Taking a spin on the usual military shooter, Battlefield Hardline presents a new theme and story for FPS fans framed in the world of cops and robbers. Set in various locations such as Miami, Florida and Hollywood, you play the game over a series of episodes, much like a cop series such as The Wire, and can enjoy recaps of each episode as you play the next. With a mixture of stealth and action, it's a different game at heart, placing you in a world of corruption, crime and intrigue, while playing out like a Hollywood action movie.
Shooting is key to the game, but now there is an emphasis on stealth too, playing on the theme of a cop carefully staking out their criminal. With a stealth detection ring you can keep track of how noisy or quiet you are being in the presence of the enemy. Nevertheless, when it comes to shooting there are several tiers of weapon unlocks, which you earn with expert kills and will still satisfy the most ardent first person shooter fan.
The Multiplayer has had a reboot too, with more frenetic gameplay, some interesting twists in the mechanics of play and the gorgeous visuals that are standard for this series. One particular favourite is being able to pick up a weapon that allows you to shoot zip wires across the map and travel from location to location rapidly. The weapons are bold and fun and the action is thick and fast from the get-go.
As you can see from the video, Battlefield Hardline looks to be just the reboot we were looking for and will please gamers who enjoy their FPS and vehicular-based action.