Games News and Reviews | High Def Digest
Film & TV All News Blu-Ray Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders 4K Ultra HD Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders Gear Reviews News Home Theater 101 Best Gear Film & TV
Games : Worth a Look
Ranking:
Sale Price: $39 Last Price: $ Buy now! 3rd Party 39 In Stock
Release Date: March 17th, 2015 Movie Release Year: 2015

Battlefield Hardline

Overview -

From the days of 'Battlefield 1942' being a PC multiplayer sensation to the more recent 'Battlefield 4' console mainstay, DICE's 'Battlefield' series has taken players from one war to another. This time around though, Electronic Arts has tagged Visceral Games (of 'Dead Space' fame) to make a 'Battlefield' full of cops and criminals. After a big reveal at E3 in 2014, several public betas, and a sizeable delay, it's time to see if 'Battlefield Hardline' is worthy of the 'Battlefield' name and worth standing on its own.

OVERALL:
Worth a Look
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Video Resolution/Codec:
900p (PS4)
Release Date:
March 17th, 2015

Video Review

Ranking:

Generally, 'Hardline' looks good, with some extra attention paid to fine detail and motion capture this time around. It doesn't look head and shoulders above 'Battlefield 4', but it is definitely an improvement.

The major problem is that it has its predecessor's issue of switching from a gorgeous 60fps during actual gameplay, to a more cinematic framerate during cutscenes and scripted events. The shift is always jarring, and it is frequent. 'Battlefield 4' got a pass on that, due to being a first wave PS4 title, clearly optimized for previous gen. There are fewer excuses for not pushing the envelope for the next gen version this time around.

Audio Review

Ranking:

'Hardline's soundtrack is a great eclectic mashup of hard bluesy rock, spanish tunes, hip-hop, and a bassy score from the same guy partially responsible for 'Dredd's synthy, Vangelis-on-ecstasy score. In-game sound is pure 'Battlefield.' It's the same thunderous cacophony of gunfire and explosions as DICE's entries of this series, and it's a beautiful monster that streams out of the speakers in this game, marred only by a few notable occasions of sound dropping out, or scripted events losing music or dialogue for no reason.

Final Thoughts

As a whole, 'Battlefield Hardline' manages to reinvent 'Battlefield' as a goofy cop drama, and as a successful one, though its ambitions and advancements are few. It does, however, succeed in freshness, a much-needed course correct away from its grim wartime roots into something far more likely to warrant repeat binge viewing ahead of the next season--er, game, even beyond its ever-lively multiplayer.