Battlefield 2042’s open beta occurred last weekend and I was able to spend a few hours with the game on both the PC and PS5. With just one map, I was able to get a good idea of what to expect from DICE’s next entry in the Battlefield series, but once I was done with it I was left worried and wouldn’t mind if they need to delay the game further to get things right.

Battlefield 2042 open beta impressions

Now, I’m well aware that Battlefield 2042’s open beta was based on an old build. This was confirmed by a DICE developer according to IGN, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that numerous bugs and issues were experienced by players last weekend. Limited Beta events are meant for developers to test and receive feedback to improve on the game, this goes for open betas (even though some games treat it as an unofficial release). But let’s not forget about the fact that players treat such events as a demo or a trial session, a hands-on look that will greatly help them decide if it’s worth spending their hard-earned money on the game.

It gives a bad first impression to the casual audience and it even discouraged me - an individual that tries to stay up to date on the game - to get excited for its November release as last weekend made me think that this is the game that needs more time in the oven.

In PC, regardless of what I do with the settings, I experienced random frame drops and hilarious bugs. I’ve felt closed elevator doors I can go through, firing a hidden gun, and sometimes respawn with my attachments reset, forcing me to spend a few seconds setting it up again (it usually saves the last loadout in a match). I’ve experienced weird texture pop-ups and weird audio cues that make me confused about what’s going on in the area. Even the birds you see flying around the map seem to be coded in a way to follow a straight line, looking unnatural.

For PS5, I experienced similar issues but more texture pop-ups compared to PC.

Bugs and other issues aside, DICE has something that could be the next big thing as it reminded me of Battlefield 4, a game I greatly enjoyed more than Battlefield 1 and even Battlefield V. A few things that stood out were the ability to change attachments on the fly and calling vehicles and other support to drop on the spot are great changes. The gunplay felt fast and crisp, making every encounter inject a sudden rush of adrenaline. I didn’t struggle with the controls (even in the controller) and the time to kill (TTK) feels just right.

The vehicles also do feel great to control and the dynamic events such as the rocket launch and the massive tornado landing on the map Orbital are a fun addition that further fuels how chaotic a single match can be. Let’s not forget that PC and current consoles feature 128 players running around the map. So, yeah, utter chaos but in a good way.

Once I was done playing it made me think how different the full game will be in November. Do we trust DICE to get everything sorted out by November 19? Or do we play it safe and wait? The beta made me second-guess if I want to spend time on the game in it’s first week, something I’m sure EA or DICE didn’t want people to feel once the open beta ended.

You can say all you want about it being an old build, but I bet there are people now reconsidering if Battlefield 2042 is a day 1 purchase, and I’m sadly one of them. I hope I’m wrong and everything is indeed sorted out for its launch, but this open beta didn’t provide any kind of confidence, just more doubt.

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