I’ve not performed the whole lot of the Battlefield 6 single-player marketing campaign but, but I played enough to have a stable guess as to what the high-level targets for it have been. It wasn’t till I obtained an opportunity to talk to a few of the folks behind it that my suspicions have been validated.
It’s additionally very simple to guess that a few of the identical individuals who get enthusiastic about taking part in the marketing campaign mode in yearly Call of Duty releases probably received’t be moved by what Battlefield 6 is providing there, and maybe that’s superb.
After taking part in three missions of the Battlefield 6 marketing campaign, I caught up with Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director at DICE, and Fasahat Salim, design director at Criterion. Very similar to the remainder of the sport, the single-player marketing campaign can also be the results of work by numerous groups underneath the Battlefield Studios banner – and DICE and Criterion are definitely amongst them.
Our chat primarily targeted on the narrative parts of the sport, however I used to be additionally interested in how such an enormous crew break up throughout completely different components of the world and completely different time zones can come collectively on this style to create a serious recreation like Battlefield 6.
This interview has been edited for brevity and readability.
VG247: The narrative of the marketing campaign is fairly topical. I feel it performs on some very actual fears that folks have on this planet proper now about NATO and the state of alliances that we as soon as believed have been ironclad. Did you plan for this?
Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director, DICE: Battlefield has all the time tried to be, as a lot as doable, an especially grounded army expertise. Once we discuss what Battlefield is, sort of in its core DNA; it’s grounded. It’s lifelike. It’s wanting on the world by way of the lens of a soldier on the bottom caught in a a lot wider battle, proper?
In order we’re making an attempt to find out what the story ought to be, we have been very, very influenced by earlier Battlefield video games like Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4. That took on this planet because it was on the time that these video games have been made. And we have tried to do this right here, too. We have carried out an immense quantity of analysis into the older Battlefield video games, topical movies, documentaries, speaking to present and former service members to try to perceive how you can create a battle that’s totally fictional, however feels lifelike, feels believable, feels grounded, and feels actually attention-grabbing for the participant to be experiencing in our fashionable setting. So, clearly it is set in a world that feels as lifelike as doable, however we’re not making an attempt to repeat something instantly that is occurring, while additionally making it really feel prefer it may doubtlessly be lifelike.
VG247: You talked about some inspirations. Are you able to identify a few of them?
Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director, DICE: Completely. Like I stated, our greatest inspirations: a few of our older titles, however we have been watching – there are such a lot of good, actually grounded army movies and tv exhibits. Now, a few of the ones that we had talked about beforehand that have been large touchstones for us have been the movie Civil Conflict, the tv present Lioness. We have appeared on the tv present Gradual Horses rather a lot as effectively. Principally, something that hits that place of actuality, of wanting on the people who find themselves really caught within the battle, not those who’re driving it. We additionally watched numerous documentaries and photographs from conflicts around the globe. Once more, simply to know what it actually feels wish to be caught in that sort of place.
VG247: So are you able to inform me – that is extra of a logistical query – however I’m curious who’s main the marketing campaign growth. I do know Motive – and please right me if I am unsuitable, however I really feel like Motive is on the prime after which there’s an effort from the opposite two studios, Criterion and DICE (because the caretakers of the franchise). How does this break up work? Is there one crew main after which persons are contributing sure parts?
Fasahat Salim, design director, Criterion: It’s really a far broader factor than every studio takes its personal factor. We’re all sort of contributing to just about the entire undertaking, and clearly single-player multiplayer are simply two parts, there’s much more as effectively on this complete bundle. We have folks in Criterion, DICE, Motive, Ripple Impact all contributing to all of it indirectly form or type.
For instance, I have been accountable for marketing campaign missions, however I do know I am working with people who find themselves really additionally engaged on multiplayer, meta and all of those different components. So it is such an enormous undertaking throughout the board. Inevitably, having all 4 studios come collectively and share sources, data and tech is one thing that we needed to do for one thing of this scale.
So having everybody’s experience contributing wherever it is wanted has been tremendous very important for us making an attempt to get this over the road. After all there’s been numerous data, studying and data sharing between studios. Clearly, such as you stated, DICE clearly have probably the most quantity of expertise with it, so how can we sort of carry that ethos of what makes Battlefield Battlefield and make it possible for all the opposite studios are guaranteeing that that is a part of what they’re fascinated with once they’re making the content material or the stuff that they are engaged on.
However yeah, it has been a shared endeavor. We have folks throughout the board, throughout time zones engaged on this factor. We’re all concerned in the whole lot just about.
VG247: I used to be stunned by a few of the dialogue in a few of the missions. Very early on within the New York mission, there is a dialog between Lopez and Gecko, the place he’s grousing about folks being upset there’s army motion of their yard. Gecko principally responds that freedom typically means disagreeing with the federal government.
I assumed that was a really related line. It was extra nuanced than I anticipated in a army shooter, and I simply wished to know: was this a acutely aware option to have your characters make these related statements? Are we going to see a few of that once more in the remainder of the marketing campaign?
Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director, DICE: So sort of like I used to be talking to earlier: Battlefield has all the time tried to be a very lifelike recreation. Once we made the selection to set this up to date, to ensure that that to really feel actually good and really feel grounded and hit that fantasy for gamers, we now have to carry some issues that really feel actual to our world. Our characters must really feel like they’re linked to the world that they reside in, and so they’ve lived by way of the kind of world that we now have all been in.
After all they’ll have completely different views, and it is best to see that, and it is best to hear that from them. That is precisely how actual army personnel would speak to 1 one other as they are going right into a mission, they touch upon it, they’re enthusiastic about realizing how everybody else that they are preventing alongside feels about it, as a result of it is advisable to know that you just belief that individual subsequent to you together with your very life in all of these situations.
So yeah, I feel that for gamers who’re coming in, who’re very up-to-date on the information and have carried out anyplace close to the quantity of analysis that we have carried out on what is going on on with the world in order that we may create a very attention-grabbing fictional setting. After all, they’ll see issues that they could resonate with, some issues that they could agree with, some issues that they could disagree with, some issues that may make them suppose, some issues that they’ll ignore fully and can simply fade into the background.
I feel numerous the way you course of this story might be going to be primarily based on the way you come into it, however I hope that our gamers could have enjoyable. Possibly suppose a little bit bit and stroll away going, ‘I really feel like I had the expertise of army personnel on the bottom in this sort of scenario’ if one thing like this have been to occur, however I do not suppose it will, but it surely may.
VG247: I’m primarily based within the UAE, and just lately there was – to illustrate army motion – on a neighboring nation; two US allies [involved]. Once I obtained into the sport, I wasn’t anticipating it to be this prescient. I might think about that the analysis that goes into it perhaps gave you a little bit little bit of an perception into how a possible plan of action may happen.
Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director, DICE: We’re going for grounded. However yeah, most of this story was written a number of years in the past. So in the event that they’re extraordinarily near issues taking place proper now, after all, we’re indirectly referencing that. What we’re making an attempt to do is present one thing that feels grounded and like a superb story.
VG247: Are you engaged on a story factor for multiplayer/BR? Can we count on a story factor to the multiplayer modes as soon as we’re carried out with the story of the marketing campaign?
Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director, DICE: Sure, sure, completely you possibly can. So the multiplayer maps and the whole lot that we’re releasing for the core product of Battlefield 6 is ready in a single universe, one battle. The multiplayer maps are in a few of the identical normal places because the single-player maps. You may see the opposite aspect of town or one other aspect of the city, different aspect of the mountain, for instance. Most of them happen both concurrently with the single-player marketing campaign moments, or days to weeks afterwards. Primarily, what we would like you to really feel right here is that fantasy of being that boots-on-the-ground personnel.
Between the marketing campaign and the multiplayer maps, you possibly can see completely different sides of those fronts, principally. You possibly can really feel a lot of the time – within the marketing campaign – what it is wish to be a few of the army personnel who’re there early within the battle, or perhaps even those kicking issues off. After which in multiplayer, it is extra… weeks later, issues have continued to evolve or devolve. What’s it like now?
VG247: Are we going to see any enter from these characters? Are they even gonna present up, am I gonna be capable of play as Gecko, for instance, in multiplayer?
So Dagger 1-3 just isn’t at the moment within the multiplayer expertise. Nevertheless, there are characters within the multiplayer expertise who’re featured as NPCs and squad members all through the marketing campaign. So there’s a direct reference to some characters between the 2.
VG247: So, for the narrative content material for multiplayer – clearly a few of that is primarily based on what different video games have carried out. CoD: Warzone, for instance, could have a cutscene that may arrange one thing, can we count on extra from Battlefield? To carry that narrative collectively? Can we count on one thing extra to associate with the brand new season launching past simply – this is a two-minute cutscene after which that is it, and we by no means hear from these folks once more?
Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director, DICE: So once more, we’re not gonna be speaking concerning the reside season stuff immediately, however I can let you know in context of what we now have within the multiplayer launch. Once more, these are sort of completely different sides of the identical biomes. So very comparable forms of buildings and understanding.
When you actually have a look at the environmental storytelling of what is gone on with this battle. Like I discussed, a few of the identical characters that you just see within the marketing campaign shall be playable in multiplayer as effectively. Even in relation to issues like potential customisation gadgets and such, all of it ties again into that very same narrative. That this group of individuals resides by way of this battle collectively.
VG247: By way of the construction of the marketing campaign, we solely performed three missions, however the Tajikistan one is completely different as a result of it was fully open. You would deal with the goals in any order you need.
The brand new New York mission is the spotlight for me. It just about confirmed the complete spectrum of [gameplay]. There have been open-ish areas, sections the place you possibly can command your squad. There have been tight sections in there, there was a chase. So virtually prefer it’s a superb vertical slice of what the marketing campaign can supply. I feel that mission particularly is gonna be lots of people’s favorite.
Are you able to inform me what the type of break up is for the marketing campaign? How a lot of it’s gonna be open-ish environments versus very tight, very scripted missions?
Fasahat Salim, design director, Criterion: It is really a superb combine. I feel Tajikistan might be probably the most open mission. In order that’s why, only for the sake of selection, I feel you bought to play that on the finish. Usually, throughout the entire marketing campaign, there is a good mixture of precisely what you simply described; that conventional Battlefield single-player marketing campaign that you just count on to essentially really feel the massive motion moments, , excessive spectacle.
The factor that sort of is a constant throughline by way of the entire marketing campaign – together with the three missions that that you’ve got performed – is making an attempt to provide the participant that feeling of courses, and what it means to play in numerous roles inside a squad. In every of these [missions], you are taking part in as a special class, and that is totally intentional.
In [Gibraltar], you are taking part in as an Engineer, subsequently you are supporting the automobile. You’ve got obtained your blowtorch. You are making an attempt to maintain the tank alive. There’s numerous concentrate on what it means to be an engineer class. Then clearly within the New York mission, you’re very a lot entrance and heart Assault, proper?
You’ve got obtained shut fight, you are going by way of the homes, you are capturing guys by way of partitions, they’re capturing again at you. All the pieces is could be very a lot proper on the frontline. So you’ve got obtained your shotgun, you are doing numerous injury. There’s grenade launchers, such as you stated, there’s an entire spectrum of issues taking place.
After which clearly in [Tajikistan] it’s a a lot larger mission, but it surely additionally lends itself to the Recon class, which is what we’re treating because the fantasy for that mission. So that you’re taking part in with the sniper rifle, and once more, you’ve got additionally obtained a drone as your gadget, so you’ve got obtained an eye fixed within the sky. You should utilize that to recon forward.
So all of those are attempting to provide the participant that fantasy of the completely different courses, and that is very intentional. As a result of as , Battlefield is about courses. Even whenever you play multiplayer, it is about fulfilling that function inside a a lot bigger battle.
For instance, you talked about squad orders. Squad orders is an enormous a part of fulfilling that squad-based fantasy. You might be part of this squad. Your squad has particular skillsets that might enable you clear up the issue at hand, so use them. Relying on who you’re taking part in as, some squad orders will not be obtainable to you. For instance, in [Tajikistan], you are taking part in the Recon. There are no Recon squad orders whenever you open up the wheel. That is as a result of you are the Recon.
VG247: Do you suppose some folks will choose to have that type of solo fantasy as a substitute of the squad fantasy? I would not mistake this marketing campaign for being a part of another shooter franchise, however I am additionally conscious that Call of Duty and different video games are likely to concentrate on singular people as a substitute of simply having the complete squad. Do you suppose some folks would’ve wished that from Battlefield 6 and perhaps aren’t followers of [the squad] factor from BF4 coming again?
Emily Grace Buck, narrative design director, DICE: I feel that is precisely what we’re going for. However yeah, we have been simply making an attempt to make the very best Battlefield marketing campaign we probably may, and Battlefield has all the time, all the time been about being one of many little guys. It is not about being within the SAS, it is not about being in Delta Power or Seal Staff Six.
It is about being an enlisted soldier, making an attempt to outlive a very s**t scenario together with your mates, proper? And to get your goals carried out and survive and get out. That is Battlefield. It is a cowl shooter. There are moments in our marketing campaign the place you’ve got a smaller squad obtainable. There are moments the place it is all 4 of you.
So I feel there are alternatives for gamers – particularly a few of them who’re actually expert, in the event that they wanna lean into that run-and-gun fantasy – there are moments they will do it, however that is not completely core to our Battlefield DNA the way in which that the squad play is. In order that’s not the primary fantasy that we have tried to supply within the single-player marketing campaign.
Battlefield 6 launches October 10 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Collection X/S.
