Battlefield 4: Commanding Armies and Toppling Skyscrapers

We go hands-on with Battlefield's next-generation multiplayer, including its map-altering destructibility and commander mode. 

Earlier this week, EA and DICE revealed Battlefield 4's new multiplayer gameplay, showcasing an insane new level of destructibility and the return of Battlefield 2's beloved commander mode. So, what's life like on the next-gen battlefield? In short: better in almost every way.

E3 attendees were given a chance to check out the same level showcased at EA's press conference, set in Shanghai. The demo was limited to conquest mode, which just like previous entries, consisted of two teams of 32 players battling for control of a series of capture points. The map is a city landscape that wraps around a bay, with flags following the general path of a central road. Players can traverse the level on foot, in vehicles, in boats, or for those willing to risk getting picked off from the docks, by swimming. The capture points, though following a fairly linear path, are located on the surface level, underground, or high-atop a massive skyscraper, making for a dynamic environment that teams can approach a number of different ways.
In the case of the skyscraper, players can either take a helicopter or elevator to the top. While the elevators are probably the riskiest path, the adrenaline rush and feeling of dread as you make your way to the top level unaware of whether a swarm of enemies will be outside of the doors is remarkable. The combat system remains largely intact, but due to both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4's revised start/back and start/select buttons, the company has adjusted the control scheme slightly. Instead of having to move your fingers off of the thumbstick to tag an enemy, users can simply tap the right shoulder button.
But the question on everyone's mind is: how do you make the building fall down?
As it turns out, it's not triggered by the progression of the match, like maps in Battlefield 3 such as Caspian Border. Instead, it's part of a new feature DICE is calling "Levelution," which triggers map-altering events based on actions taken by the player. In this particular instance, if players cause a certain level of damage to four of the building's load-bearing pillars on the ground level, it'll cause the whole thing to collapse. But the building's demise isn't only good for a grand spectacle — it drastically changes the conditions of the map.
In addition to the rubble that forms where the tower once stood, the entire map is engulfed in dust, reducing visibility for soldiers and vehicles.

Perhaps the biggest addition to the game, however, is commander mode. For those unfamiliar with Battlefield 2's multiplayer, commander is a position assigned to one player on either team, who is granted a top-down view of the entire map. In Battlefield 4, the player is capable of issuing orders to his or her team, dropping tomahawk missiles, triggering EMP, deploying gunships, or enabling UAVs. Each ability is tied to a specific flag and only available to the commander when his or her team controls it. There are two types of UAVs, a brief map-wide scan that reveals players and vehicles and one that will only show enemies within a certain radius determined by the commander. EMP, too, can only be triggered within a small section of the map.
The commander has a direct line to each squad leader on their team and can issue orders to capture a point via an on-screen cue or over chat. Commanders can get a direct video feed from each squad leader and see players and vehicles from the top-down view, but can only zoom in to a certain point.
The commander position was demoed on a PC, but EA is bringing the experience to iPad and Android tablets through Battlelog. The tablet functions, DICE says, will be identical to the console and PC versions. Speaking of which, next-gen console players will be thrilled to find that the 64 player matches will be carried over from PC at a staggering 60 frames-per-second. Xbox 360 and PS3 owners, however, will be limited to only 32 player matches.
What do you think about Battlefield 4's new multiplayer? Sound off in the comments below.