This game was a bit different compared to older Battlefield titles like Battlefield 3 and 4. Firstly, it was mostly developed by Visceral Games rather than DICE. They still used the Frostbite engine which definitely made it mostly look and play the same. However, this time around the game is much more fast-paced and you have less health in multiplayer, meaning you will die much more quickly. Of course this means it is also easier to kill your enemies, if you're quick. It really all comes down to who saw who first, and who reacts first most of the time. Personally, I prefer being able to take a hit or two without dying ala Battlefield 3 & 4. Overall though, this game is extremely similar to Battlefield 4, but with a cops vs robbers kind of twist.

Despite being a police vs criminal theme, the game still has plenty of vehicles to operate, as you'd expect in a Battlefield game. The multiplayer games support 64 players (32 vs 32) on console which can result in some pretty lively matches. Even to this day it's great fun. It's worth noting that overall, the gameplay experience is very similar to Battlefield 3 & 4, more so 4. This is a good thing, as most people can agree that these two games were probably the best era of Battlefield if you include Bad Company 1 & 2 as well. I did notice a few areas in some levels or multiplayer maps that visually seemed to lack a little polish compared to the DICE titles, but they were pretty easy to overlook.

Hardline launched with nine maps and seven different game modes. After all of the DLC was released, the map total grew to 27 maps which is more than enough to enjoy some variety. I particular enjoyed some of the maps that didn't take place in the city, and the nighttime maps. I always enjoy seeing different shooters with muzzle flash effects at night. As of the time of writing, the multiplayer servers still have plenty of people. I usually see about 5-10 mostly full servers anytime I get on, even at night. This is awesome because some older Battlefield games that I'd love to play (like Bad Company 1 & 2) are mostly void of players.

If you're a fan of Battlefield (particularly the feel of the older Battlefield games), this game is for you! If you're a fan of first person shooters in general, this game is also for you! I gave it a 7 because it is a good game to play, but not quite as great as the other Battlefield games.