Slideshow: A visual history of Battlefield

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Slideshow: A visual history of Battlefield

Battlefield 1942 (2002) — Battlefield 1942 released on PCs in 2002 and changed the course of first-person shooters. It isn't much to look at by modern standards, but in the early 2000s, the game's expansive maps, extensive collection of pilot-able vehicles, and large-scale multiplayer battles put the series on the map.

Battlefield Vietnam (2004) — Swedish Battlefield developer DICE defied expectations with its first sequel by leaving the relatively safe and lucrative World War II subject matter for the riskier Vietnam War. In addition to the more modern vehicles and weaponry the time period allowed, Battlefield Vietnam also featured 1960s music.

Battlefield 2 (2005) — DICE didn't slow down, releasing the Battlefield 2 just one year later in 2005. Set in a contemporary time period, the game put even more emphasis on teamwork and cooperation. Graphical improvements include dynamic lighting and more realistic bullet penetration.

Battlefield 2142 (2006) — In 2006 EA DICE proved once again it wasn't afraid to take risks with its flagship Battlefield franchise, launching it far into a bleak future with Battlefield 2142. Gameplay wasn't as different as one might think - most weapons and vehicles were essentially tweaked and re-skinned versions of what had previously appeared in Battlefield 2.

Battlefield: Bad Company (2008) — The first Battlefield: Bad Company skipped PC entirely, launching only on PS4 and Xbox 360 in 2008. It's notable not only for its greater emphasis on story and personality, but also for serving as the debut of DICE's ubiquitous Frostbite Engine. Although Bad Company wasn't renown at the time for its visuals, the Frostbite Engine did allow for a very impressive level of environmental destruction - a hallmark of the Battlefield franchise to this day.

Battlefield Heroes (2009) — In 2009, EA DICE made the leap to free-to-play, third-person shooter with Battlefield Heroes. Casual games like FarmVille had just started to hit it big, so the cartoonish look and less intensive spec requirements weren't a huge surprise, especially as a Battlefield spin-off. Heroes was the first game made for EA's "Play 4 Free" initiative to break into the free-to-play market.

Battlefield 1943 (2009) — Battlefield 1943 pitted the US Marine Corps and the Imperial Japanese Navy against each other in games that could hold a maximum of 24 players per map. Conquest was the only mode available at launch, but 1943 did introduce a new gameplay mode called Air Superiority, reached after the community racked up a collective 43 million kills.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010) — Battlefield: Bad Company 2 highly improved on the destructible environments popular in the first Bad Company, making it possible to chip away at small sections of buildings, but also demolish and collapse them completely. While most Battlefield games prior included some variation of the "spotting" mechanic, Bad Company 2 added points for "spot assists," which occur when a teammate kills an enemy you've marked — an added incentive for spotting that would continue into future installations.

Battlefield 3 (2011) — Battlefield 3 (at this point, the eleventh game in the Battlefield series) introduced even better dynamic destruction with the Frostbite 2-powered Destruction 3.0 engine, which made some debris lethal and allowed for even more "micro-destructions." Battlefield 3 also brought back Team Deathmatch, last seen in Battlefield 1942, and added a new "suppressive fire" mechanic. Disabling vehicles before destroying them also became a possibility. Perhaps one of the biggest new features was the integration with EA's new Battlelog network, a web-based service that housed the Battlefield server browser, player stats, customization options, and more.

Battlefield 4 (2013) — Battlefield 4 shared the most in common with Battlefield 3, with a handful of notable additions. Namely, "Levolutions" allowed players to trigger large-scale events that would dramatically change an aspect of the physical environment. This included destroying a dam to flood the entire map, collapsing entire buildings, and taking down a number of towers to break through a large radio dish.

Battlefield Hardline (2015) — Battlefield Hardline strayed from the formula seen in Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 in a couple ways. It was developed by Dead Space creator Visceral Games in collaboration with DICE. Rather than continue the military shooter tradition, Hardline embraced the "war on crime" with a "cops and robbers," law enforcement-themed approach instead. Tackling single-player levels with a non-lethal, stealth approach could earn players bonus points. Meanwhile, multiplayer introduced a couple new game modes, including Rescue and Hotwire.

Battlefield 1 (2016) — Battlefield 1 makes a massive leap back in time to World War I, but still retains many hallmarks of the modern-day series, including dynamic destruction, four main classes, objective-based modes like the classic Conquest and Rush, and a number of vehicles and gadgets. A new game mode called Operations pits two teams against each other as they fight for dominance over multiple maps.

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