Battlefield Civil War

 

Battlefield Civil War is a historical first-person shooter developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fifth spin-off title from the critically-acclaimed Battlefield series, and takes place during the American Civil War from 1860-1865. The game was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on August 4, 2014, and is soon ported to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 17, 2015.

Gameplay
Like previous installment in the series the game features a first-person shooter gameplay where players assume the role of various soldiers from both the Union and the Confederate States. Weapons such as muzzle-loading, single-shot and repeating rifles are available, as well as heavier weapons such as canon and machine gun batteries. Due to the lack of automatic weapons and the disadvantages of black powder weapons, game director Stefan Strandberg states that melee weapons (such as bayonets, sabers and hatchets) and marksmanship will be given a larger emphasis than previous games in the series. Players can also ride horses in the game and can also use firearms or sabers while galloping. Other vehicles such as armored stagecoaches, ironclad warships and even hot air balloons make appearances in the game.

Multiplayer
Maps will be based around actual historical battlefields during the Civil War such as Gettysburg, Antietam and even in New Mexico. Each map are littered with various vehicles and sometimes even NPCs marching around and fighting in formation. The game has six modes such as Team Deathmatch, Conquest, Rush, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill (where teams have to stay on top of a defensive hill such as Little Round Top for one minute to win) and Raid (where one team must escort a stagecoach from one checkpoint to another while the other has to capture that stagecoach and bring it to their checkpoint). Each multiplayer maps have different types of vehicles scattered around (for example in the Battle of Seven Pines players can use hot air balloons while in the Battle of Vicksburg players can use ironclad warships). Some objectives in the map have telegraph stations that the player can use to call in an artillery strike to any location in the map. Different combat roles are presented with each of their gameplay styles to suit various players:

• Infantry – The assault class. They are the most flexible and can be fitted with any type of weapons as well as impact grenades. They’re also tougher and more resilient in battle which can also be reinforced by armor. The Union Army uses an African-American soldier of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment model while the Confederate Army uses a soldier from the Army of Tennessee as its model.

• Scout – The sniper class. They are armed with long range scoped rifles, land mines and can also lock on and track enemies in the map. The Union Army’s model wears a blue uniform with a slouch hat while the Confederate army wears buckskin and coon hat.

• Bushwhacker – The stealth class. They are the most devastating at close range with their twin pistols and dynamites, and they can also wear enemy uniform to hide. Both models wear civilian clothing but the difference is that the Union Army wears a Boss of the Plains hat while the Confederate model wears a Stetson.

• Medic – The support class. They have the ability to heal other players and are armed with standard rifles and one pistol as well as incendiary grenades. Union forces use a medic from the Army of the Potomac as its model while the Confederate forces use a Native American medicine man.

Campaign
Unlike previous game in the series, the campaign will be focusing upon various characters from both sides of the war which are presented in anthology form, with five missions to each faction in the game. Historical individuals during the Civil War also appeared in the campaign.

• New York Draft Riots (Union) – This is the first mission in the game and acts as its tutorial. A unit of soldier is sent into the New York harbor to quell a riot of draftees who has set the city on fire. The player’s first mission is to shoot at rioters trying to shoot at their ship from the harbor using muzzle-loading rifle. The unit is then sent in formation to the streets where they shoot at or bayonet rioters who tried to charge at them (all the while the players have to keep in formation, ready, aim and fire their rifles). The commander then tells the unit to disperse and clear out alleyways, streets and even buildings. The mission is made difficult as smoke was everywhere in the city, and rioters try to ambush the player from every direction. Besides the fire and smoke, the player can also see dead bodies littered everywhere and poor African-Americans lynched on buildings and lamp posts.

• Battle of Antietam (Confederate) – As a soldier of Jeb Stuart’s famous cavalry, the player is tasked by Robert E. Lee to attack the vulnerable rear of the Union Army. Player is allowed to use a horse during combat and is given its first repeating firearm which is the Henry rifle.

• Battle of Gettysburg (Union) – Taking place at the forested hills at cemetery ridge, player assumes the role of an Army of the Potomac soldier. The whole unit is stationed at a trench firing at waves after waves of Confederate soldiers. When their right flank is soon attacked by a much larger force, the unit’s commander Rufus Dawes, gives the player a Spencer rifle and is told to defend the flank at all cost.

• Train Raid (Confederate) – Based on the numerous train raids conducted by the South in the Civil War, the player on horseback is tasked by Stonewall Jackson into capturing a train bound to Virginia. The whole mission turned out to be an ambush when a large armored train attacks the player’s unit, and the player has to destroy the train with either firearms or bombs.

• Battle of Seven Pines (Union) – The mission starts as two men ride a hot air balloon to do a reconnaissance mission. The player is tasked to scan the horizon and lock onto enemy units before the other men signals the artillery using flags and bombard the targets. Enemy raiders infiltrate their position and tries to shoot the balloon, and the player is tasked to drive the balloon out of there while defending it using scoped rifles and bombs.

• Ride of the Bushwhackers (Confederate) – The player assumes the role of the infamous Old West outlaw Jesse James during his career in the Civil War. The mission begins as his brother Frank James fetches him from a house in Lawrence, Kansas and in the background civilians in the city were being executed by Confederate bushwhackers, and the city itself was on fire. They soon grab their horses and rendezvous with William Quantrill. The commander leads them in a raid on numerous Union patrols. The bushwhackers manage to capture one Yankee whom they proceed to torture until he gives up information about a large Union camp. Quantrill then leads them in a final assault against the large Union camp.

• Battle of Port Harbor (Confederate) – The mission takes place at night and the player takes the role of a Native American soldier. Unlike previous missions, Port Harbor is a stealth mission where the Native Americans sneak into a Union outpost and silently kill its guards with air rifles and bows, so that the rest of the Confederate forces can launch a larger attack.

• Siege of Vicksburg (Union) – Player takes control of a large ironclad ship as they bombard the well-defended port of Vicksburg, as well as fighting against small wooden Confederate fort and a large steam-powered ironclad. The soldier then departs from the ship and attacks the city, first taking out a series of artillery line then eliminating hostiles in the city.

• The Frontier (Confederate) – Taking place during the New Mexico campaign as the Confederates desperately try to find ways to continue their war. A small unit of Confederate soldiers are looking for gold in an isolated mine in the desert. Suddenly, Union soldiers try to attack them and they have to defend the mine and themselves from waves after waves of enemy soldiers. In the end, the Confederates are overwhelmed until only the player and his captain remains. They make their last stand until their weapons run dry, they finally make one last charge with their bayonets on a line of Union soldiers until the latter open fire and the mission goes black.

• Sheridan’s March (Union) – The player takes control of a soldier in Philipp Sheridan’s unit as they marched throughout Southern farms and cities, burning crops, buildings and instruments of war, as well as fighting heavy resistance along the way, to destroy Confederate fighting capability and force them to surrender.

• Battle of Olustee (Bonus) – In this mission, the player can choose to either play as a Union or Confederate. In the Union side, the player assumes the role of an African-American soldier, together with an all-black regiment, trying to defend the rest of the retreating Union forces from waves of Confederate soldiers. As a rebel, the player is tasked to heavily defended rear guard that are protecting the Union’s retreat.

Weapons
Muzzle-loading Rifles – the most powerful firearms in the game that can kill a player with only one shot in any range and in any body part. They are also automatically equipped with a bayonet. However, these rifles takes too long to reload and cannot be reloaded when on prone. They also can’t be used on horseback.

• Enfield Rifle – Confederate rifle

• Springfield Rifle – Union rifle

• Scoped Whitworth Rifle – the only muzzle-loading rifle that has a scope.

Single-shot Rifles – although they only fire one shot at a time, they are significantly faster than muzzle-loaders, and all of them have scoped variants. All of them can be fitted with a separate bayonet.

• Sharps Rifle – a falling block carbine that is the most powerful single-shot rifle in the game.

• Maynard Carbine – a breech-loading carbine.

• Palmer Carbine – an early bolt action rifle.

• 1865 Trapdoor – the fastest single-shot weapon in the game with its automatic ejector to remove spent casings.

Repeating Rifles and Carbines

• Henry Rifle – The rifle that has the fastest rate of fire in the game but also has the weakest damage. A scoped version is also available.

• Spencer Rifle

• Triple and Scott Rifle

• Ball Repeating Carbine

• Colt Revolving Rifle – unlike the majority of repeating rifles, the revolving rifle uses a fixed cylinder magazine that is reloaded by inserting bullets individually.

• Remington Carbine – like the Colt rifle the Remington also used a cylindrical revolver but is reloaded by inserting a new cylinder magazine.

• LeMat Carbine – a revolving rifle that has 9 rounds and a single under barrel shotgun.

• Colt Ring Lever Rifle – a combination of a revolving rifle and a lever action rifle. Unlike revolving rifles though this one has an 8-round cylinder magazine.

• Harmonica Rifle – a 5 shot rifle that is reloaded using a primitive box magazine.

• Porter Rifle – a turret rifle that uses a flat cylinder and is reloaded by replacing it with a new one.

• Elephant Gun – a double-barreled Holland a Holland hunting rifle. It is the most powerful repeating rifle in the game.

Pistols

• Custom Converted Colt Navy – a traditional fixed cylinder colt navy that has been converted to fire metallic cartridge. Can be dual-wielded.

• Remington Revolver – classic Remington revolver that is significantly faster to reload than the Colt Navy with its removable magazine. Can be dual-wielded.

• Smith and Wesson Model 1 – a break-action tip up revolver that, like the Remington, is also reloaded using removable magazine. However it is also the weakest revolver in the game. Can be dual-wielded.

• Colt Dragoon – the most powerful pistol in the game but is also the longest to reload with its old-fashioned cap and ball system.

• LeMat Revolver – the pistol with the largest magazine that holds 9 rounds and an underbarrel that fires one shotgun shell. It is reloaded through the use of a loading gate since it’s a fixed cylinder revolver.

• Double-Action Revolver – based on the Lefaucheux pinfire revolver, the double-action has the fastest rate of fire of all pistols but is still a fixed cylinder design. Can be dual-wielded. • Moore’s Patent Revolver – an early form of swing out revolver. Can be dual-wielded.

• Pepperbox revolver – classic pepperbox revolver that is loaded using spare cylinders. Can be equipped with a knife bayonet.

• Derringer – the infamous two barrel pistol. It is the weakest pistol in the game.

Shotguns – reloaded using shotgun shells. Which became popular even before the Civil War.

• Double barrel Shotgun

• Colt Revolving Shotgun – holds five shells.

Silent Weapons - weapons that can be used for stealth and doesn't emit any noise.

• Scoped Air Rifle – based on the Girandoni air rifle, it is an early form of silenced/repeating firearm that uses air to propel its bullets. It has little sound and no muzzle-velocity, and has a 20 round vertical hopper magazine.

• Bow and Arrow – an Indian bow that fires arrows that can kill enemies with one to two shots.

Explosive 

• Hale Rocket Launcher – a primitive rocket launcher than needs to be set up on prone to use. Very effective against vehicles.

Melee Weapons 

• Bayonet – socket and triangular models are available.

• Cavalry saber – a melee weapon that can be used on foot and on horseback.

• Bowie knife

• Scalping knife – a unique knife that has a scalping animation in every kill.

• Tomahawk – like the saber it can also be used on horseback

 Grenades

• Ketchum Grenade – an impact grenade that explodes upon contact.

• Dynamite – has the largest explosive damage but has a 4-second fuse. A match is used to light it up.

• Incendiary Grenade – Molotov cocktail-like bomb. A match is used to light it up.

• Land Mine – can be used to set up traps.

Gun Batteries – gun batteries are littered across the battlefield, thought the player can move it by pushing them slowly using its wheels.

• Cannon – muzzle-loading and breechlock models are available. Can either switch to canister shot or grapeshot.

• Revolving Cannon – a repeating canon with a large cylinder that can fire 5 shells continuously. It also takes a long time to reload.

• Gatling Gun – early rapid-firing machine gun.

• Agar Gun – the famous coffee-mill gun.

• Mortar

• Telegraph station - a small wooden shack that has a telegraph inside which the player can use to call on an artillery strike to different parts of the map. These stations are located in every objectives in the map and can only be used once by the player.

Vehicles – vehicles in this game can be switched from first-person to third-person.

Land

• Quarter Horse – the fastest horse in the game.

• Cavalry Horse – a horse that is not as fast as the quarter horse but is more durable.

• Treasure Coach – a steel-plated stagecoach that uses three to four players to use: a driver, a shotgun messenger and two gunmen inside which sues portholes to shoot people (inside gunners can only be in third-person). The driver can fire his pistol, while the shotgun messenger is given the option to switch to a free shotgun. Repeating rifles are also made available inside the coach.

• Armored Trains – steel-plated trains that has a canon, mortar and even gatling guns attached.

Water

• Ironclad Ships – only available in certain maps near any body of water. Uses canons to bombard enemies and gatling guns.

•Torpedo Boats  – small almost submersible vehicle that can ram ships with spar torpedoes as well as use canons to bombard ports.

Air

• Hot Air Balloon – can be driven by the player and is inside are scoped rifles and ketchum grenades that the player can use.

Maps
• Gettysburg – Series of hills that’s made up of a combination of grassy plateau and large woodland forest.

• Bull Run – like Gettysburg, the map is filled with flat grasslands and hills, but with little trees and forest.

• Antietam – made up of farmlands and thick cornfields.

• Virginian Railroads – large interconnecting railways and rail stations, and where armored trains are available for use. • Seven Pines – made up of thick forests with large trees and trenches.

• Lawrence, Kansas – an urban setting with a couple of farmlands. Also has a railway for armored trains. • Port Harbor – takes place at night in a large Union outpost and a port for sea-based battles.

• City of Vicksburg – a large city with ports for sea-based battles. Also has a railway for armored trains. • New Mexico – a desert setting with occasional dust storms.

• Atlanta – a forested setting with trenches and bridges. The Chattahoochee River is present for players to use ironclads and torpedo boats.

• New York Harbor – urban setting with a port for sea-based battles.

• Olustee – takes place in a muddy pond complete with trenches and trees.

Reception
The game received over widespread critical acclaim from critics and consumers alike during its release. It scored a “favourable” review and an 87 score from Metacritic. It was also a commercial success, selling over 1 million copies in its first week as well as beating its rival Call of Duty: Yet Another Futuristic Warfare that was released on the same week. Critics praised the game for its unique setting and gameplay, with many critics calling it a “COD Killer” or the “Final Nail to the Coffin For COD”.

IGN reviewer Scheeden gave it a 9/10, stating that “At first I didn’t know if a Civil War FPS would work in today’s multiplayer market with all the futuristic BS. Hell, I don’t even know if I’m able to play an FPS multiplayer without a machine gun in my hand. But the game worked out pretty well even with all the technological limitations of its era. I really enjoyed it, and it was a big breath of fresh air to be able to play something that is different. It stands out among today’s military shooters and is clearly the best one to come this year.”

Future
Strandberg states that DLCs for the game such as Battlefield Civil War: The Old West that takes place during the American Indian Wars in the American Frontier is in development.

In an interview with GameSpot, Strandberg admitted that he was a bit worried but overjoyed during the game’s release, stating that “We really didn’t think that the game will be this successful with all the jetpacks and robots that’s being released. That’s the reason why we made it into a spin-off game rather than a full title. But as we saw with this game, the gaming community in general do appreciate historical games and we are inspired to make more.”

This statement hints that DICE will probably be developing more historical shooters in the future. However, he also hints in another statement what the next setting will be: “If you take a look at it, the whole Battlefield series has become a timeline for gamers to relive and have fun with different eras as well as witness the birth of today’s modern warfare. Our next game will probably bridge the gap between old warfare and new warfare, from horses and airships to the era of tanks and planes. And what better setting to make this game than WWI?”