Day 340, Game 340 - Battlefield 4

My eight year old son came over to my pad to hang out with me for the weekend, which is significant to this blog post for many reasons. For one, he hasn't been over since I got the new systems, so it was cool to sit down with him and show him both the PS4 and the Xbox One, play around with them and put the cool features on displays for both consoles. For some reason her gravitated to the Xbox One more, partially because of the games I have for it but also because he is more familiar with Microsoft consoles. Plus, he really liked all the voice commands despite not being able to control it himself since his voice isn't registered yet. Good thing, though, as that poor Xbox One would have been worked double-time with how much he tired talking to it. 

After checking out both systems when he first came over, however, he happened to notice my cousin's copy of Battlefield 4 sitting on the table. He has wanted to play the game badly, and both him and his brother have the game on their Christmas wish lists. For me, I haven't touched the game or even thought about it, because really I just don't care about the series the same way that so many others do, especially many readers of this blog. 

It's not that I don't appreciate the series for what it is, because I honestly thought Battlefield 3 was a far better game than whatever Call of Duty game had come out that year, but despite it being better, it still wasn't a game for me. It probably has a lot to do with my lack of interest in multiplayer gaming, but after playing Battlefield 4 with my boy, I realize it's a whole lot more.

The game just feels overwhelming and too big. Sure, Grand Theft Auto V was a massive game, but Battlefield 4 just feels like it's impossibly big. There is too much to do, too much to see, too much to remember and just ... too much. It's too much warfare, too much everything. Sure, it's impressive and expansive, but for me and my gaming habits, it's too much to ever wrap my around. 

Fortunately, it's not just me, as my boy was a little overwhelmed with it also. Now granted, this isn't a bad thing or a knock on the game. This is the type of game that is perfect for people who don't buy or play many games throughout a year, and like to just geek out and perfect one or two, dumping countless hours into it. Thankfully, this isn't an annual series, as DICE has stood firm on putting one out when they are ready, not on a yearly schedule, despite EA probably begging for it be annualized every day. 

We played some multiplayer, and it was crazy. We tried the campaign and just couldn't get into it. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it, but for some reason, it made us both want to fire up Call of Duty: Ghosts and just enjoy a smaller, more compact package of warfare. Again, I can fully appreciate how good Battlefield 4 is and can be for everyone who enjoys it. And yeah, it might be a lot more realistic and immersive of a game, but is that always a good thing?

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