At long last, there’s a reveal trailer for a brand-new Battle V map, Mercury. But will it be enough to revitalize a dwindling player base?
DICE released the Firestorm Battle Royale mode for Battlefield V earlier this year. It was a much-needed addition to a game that, since launch, has felt a little empty.
Fans had been used to the packed-out experience of Battlefield 1. At launch, the game had nine playable maps. With DLC there were another 16 maps added to the experience.
Battlefield V’s eight maps at the game’s launch were never going to be enough to keep its players satisfied.
As of May 27th, Battlefield V was the #111 most popular game on Twitch. For anyone guessing out there, that’s an average viewership of 863 people. Sure, Twitch views aren’t indicative of a game’s success, but it shows that the public eye has turned away from DICE’s most recent title.
It’s about time a new map was released. The battle enters the Mediterranean. Battlefield V’s latest map, Mercury, is based on 1941’s Operation Mercury during World War II, otherwise known as The Battle of Crete.
I have to admit…the map looks stunning. Bright colors burst from the screen. The crystal blue of the Mediterranean Sea, the sand-washed villages torn by bullet holes, and the deep red of the classic Battlefield explosions, this map is very different from the European battlefields we’ve seen before.
Even the music in the trailer is reminiscent of fond BF experiences. Jumping in a jet on 2’s Gulf of Oman, defending the beach in a tank in 1942’s Wake Island, and riding across the desert in 1’s Sinai. These are the moments that make the Battlefield series so spectacular.
The new Mercury map comes from DICE LA, a subsidiary of DICE who have worked on the Battlefield series in the past. Their inclusion in the development process bodes well for the future of BF: V with the hopes that new content is on the way, and that it will arrive at a faster pace.
Mercury looks like an excellent map. The trailer shows a lot of vehicular warfare in what is supposed to be an asymmetrical combat situation. Britain, the defenders of the island of Crete, have land dominance. Germans attack from the air. DICE claim the map will cater to multiple different playstyles.
Overall, the trailer has done it for me. It’s epic and exciting, the way Battlefield games have always meant to be. It’s impossible to say whether the new Mercury map will be enough to rejuvenate Battlefield V, but it appears to be a step in the right direction, especially with EA Play on the way next week.
