Battlefield 6 is yet another cliche-ridden war game. We deserve better

"And so Battlefield is back. The long-running military shooter series, which specialises in gigantic online multiplayer conflicts involving dozens of ground troops, tanks and aircraft, has returned for its sixth main instalment and it's thrilling, epic and compulsive. Apart from the single-player campaign mode, which I absolutely hated. It's another oh-so-familiar tale of preternaturally talented soldiers just doing their jobs to defend the free world in the face of evil private military companies, terror organisations or double-crossing CIA operatives."

"The thing is, nobody buys Battlefield for the campaign mode. In fact, most games in the series haven't had one. So this was a chance for the developers to experiment a little, try something new or even subversive. The mainstream movie biz may have been equally guilty of dressing up jingoistic celebrations of the military-industrial complex as thrilling action flicks, but it has also produced Paths of Glory, M*A*S*H and The Deer Hunter."

"While Battlefield 6 does make the occasional nod towards the less-than-ideal circumstances of modern hybrid warfare, you don't care much because the characters are cardboard cut-outs with no backstories who speak in nonstop military jargon. There have been a few big games that have challenged the narrative of the moral warrior acting in the world's best interests on behalf of largely benign military divisions."

Battlefield returns with a thrilling, epic and compulsive multiplayer focus featuring gigantic online conflicts of ground troops, tanks and aircraft. The single-player campaign is a clichéd seven-hour sequence about preternaturally talented soldiers confronting private military companies, terror organisations and double-crossing CIA operatives. Characters lack backstories and speak in nonstop military jargon, which undermines emotional engagement and narrative weight. The campaign forgoes experimentation or meaningful subversion despite occasional nods to the complexities of modern hybrid warfare. Other games such as Metal Gear Solid, Valiant Hearts and Spec Ops: The Line provide stronger, more challenging perspectives on war and its morality.

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