Battlefield 4

"Prepare 4 Battle"

- Battlefield 4 tagline

Battlefield 4 is the thirteenth installment in the Battlefield Series and is currently being developed by DICE. It is the sequel to Battlefield 3 and will be available for current and next-generation consoles. The game was announced by Frank Gibeau, President of Electronic Arts.

Singleplayer
The story, according to the official Battlefield website, follows American VIPs' evacuation from Shanghai and an American squad, designated Tombstone, struggling to make their way back home. In the 17-minute gameplay trailer released on March 26, 2013, the player is seen engaging Russian special operators, confirming Russia's return as a faction. In addition, China is confirmed as another faction, as, at the trailer's end, an unidentified caller can be heard going toward the east coast of China.

The trailer reveal showcased a campaign mission called "Fishing in Baku," Baku being the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, which lies on the Caspian Sea's coast.

A trailer over the mission "Angry Sea" was released, showing "Tombstone" squad escaping from an American aircraft carrier after coming under attack.

Plot
The year is 2020, and the world is teetering on the edge of chaos. As the conflict between the Russian Federation and the U.S. raged for the past six years, a new storm is brewing in China. Admiral Chang plans to overthrow the current Chinese government; if he is successful, he will have full support from the Russians. To make matters worse, the U.S. has been implicated in the assassination of Jin Jié, China's "future leader and voice of peace."

In response to the assassination, Chang has taken this opportunity to cancel elections for a new leader and declares martial law. Civilians protest and clash with the police in the streets, causing turmoil and ruin everywhere. Both U.S. and Russian naval forces have stationed themselves off the coast of China, waiting for the proverbial tinderbox to catch fire and engulf the world in the conflagration of another great war.

Multiplayer
Many elements from Battlefield 3 return, such as the same four class system, killcams, as well as increased destruction while many other features from past installments also return. DICE announced at E3 2013 that, as before, current-generation copies of the game will have a limit of 24 players due to hardware restrictions while PCs and next-generation consoles will support up to 64 players. It was also announced that the game would run at 60 FPS on next-gen consoles and that squads would now have a maximum number of five players per squad. Multiplayer progress is transferable between current-gen and next-gen consoles.

Classes
All classes featured in the previous installment return in Battlefield 4, although with a few changes. Carbines have become all-kit weapons along with Designated Marksman Rifles (DMRs) and can now be utilized by all classes, as with pistols and shotguns.


 * Assault - The class remains largely the same, with a few minor changes. Defibrillators now have a charge time with First Aid Packs also being issued along with 40mm Flashbangs.


 * Support - Retains C4 and claymores with its weapons now having an increased suppression effect compared to other classes. It will also be issued an XM25 and a remote controlled mortar for indirect suppressive fire, and the use of DMRs and Carbines along with LMGs.


 * Recon - The Spec Ops Kit play style has returned, with the class now able to utilize C4 and claymores along with the Motion Sensor from Bad Company 2. In addition, the ability to adjust scopes to compensate for distance, also known as Zeroing, has been added. The T-UGS, MAV Micro UAV, and Radio Beacon gadgets also return.


 * Engineer - PDWs replace Carbines as the kits primary weapons, so as to emphasize it's close quarters role.

Maps and Gametypes
Battlefield 4 is set to be shipped with a total of ten maps upon its release, all of which will be available on all seven gametypes in the base game. Two of them, Obiliteration and Defuse, are new additions to the series, putting further emphasis on team-based play. More maps and gametypes will be added in future expansions.

Upgrade Paths
Upgrade Paths have been introduced, each holding four different Specializations, now collectively known as Field Upgrades, that are progressively unlocked through squad actions in a match. There are a total of 11 paths, with three all-kit paths and each class having two paths unique to them. Battlefield 4 also features over 25 Specializations.

Factions
In addition to Russia and the United States, Battlefield 4 sees the return of China, a faction which previously appeared in Battlefield 2.

Unlike previous games in the series, Battlefield 4 will now allow server owners, when they rent a server, to choose which factions can fight on which map, as well as which deployment they can use in the map. This means that one map can have battles between the US and China, US and Russia, or even Russia and China, all at the server owner's discretion.

Features

 * Levolution - Increased destruction that is based on a level radically changing in gameplay through the player's actions
 * Spectator Mode - A feature new to the frostbite engine that allows users to view all players in first-person, third-person, or roam the map with a free camera. There is also a "Table Top" view mode, which is essentially a map with every unit spotted
 * Commander Mode - Originally a feature from Battlefield 2, it allows the commander on each team from a overhead view to call in flag specific resources that are gained or lost depending on who has control of the flag.
 * Renting Servers - Players will again have the ability to purchase multiplayer Servers and customize its settings in a manner similar to Battlefield 3.
 * Test Range - A tutorial mode that allows players to practice using weapons and vehicles
 * Diving - Players now have the ability to now dive into water. The ability to perform knife takedowns and plant C4 underwater has also been added
 * Peaking Over Cover - Players can now peak over cover while still protected from incoming fire

Beta
It was revealed that those who pre-ordered Medal of Honor: Warfighter would gain exclusive access to the Battlefield 4 Beta. DICE later announced that those who had pre-ordered the Battlefield Digital Deluxe edition, or were Battlefield Premium members, would also have access to the beta.

The beta will become available for pre-download on September 28, 2013 with the exclusive beta then starting on October 1, 2013. It will then be available to everyone else on October 4, 2013 and ending on October 15, 2013. The map that will be featured in the beta is Siege of Shanghai on Conquest.

Second Assault
On June 10, 2013, DICE unveiled Battlefield 4: Second Assault during the Microsoft Press Conference at E3 2013. It was announced that it would be the first expansion pack to be released for Battlefield 4 and would do so first on the Xbox One. The expansion features the return of four fan favorite maps from Battlefield 3.

China Rising
On May 21, 2013, DICE unveiled Battlefield 4: China Rising on a Battlelog post and stated that it would include four new maps on the Chinese mainland, new vehicles, and high-tech equipment. It was stated to be rewarded to players who pre-ordered the game at no extra cost.

Naval Strike
On August 20, 2013, DICE unveiled Battlefield 4: Naval Strike at Gamescom 2013. Not much is currently known about the expansion except that it will involve dynamic ocean combat on maps taking place in the sea.

Dragon's Teeth
On August 20, 2013, DICE unveiled Battlefield 4: Dragon's Teeth at Gamescom 2013. Not much is currently known about the expansion except that its maps take place in war-torn cities locked down by the People's Liberation Army.

Final Stand
On August 20, 2013, DICE unveiled Battlefield 4: Final Stand at Gamescom 2013. Not much is currently known about the expansion pack except that it will focus on the conclusion of the War of 2020.

Battlefield Premium
Battlefield Premium has been confirmed to return, functioning similar to its Battlefield 3 counterpart. It will grant owners access to all expansions at no extra cost as well as exclusive content and events.

Digital Deluxe Edition
EA announced on its website that the Digital Deluxe Edition is available for pre-order on Origin.

Deluxe Edition
A Deluxe Edition has been announced for pre-order at GAME in the United Kingdom for It includes:
 * Battlefield 4
 * Battlefield 4: China Rising
 * A SteelBook Cover
 * Three Gold Battlepacks

Battlefield 4: Premium Edition
A Battlefield 4: Premium Edition has been announced. Like the Premium Edition for Battlefield 3, it includes the base game as well as all the features of Battlefield Premium. It will also include more content exclusive to the edition.

Soundtrack
On March 24, 2013, a song in Battlefield 4 titled "Hanna's Theme", composed by Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki, was leaked. Both composers had worked on Battlefield 3's soundtrack.

Novel
The novelization of the game, Battlefield 4: Countdown to War, written by Peter Grimsdale, tells the story of a CIA agent named Kovic who's based in Shanghai. Agent Kovic is described as a reliable operative but one whose bosses don't trust, and he's about to make a lot more enemies. According to EA, the book will provide a backstory for Tombstone squad in the game's campaign. It is set to release on October 24, 2013, five days prior to Battlefield 4's launch date.

Trivia

 * Battlefield 4 has been confirmed to be set in 2020, but will maintain a modern day atmosphere. The current confirmed factions are Russia, China, and the United States. It is also to be set in and around China, as well as other parts of Asia.
 * The pictures in the title image show the city of Shanghai and a Chinese J-20 fighter jet.
 * On March 18, 2013, a seven second teaser was posted, depicting Type 98 tank treads beginning to move, as well as a date (March 27, 2013), which was then confirmed on the website to be when another part of Battlefield 4 was revealed. This was only available to logged-in Origin users, however.
 * On March 21, 2013, a fifteen second teaser was posted, depicting some kind of ship turbine. Additionally, an image featuring a burning aircraft carrier was revealed in the Battlefield 4 official website.
 * Battlefield 4 is being developed for next-gen consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One), and is being scaled down to be compatible for the current generation consoles (Playstation 3 and Xbox 360).
 * The key art was leaked in a supposed Battlefield 4 trailer before it was officially released.
 * Battlefield 4 is the first game in the series to include gore, as evidenced by the player using his combat knife, through a quick-time event, to cut off an NPC's leg in the gameplay trailer to save him from an exploding UH-1Y Venom.
 * This is probably a non-optional choice, as the downed helicopter explodes right after the player finishes cutting the limb off.
 * The female soldier, Hanna, was seen at the end of the 17 minute gameplay trailer released on March 27, 2013, alongside what appeared to be an American soldier in the background.
 * In the description, it mentions new intense, water-based vehicle combat. Attendees of the March 26 screening events have mentioned jet skis and naval craft being included.
 * The Russian special operative soldiers in the 17 minute gameplay trailer appear to based on the Russian Army multiplayer characters from Battlefield 3. This may simply be a placeholder for future character models.
 * The US soldier on the cover art holds what appears to be a Mk14 EBR.
 * There is now an animation for countering a Knife Takedown attack, and doing so takes the dog tags as well, just as would happen if one was to successfully Knife a player with a Takedown.