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‘Battlefield 1’: EA DICE Explains Why They Chose To Resort To The Past Instead Of Taking To Space

By Bryan Star
Published on: 12:57 PST, Aug 17, 2016

Battlefield 1, EA DICE’s latest installment to the series, is ramping up for a ride through the past.

From what we’ve seen so far, the Battlefield 1 design is meant to forgo the more modern element of combat in favor of resorting to World War I. Infantry, mobile units, and zeppelin are all part of the mix, and fans seem pleased that there won’t be any futuristic additions to the upcoming first-person shooter. If you’re wondering why EA DICE chose to go this route, then your questions have answers.

In a report by Gamespot, design director Lars Gustavsson discusses his reasoning for taking the game back to World War I. It seems to be no secret that fans have been wanting this for a while, as the new Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has been receiving quite a bit of negative reception. Gustavsson had this to say in regard to the formula of choosing the past over the future.

“Every time we open the research books, we find a new weapon or technique we didn’t know was used during World War I,” Lars stated to GameSpot during GamesCom 2016. “The misconception is that it was all trenches and slow-paced combat — but this was a war of ‘firsts.’ These empires were experimenting every chance they had.”

This is evident in the tactics that are being used throughout Battlefield 1. We saw various celebrities pick up the sticks during the Battlefield 1 demo during E3 2016. Armored vehicles exploded onto the battlefield, leaving wreckage. Cavalry rode in to assist the infantry, overwhelming opposition and gaining ground. There’s even a large zeppelin called “The Behemoth” that arrives to assist a team who want to make a comeback. Whether you’re new or old to the Battlefield series, it’s undeniable that all styles of approach to combat are present in Battlefield 1.

Gustavsson continues his explanation of why Battlefield 1 chose to go the World War I route, noting that it had been of interest to him for some time.

“It’s an era we’ve been wanting to explore for a while,” Gustavsson mentioned. “We’ve all learned about World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War. But World War I often goes unnoticed, despite how huge it was. It’s an older time, but in this case, it feels new.”

Battlefield 1 will certainly be brought to fans on a large scale. We get to see just how big World War I became, especially with the amount of artillery that players will get to make use of. Christian Times reports on the new tank units and pilot classes, EA DICE’s lead weapon designer Julian Schimek also detailing how meticulous developers have been with every gun’s features.

“To get the most out of them (weapons), you have to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and use the right one in the right situation. Putting your weapon to good use will feel more rewarding than ever before,” said Schimek.

It seems as though Schimek is pointing out the obvious, but perhaps the execution will further clarify the point.

The authenticity of World War I will surely be felt. EA DICE is being quite thorough, according to director Gustavsson. They’ve gone so far as to study World War I, from movies to documents.

“Our research isn’t confined to weapons and vehicles,” Gustavsson stated. “We’ve sat down to watch movies, talk with experts, page through books as we tried to figure out which story to tell from this time period. The empires involved in World War I were massive, and in a way, each of them was greedy, trying to gain something more as the war continued. There were a lot of different motives we want to explore. It was a complicated time.”

Battlefield 1 will release on October 21 of this year.

[Image Via EA DICE]

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