A couple of days ago, EA and DICE announced that a player’s multiplayer data would transfer from current-gen consoles to next-gen consoles, and now they have released information about the playable classes for Battlefield 4 multiplayer. And from what DICE has released so far, every playable class has been improved and some classes now have more offensive capability.
The Classes
Battlefield’s multiplayer system has a total of four different classes including the Assault class, the Engineer, the Support player, and the Recon class. The Assault class is the class for those that want the ability to heal and revive their teammates, and is the class that is best used for the run-and-gun types. The Engineer is the class for those that either want to support their own vehicles or destroy the enemy vehicles.
The Support class is for those that want to resupply their teammates with ammunition or defend objectives with C4 or claymores. And finally, the Recon role is for those who prefer to snipe and to mark targets for their teammates. There is most definitely a class for every type of player!
Changes to Each Class
For those that have played Battlefield 3, you can expect some changes to the four classes when Battlefield 4 releases at the end of October.
Alan Kertz, a core gameplay designer at DICE, said,
“Going into Battlefield 4, we knew we wanted to take the four playable classes from Battlefield 3 as a starting point. We’ve tweaked them to be more versatile and more highly specialized within their fields.”
For example, the Engineer will have a couple of different options about how to destroy an enemy vehicle. In Battlefield 3, Engineers had either the SMAW (Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon) or the RPG (Rocket-propelled grenade) to deal with enemy vehicles. However, DICE is bringing in some new weapons for Engineers to use against vehicles such as the low-damage MBT LAW, which allows Engineers to fire a missile that locks onto enemy vehicles. DICE is also bringing back the Wire Guided Engineer Missile from Battlefield 2 so Engineers will have some new ways to disable/destroy vehicles.
The Support class is also getting some improvements in that Support players no longer have to carry a light machine gun by choice. Carrying an LMG lowered the mobility of Support players in Battlefield 3, so allowing them to use a carbine or DMR will drastically change the way some players fill the Support role. To complement the defensive role of the Support class, DICE has introduced the XM 25 (air-burst grenade launcher) to add an offensive bonus to the class.
Recon players will notice that their tools from Battlefield 3 will be present in Battlefield 4 and will enjoy some revamped sniper rifle mechanics. A big change for snipers in Battlefield 4 will be the ability to zero your scope on your rifle which will allow snipers to no longer need to adjust for bullet drop. The Spec Ops play style of Battlefield 2 will also be returning so snipers can carry a carbine, C4 or claymore, and motion sensors to wreck havoc from behind enemy lines.
And last but not least, the Assault class will now bolster First Aid Kits for those who lean heavily towards the medic role. No word yet on how the First Aid Kit differs from the med kit of Battlefield 3 but it something that is intriguing. Also being added to the Assault arsenal is the 40mm Flash Bang. The 40mm Flash Bang will be fired from a grenade launcher and will disorient enemy troops, so even Assault players will now be able to fill a Support role.
For fans of the Battlefield series of first-person shooters, what changes are you most excited about?
