Right, with that housekeeping done, we're here to tell you that Battlefield 6 really does feel like a return to form for the series. We have issues with certain elements of the game right now, don't get us wrong, but the core of BF6 is such a fundamental improvement on 2042 that we can't help but be impressed by what's been built here. Among those improvements is an immediately apparent one; Battlefield 6 is no technical slouch on current-gen consoles, far from it.
The maps presented here in the beta are gorgeous; from windy city streets to open mountains and bits and bobs in-between - the Battlefield 6 beta really does look the part. There's a granular level of detail on show here that we haven't seen from the series in ages, and with destruction playing its part in that, it really does feel like Battlefield is back. If Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 5 had a current-gen baby, this is what it would look like, and we're here for it.
Even more impressive, though, is the audio here in BF6. Slap a good headset on and this new Battlefield effort is truly transformed. Traverse the map at any sort of speed and you can hear every bit of uniform rustle, every boot slam onto the ground, every bit of misplaced rubble get kicked around at speed - you just feel so planted in the world that it really does add another element to the experience. Then, once you're into combat, things really kick up a gear. Weapon and vehicle sound effects are top notch, and it all adds up to a very immersive experience, particularly with a good headset on as we first mentioned.
The fundamentals of BF6 are very much in place with this beta, then, but what about some of the other bits? Some of the extra seasoning that's needed to make an online FPS truly great? Well, BF6 is doing an okay job here, but there's room for improvement - which we're hoping Battlefield Studios takes on board for the full release.
First off, the age-old Battlefield debate of time-to-kill rears its head in the BF6 beta: we think it's too short. You take down foes just a bit too quickly , and when roles are reversed and you're the one taking the L, you'll know about it fast. That, combined with overly-accurate hipfire on automatic weapons just makes the whole thing feel a little too fast-paced and arcadey in the beta - and it's something we'd definitely like to see tweaked before the final release.
Generally speaking the gunplay feels very modern Call of Duty / Warzone , which is a good base to build from - we'd just like to see a bit more building from the team. The weapons could feel a little weightier, a little more like the Battlefield of old, if we're to nitpick. The current setup isn't a dealbreaker mind you, and combat feels miles better than the game's predecessor; we just think another tweak or two to weapon feel and time-to-kill would work wonders for the overall combat experience.
Overall, then, we're very impressed by Battlefield 6 multiplayer so far - from our time with the ongoing beta at least. It looks and sounds absolutely fantastic on Xbox Series X|S, it's pretty darn polished for a beta product, and in general is just a massive step in the right direction for Battlefield. There are tweaks we'd like to see made between beta and launch, but the crucial thing is that they're all achievable, and it feels like Battlefield 6 has a bright future ahead of it. It'll be interesting to see it go up against Black Ops 7 this year, that's for sure!
