One of the ways that Battlefield V will look to distance itself from past games is via a new focus on customization through what's called The Company system. Some of the different looks that players can use were spotted in the game's reveal trailer last month, and fan feedback was mixed. While almost everyone agreed that customization was good in theory, some weren't a fan with how some of the gear didn't look historically appropriate. Screen Rant was able to exclusively speak with DICE Senior Producer Lars Gustavsson, and we asked him about the customization controversy.
Character customization isn't the only move to make Battlefield V feel like a new era for the first-person shooter series. DICE has announced that they'll be adding a battle royale mode to the shooter, and it will feature a four player cooperative mode called Combined Arms. Additionally, it will be the series' first try at being a live service that will evolve over time with new content and game modes.
Related: Battlefield V Gameplay Impressions - A New Generation of Battlefield
"In general, I think, we've set pretty strict kind of art direction and, sort of, direction for what is acceptable and believable in this universe," explained Gustavsson in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant. "We wouldn't want to go over the top. We want to look at everything we have in there as: could this have occurred in this era? You know, to stay true to this kind of reality." The longtime producer at DICE also understood why some fans were critical about what they saw, but says that fans aren't seeing the full picture. "So, we're trying to walk that line, but I think, people reacted on the reveal trailer - but that was almost like a condensed soup where we're trying to cram in everything."
Customization is always a tricky subject in games, and developers always have to choose between going all out by allowing players to use crazy costumes or limit them to more appropriate gear. Clearly Battlefield V is going in the latter direction, which seems like the right move considering the historical tragedy that World War II is. With The Company system, players can customize their four soldiers per side (one for each class, times by two for each side of the conflict) alongside their weapons and vehicles. Read about it here.
After all, a more nuanced approach is certainly better than having soldiers with weed-themed gear like in Call of Duty. It simply wouldn't be appropriate considering the subject matter, and the Second World War deserves to be treated with some tact if it's going to be used as the setting for a video game. It seems that DICE and Electronic Arts realize that and won't be getting as ridiculous as some of their shooting counterparts.