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“Battlefield 4” review: A thrilling, intense and addictive next-gen game

As chunks of debris barrel toward you and the bombastic sound of gunfire and artillery reinforce your perilous position, you are reminded of what makes a "Battlefield" title overwhelmingly intense. Couple that with the amplified visuals of next-generation hardware, and what you're left with is a military shooter the likes we haven't seen on console. "Battlefield 4" -- the latest entry in the series -- delivers the standout features PC players have enjoyed -- 64-player multiplayer modes, 60 frames per second, 1080p gameplay -- to the newly released PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, leaving you with a gaming experience that truly feels next gen.

The Battlefield series is known for all-out destruction -- but developer DICE has taken this to the next level in "Battlefield 4." Yes, you can still pepper buildings with explosives, eventually puncturing enough holes to raze them, and leave enemy vehicles (tanks, jeeps, trucks, helicopters, jets, boats, etc.) in flames thanks to the series' upgraded Frostbite 3 engine. New to "Battlefield 4" is Levolution, which are player-controlled moments in multiplayer that vastly transform the battleground. On one map, a skyscraper can be toppled, leaving once-open routes impeded by rubble. A dam can be leveled on another map, flooding areas that were once accessible on foot. This gameplay addition is impressive the first few times you witness it, but since the destruction always occurs in the same fashion (the skyscraper will fall in the same sequence no matter where your final explosive blow lands), it can become somewhat predictable.

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What isn't predictable is the multiplayer action, which is as frenetic and visceral as ever. "Battlefield 4" continues the series tradition of audio excellence. Each weapon provides its own unique thump from the deep blast of one of the shotguns to the rapid-rife burst of an automatic weapon, the developers' painstaking level of auditory detail is impossible to miss. When you couple that with each map's open-world terrain that has the next-gen visual flair (impressive draw distance and upgraded lighting), you're left the best console entry in the series.

The multiplayer suite has 11 game types, including the ever-popular conquest, rush and deathmatch modes. In Conquest, each team is given a set amount of flags and tickets (player lives), and the goal is to deplete the opposing team's tickets by capturing and holding flags for as long as possible. When you add in the firepower of some of the vehicles, these battles can see-saw at a moment's notice. The goal in Rush is similar to Conquest -- deplete the opposing team's tickets. But the two teams in Rush have opposing objectives -- the attackers are trying to arm and destroy certain points on the map while the defenders attempt to negate their efforts. If the attackers run out of tickets before they can plant both bombs then the defenders win. Deathmatch’s only objective is to rack up a certain amount of kills before the opposing team.

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Most of these modes stress a level of teamwork few shooters require. There are four classes – assault, recon, engineer and support – each with its own special skillset. The assault class has access to a wide array of assault rifles and can also revive fallen teammates and hand out health packs. The recon class plays more of a sniper role that also uses motion sensors to reveal enemy positions and radio beacons, which control teammates’ spawn points. Engineers can wield rocket launchers to take down enemy vehicles but can also use a repair tool to fix damaged team vehicles. The support class can equip large machine guns with massive ammunition clips while also doling out ammo packs to resupply teammates. When you mix in a vast array of vehicles, there’s more or less a role for every kind of player out there.

And you will be rewarded for just about every action in multiplayer. Anything from killing foes, destroying vehicles, spotting enemies and other class-specific actions will net you experience points, which increase your overall and class rankings. So if you’re solely using the assault class, you will unlock weapons only in that class tree while focusing on one weapon will unlock a variety of attachments specific to that weapon. “Battlefield 4” does an excellent job dangling unlockables, giving players reason to come back to multiplayer. For those who purchased the current-gen game, you can upgrade to the next-gen version for $10 and you have the option to carry over your stats from the current-gen iteration.

Where the “Battlefield” series still struggles is its campaigns. The single-player has the “wow” moments sprinkled throughout the eight-hour story mode, but the characters and your motivation are somewhat forgettable. You play as Sgt. Clayton Recker, who is part of a special ops squad named Tombstone. Tensions are escalating between the US and Russia, and China is also on the brink of war. China’s Admiral Chang seeks to overthrow the country’s government to give China’s support to Russia. Tombstone is sent in to thwart Chang’s plans.

When it comes to online military shooters, you will be hard-pressed to find one more thrilling, versatile and addictive than “Battlefield 4.” From the destructible environments, to the impressive sound and visuals, the latest entry into the series steps up the multiplayer mayhem in every way. The single player provides some impressive set pieces, but is merely the appetizer to the meaty multiplayer.

“Battlefield 4” is rated M for mature by the ESRB and is available for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PS4.

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