Battlefield: Play4Free

 PC
User Score
2.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 205 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 205
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 205
  3. Negative: 162 out of 205

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  1. hassankachal
    Jun 25, 2013
    10
    I love this game. It's incredibly fun and somewhat difficult, but all-in-all an awesome game. But, you have to buy funds, which is a B*TCH because without them, you can pretty much do nothing.
  2. ErichSturmovik
    Oct 3, 2012
    8
    I think that most of the reviewers were reviewing the morals of EA, rather than the game itself. I have to give credit where credit is due- the game itself is good. The graphics are a bit lacking, but there are a lot of weapons with decent variety, the weapons are well balanced (with some notable, but not game-breaking exceptions), the maps are varied, and the vehicles are really funI think that most of the reviewers were reviewing the morals of EA, rather than the game itself. I have to give credit where credit is due- the game itself is good. The graphics are a bit lacking, but there are a lot of weapons with decent variety, the weapons are well balanced (with some notable, but not game-breaking exceptions), the maps are varied, and the vehicles are really fun once you learn them. The main thing people dislike is that on December 20th, EA nerfed a lot of overpowered premium guns to put them more on par with the F2P weapons. From my standpoint as a player who has invested (probably too much) money into this game, I didn't really notice the changes to my guns that much and I read the EA TOS where they clearly state that the game is in beta and even premium weapons are subject to balance changes. Honestly, it was either balance the game by nerfing the premium weapons, or drive away all the frustrated free players. Beyond that, I think that EA has for the most part responded to complaints of the community on the game's glaring issues: the USAS (1 shot kill capable and 4 shots per second in a 12 round magazine), the boosted Mortar Strike (basically 3-10 free kills every time it went off cooldown) along with other broken aspects of gameplay were fixed, and they release interesting new content daily. In terms of the game being Pay2Win as opposed to Free2Play, the new attachment system definitely makes it lean towards Pay2Play. The attachments essentially bring the nerfed premium guns I mentioned before nearly up to their pre-nerf levels, for a rather large price. However, I have to admit that the attachments (Scope, Stock, Barrel, Magazine, and Camo) definitely add a level of variety and customization that the game did not previously have. For example, you can take your semi automatic M110 sniper rifle and optimize it for long range, with a powerful scope, high damage, and range increasing attachments, or you can attach a no-zoom red dot sight and recoil reduction attachments and run around having a good time at close to medium range. I would also like to point out that when EA first released scoped weapons as separate weapons, many people who had already purchased non-scoped permanent version begged EA to release an attachment system, and EA responded to the community and voila! Going back to P2W vs F2P, it's true that in terms of general weapons, a player with deep pockets will have an advantage. And yet the default guns are fine, and a skilled player can curbstomp the full attachments premium weapons player just by aiming better, without even spending any money, in-game or IRL. Without attachments, all the other weapons are more about variety than power. Not only that, but you can get ridiculous kill/death ratios on the order of 60-5 or more without spending a cent or using a weapon with attachments because there aren't really any premium upgrades to vehicles, and this is one place where I think the game really shines. The vehicles in this game are very well done. The ground based vehicles are mostly about brute strength and armor; they are meant to take hits and will take hits. They don't require much know-how to drive, and can be defeated by a few well placed RPG's or can turn the game around for the driver's teammates. The air vehicles have a much steeper learning curve and new players will crash a lot unless they practice on empty servers, and the air vehicles can also be destroyed very quickly, especially by APC's. However the risk is rewarded by much more devastating weapons than ground vehicles, and they are quite maneuverable so that if you know what you are doing you can avoid damage in many situations. However, I wouldn't call them overpowered because AA emplacements and APC's can very quickly destroy air vehicles as long as your team knows to use these to their advantage. My main point here is that without paying a cent you can stick to vehicle maps, and with enough skill, top the charts every game. In conclusion, I would say that the game is surprisingly balanced considering EA's money-grabbing agenda. The engine and graphics are below par but if you get used to them they don't subtract from the gameplay, nonetheless those are in my opinion the game's biggest cons. I really enjoy the variety of weapons and attachments, and for awhile I myself played entirely Free2Play and I still enjoyed that experience. One thing is for certain though- just because you are F2P doesn't mean you can't do well at this game, but throw enough money at it and it's depth and customization are increased tenfold without making you an unstoppable killing machine. I suggest ignoring most of these pointless rage spam reviews and giving the game a try- it definitely has it's flaws but even for 20 bucks you can buy a bunch of permanent guns and have a good time.… Expand
  3. DustyPig
    Dec 3, 2011
    8
    Great game but it gets really bland after a while with next to no unlockables and maps from Battlefield 2 designed for 64 players (the maximum player limit is 32). However, its been great to see the game evolve over time, from the laggy beta that involved only a few weapons to the newest version (December 2011) which involves deep character and gun customisation. However, it is to be notedGreat game but it gets really bland after a while with next to no unlockables and maps from Battlefield 2 designed for 64 players (the maximum player limit is 32). However, its been great to see the game evolve over time, from the laggy beta that involved only a few weapons to the newest version (December 2011) which involves deep character and gun customisation. However, it is to be noted that the aforementioned customisation is very limited if you aren't willing to pay, and with the amount I've spent in Battlefunds I could have bought Battlefield 2 or even Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in some stores.… Expand
  4. Quality
    Nov 11, 2011
    8
    Look, it`s free, accessible and entertaining. As the graphics are basically an updated version of Battlefield 2 it will run on any modern rig. And while the premium content is as unnecessary as it is overpriced the gameplay is simple, pacy, and fun. If you are looking for a free multiplayer shooter you should try Battlefield Play 4 Free.
  5. 567kenison
    Nov 20, 2011
    10
    Those who like to have Battlefield Experience of multiplayer. This is good way to have it. It is free and does need a gaming computer to play.If you have a good internet connection you should be fine. But I find some of the special weapons overpriced but it OK.
  6. Army89Delta
    Oct 23, 2012
    10
    As a free online game it would be hard to find a better one than this. The game has so many options to customize your soldier with weapons, attachments, or clothing that you could play a different one every time you went on there is you like. There is little to no hacker abuse and the community is mostly positive. I personally love this game and will continue to support it.
  7. FiraHUN
    Jan 26, 2012
    8
    Basically the game is a mixture of 90% Battlefield 2 and 10% Bad Company. Every server can hold 32 players and all maps have the same gamemode: conquest. Conquest is about capturing flags and reaching 1000 points. There's no time limit and killing enemies doesn't raise the points of your team.
    Capture flags, defend them and you win the match. At the end of the match you recieve XP and    Basically the game is a mixture of 90% Battlefield 2 and 10% Bad Company. Every server can hold 32 players and all maps have the same gamemode: conquest. Conquest is about capturing flags and reaching 1000 points. There's no time limit and killing enemies doesn't raise the points of your team.
    Capture flags, defend them and you win the match. At the end of the match you recieve XP and credits. Your XP helps you to level up and unlock different skills, also specific skills for every class (recon, assault, medic, engineer). Credits are used to rent better guns for a limited time (1 day) or buy bandages.

    The game has pros and cons just like any other game. For the sake of simplicity I will continue with a pros-cons list:
    PROs:
    - It's free. Money isn't the only way to have fun and to become a good player.
    - Graphics are pretty decent.
    - Good mixture of maps. 2 infantry maps and 4 vehicle maps, 3 of those have jets.
    - Balanced maps. Flags are placed in places that are as hard to take as hard to defend.
    - Useful skills and redistributable skill points.
    - Fast paced action, even when servers are half empty.
    - Every map has needs a different strategy.
    - Money can't replace skill.
    - Weapons are rather balanced. If you want high damage you will need to sacrifice some accuracy and suffer from more recoil.
    - Vehicles! Jeeps, APCs, tanks, attack helis, transport helis, jets, boats, you name it. It's pure fun fun and fun. And none of them are overpowered.
    - You can't hurt teammates. I think this is rather a pro than a con because there are a lot of crowded and small maps where shooting first, asking questions later is the only way to survive.

    CONs:
    - Zero teamplay. Seriously. None. Miracles can happen of course. Your best bet is playing with friends using teamspeak.
    - You can add "friends" and see them which server they are playing on at the moment, but there are no special markings for "friends" on the battlefield! You can't make a difference between them and other teammate, only when they are almost next to you and the game shows their name above their head.
    - No voicechat.
    - The game needs more action emotes. There's no way to tell someone to follow you, to stay together, or you need reinforcements. How do you coordinate an attack then?
    - Players tend to forget about the game is about capturing flags. this could ruin the whole experience.
    - Sometimes teams are way unbalanced. A team with 11 (out of 16 teammembers) rooftop camping recons(snipers) versus a team with 3 recons on a CQC infantry map is a ticket to ragequit.
    - Too much hate and bad language on the chat. Sometimes I think everyone playing has tourette syndrome.
    - Selfish players. Someone sees a jeep? Sprints there and takes it all alone, then gets shot in the face while trying to capture a flag by himself. Repeats it several times.
    - Medics tend to forget they are medics and don't heal, don't revive teammates. Same goes for engineers.
    - Very low magazine capacity, which leads to the frequent reload of your gun.
    - Players don't check the minimap. You can pinpoint the location of an enemy capturing your flag, most of your teammates will probably ignore it. And sometimes attack helis will just launch all of their missiles at a friendly vehicle or group of soldiers just because they don't check their targets on the minimap first.
    - Bugs and sudden disconnections.
    All in all i like this game. It has maps for every style of players, jet pilots, tank drivers, camper noob recon fa... I mean stealthy snipers and machinegun wielding Rambos a like. If you learn to adapt to the features of the game you can become a pretty good player and enjoy every battle.
    But don't forget! It's just a game! :-)    … Expand
  8. aptikurt
    Oct 17, 2013
    8
    realy nice game but, you cant buy much with points. if you dont pay you still have default clothes and i dont wanna pay. it would be better for players that dont have the money

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Eurogamer Sweden
    Oct 20, 2011
    50
    With graphics, gameplay and an approach to female gamers from the past, this game is just average. Battlefield: Play4Free is free to play, but my time is worth a lot more than this and I want my money back.
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  2. Games Master UK
    Oct 20, 2011
    70
    Sink in some moolah or you'll struggle. [July 2011, p.93]
  3. GameShark
    Oct 20, 2011
    75
    A decent core game despite its stripped down status.
    Read full review
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