battlefield 6 to try and jump on this recent co-op bandwagon, just like Battlefield 3 did back in the day. It’d be great to get a handful of missions tailored around a co-op experience, where players are actively encouraged to carefully time their shots and maneuver around the battlefield together to maintain the advantage. This kind of strategic co-op gameplay seems to be experiencing a bit of a comeback, and Battlefield 6 is in a prime position to capitalize on it.