Battlefield 2042’s release buildup was filled with rumors, leaks, and disappointment, but some players held out and bought the game at launch anyway to see if it would be a surprise hit. Sadly, many such players would come away disappointed, reflected by extremely low average user review scores.
In the months beforeBattlefield 2042’s release, the reception turned sour as players began comparing the game’s trailers and shown gameplay to previous entries in the blockbuster series. Videos surfaced showcasing the lack of iconic gameplay features and various gameplay changes that appeared to have only been made for either cosmetic-selling reasons or to appeal to audiences other than current fans.
RELATED:Battlefield 2042 Players Angry About ‘Little Green Men’ Reference
Critical reception of the game is relatively positive, with some major review sites claimingBattlefield 2042has potential and plays well. Unfortunately, a large portion of players disagree, saying the game is a disappointing attempt atchanging theBattlefieldformula and gunplay, with user review scores vastly different from the high acclaim the game received from critics. The game’s score on Metacritic reflects such a discrepancy, with the PC version’s critics averaging 80 while the user score sits at a pathetic 2.6.
A common source of criticism isBattlefield’s new Specialist system, with user reviews pointing out that the teamwork usually required to win is hampered by players building classes for solo expeditions into the maps. Bugs also appear common, with the all-important positional footstep sounds often coming from the wrong direction and consequently causing players to be killed unfairly. A buggy launch may be common for AAA games this year, but when the bugs affect competitive gameplay, it can become incredibly frustrating for players.
User reviews praisingBattlefield 2042are surprisingly positive, usually doing so with the caveat that it will be updated and improve with time and often taking cheap shots at other players leaving negative reviews. The general expectation of AAA releases over the years seems to have steadily slid into a position where a portion of the userbase are willing to pay full price for a broken game at launch, even if the properly functional version will come after many updates and may even go on sale. InBattlefield 2042’s case at least, it seems the vast majority of users are unwilling to put up with the disappointing launch of unfinished products, with some reviews citing the practice as a consistent strategy for EA.
Battlefield 2042’s saving grace at the moment is generally cited as its Portal mode, whichlaunched ahead ofBattlefield 2042itself. It stands as the game’s main redeeming factor, but for many users, it isn’t enough to warrant high reviews for the game as a whole.
Battlefield 2042releases November 19 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Players with EA Play or Xbox Game Pass gain one week early access.
MORE:9 Games Set In World War 2 (That Aren’t Call of Duty: Vanguard)
