Return to glory
If you've ever played a Battlefield game, you have a story to tell. Like the one time you held off a dozen players with only your sniper rifle, got a multi-kill with a perfectly-placed C4 trap, or accidentally flew a chopper full of players into the side of a cliff. Those moments are what make the Battlefield games amazing experiences, and every time something crazy happened, you knew you'd be jumping right back into that same map to try to make it happen again.
Throughout the series, we've been (accidentally) pulling off nearly impossible stunt kills, coordinating with squadmates to pull off thrilling attack strategies, or dying in horrible (but hilarious) feats of failure--and we want to relive those memories. We had some great times in the maps from the previous games but we don't want those memories to fade, so we've picked out our favorite classic maps that we want to make a return in Battlefield 4.
Strike at Karkand (Battlefield 2)
There's a reason why Strike at Karkand continues to return to successive Battlefield games: It's a blast to play. With the combination of vehicular and urban warfare, every soldier class has a chance to shine. Snipers can use the verticality of the buildings to pick off unsuspecting victims, Engineers can set explosive traps in the narrow streets to take down heavily armored vehicles, Support can keep infantry at bay by firing a hail of gunfire down the city streets, and Assault can dominate the close-quarters gunfights in the tight alleys.
In Battlefield 4, Karkand would benefit from the new Frostbite engine's destruction capabilities. The city map's buildings are nowhere near as impressive as the Siege of Shanghai's destructible skyscraper, but if we could completely blow apart the dozens of smaller buildings, there would be no stopping our tank rampages. DICE could even toss in periodic, blinding sand storms that force players to get even closer to their opponents. Then it'll get real messy.
Operation Irving (Battlefield: Vietnam)
If you're looking for that classic Battlefield experience, you won't have to look anywhere else, because Operation Irving would have you covered. Want to fight your way up a beach reminiscent of Saving Private Ryan? Well, there's a beach. Want to ferry troops to the battlefield like you see in the old Vietnam War movies? Just jump in a Huey. Like to set traps on the only bridge tanks can use to get from one end of the map to the other? Yeah, you can do that.
Battlefield 4 can really bring Operation Irving to life. Back in the Battlefield: Vietnam days, there were no destructible environments, and we've been waiting to blow that long, wooden bridge to smithereens for years. In BF4, we'd finally be able to. The first thing we would do is jump right in to the Recon class, plant some C4, wait for some enemy troops, and light them up. It will be glorious!
Cold War (Battlefield: Bad Company 2)
Bad Company 2 had a knack for awesome Rush mode maps, and if the developers brought back a Battlefield 4 version of this snowy mountaintop, we'd be extremely happy. Cold War starts with one team parachuting down to a snowy mountain summit to attack a nearby town, while the other team can post up at defensive positions in destructible, two-story houses. With a fairly claustrophobic layout, Cold War forced a head-on conflict between the two sides which usually ended with leveled buildings, a plethora of multi-kills, and a big grin on our face.
We want to see the Cold War map remade in Battlefield 4, complete with intense weather effects that bombard players on the map. High winds can throw off your long range accuracy, snowstorms can reduce visibility, and deep snow on the ground can slow mobility. With Levolution technology in mind, it would be amazing if players could set off explosives on the elevated mountainsides that unleash a massive, map-changing avalanche. Forget using bullets. Let thousands of tons of snow sweep away the competition.
Devils Perch (BattleField 2: Special Forces)
Battlefield 2 had a bunch of expansions, but one that really stood out in our heads was the stealth-centric Special Forces. This add-on focused on using gadgets and being all sneaky-like as you navigate pitch black environments; luckily, night vision goggles were standard equipment.
Battlefield 4 could use a drastically different environment from the you-can-see-them-coming-from-miles-away maps that forces players to rethink their loadouts--which is why Devil's Perch needs to make a comeback. Optical enhancements, silencers, and flashbangs would become paramount (since, you know, a blinding flash in the dark can really mess up your corneas). Pitch blackness on this king-of-the-hill-style map combined with the lighting tech of the Frostbite Engine, would make this battlefield look like a laser light show.
Isla Inocentes (Battlefield: Bad Company 2)
Here's another excellent example of a Rush-style map that definitely needs to make a return. Isla Inocentes challenges the attacking team to conquer a series of elevated defensive positions that starts with a small island outpost and ends with an impenetrable military base nestled in a small valley. The surrounding water and enclosing hills keep the action contained within a relatively small area, which makes the fighting all the more intense.
With the water, elevated land, and tight corners of the town, you get a little bit of everything in Isla Inocentes. Boats can bombard the land, choppers can drop troops off at the island while gunning down infantry, and the footsoldiers have plenty of places to hide. Add a map-changing event and you'd have the perfect classic battle to include in BF4's map rotation. We're imagining that DICE dropping in a dam that holds water back from the valley, giving players the option to blow that sucker up and flood the entire environment.
Battle of Midway (Battlefield 1942)
So, the Battle of Midway map was basically a giant ocean with a tiny island in the middle. Why do we want to play this map again? Simple: Have you seen the insane water physics in BF4? If we could cram all of the boats, jet skis, aircraft carriers, and battleships we can into the wide-open, living ocean, we'd be all set to witness some epic Battlefield moments.
Boats don't usually get as much play as their land and air-faring counterparts, but bringing back the Battle of Midway map would be a great way to let them shine. Imagine a fleet of ships and boats bobbing on the swelling ocean, shooting down aircraft and bombarding the land-loving players on the island. On the other hand, taking to the skies would allow you to do bombing runs on water targets. Not sold yet? How about making a giant tidal wave periodically sweep across the map that capsizes battleships. Oh, the humanity!
Wake Island (Battlefield 1942)
Let's get one thing straight. You can't have a list of "classic maps we want to see in the next Battlefield" article without mentioning Wake Island. This map may have been done to death in previous games, but we still think BF4 can do it justice. We've seen Wake Island transform throughout the decades, starting with the original WWII version, all the way up to the year 2142. But now, it's time to add some Levolution.
With the most classic of map remakes, we want to see the developers do something with Wake Island that will make our jaws drop. Make us play amidst deadly storms that knock aircraft out of the sky; let the ocean waves cover parts of the island and force players to higher ground; heck, crack the whole island in half with a real-time, in-game earthquake. We've already seen this map done a half-dozen times, so when it comes back, let's see something unbelievable happen to it.
What is your battlefield?
There you have it. Those were our picks for the classic maps we want to return in the upcoming Battlefield sequel. Do you have any favorites you'd like to see? Think we got it all wrong? Have anything to add? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Find more information on the game check out our Battlefield 4 beta - 7 awesome things we've done so far article, and our Battlefield 4 - Everything we know article.
