BJust moments into the first round of the expansive multiplayer mode Conquest, you can’t help but feel the thrill of battle return. Fighter jets zoom overhead, tanks thunder by, and buildings crumble under the impact of rocket-propelled grenades. While Call of Duty has traditionally emphasized close-quarters combat in online matches, Battlefield 6 immerses you in a colossal military engagement that’s both bewildering and ear-piercing. Even in the quieter moments, you’re jolted back to reality by the distant sounds of rifle fire, urgent shouts for orders, and calls for medics.

EA’s legendary FPS series has faced significant challenges in recent years, and its futuristic installment Battlefield 2042 is widely regarded as a letdown. In response, the development team—comprising various studios including the original creator DICE—has returned to the stellar Battlefield 4 for inspiration. This time, the focus is on contemporary military warfare, delivering an authentic experience across expansive maps with numerous players involved. Similar to previous titles, Battlefield 6 offers four distinct classes: Assault, Support, Engineer, and Recon. Each class comes equipped with unique weapons and gadgets, which you can upgrade and customize as you gain experience and level up your soldiers. It’s a hybrid system that blends elements from earlier Battlefield games with features from modern Call of Duty titles, notably the Gunsmith system, which has revolutionized weapon customization in online shooters.

The standout online modes are the large-scale ones like Conquest and Breakthrough, which concentrate on capturing objectives and seizing territory from rivals. There are also smaller modes such as King of the Hill and Domination, but for seasoned Battlefield players, these options feel like a different approach altogether. Since the groundbreaking Battlefield 1942 in 2002, the series has promoted strategic gameplay, encouraging teamwork among allies to infiltrate enemy bases, synchronizing assaults with helicopter cover, and gradually breaking through defenses. In a good game session, you may find yourself stealthily navigating the map or inching toward a heavily fortified structure. The rapid-fire nature of Call of Duty, characterized by quick skirmishes and instant respawns, seems worlds apart.

Yet, engaging in combat here feels invigorating. Whether you’re navigating the bustling streets of Brooklyn or the shores of Cairo, debris cascades, bullets ricochet, and tanks detonate in fiery explosions. The graphics and audio design are remarkably well-executed, channeling the gritty, camera-shaking documentary style of Generation Kill or Warfare rather than the polished action-movie mayhem typical of CoD. If you’re fortunate enough to join a solid team (I strongly recommend playing with one or two friends), you’ll forge genuine camaraderie.

However, the game does stumble with its lackluster campaign mode. The storyline is a standard techno-thriller set in a near-future world where a private military firm seeks global domination, and only a rugged team of American special forces stands in their way. This narrative feels clichéd and uninspired. By portraying the antagonist as a fictional military corporation, the developer sidesteps political controversy and avoids addressing the game’s potential market dynamics or its investors at Electronic Arts. Additionally, staying engaged with the cast of tough guys, who consistently deliver lines like “There’s no bureaucracy here” or quip, “I don’t know what’s more impressive, the scenery or the firepower” while staking out an enemy base in sunny Gibraltar can be a challenge. When Murphy, the protagonist, states, “There’s no one I want to join in this fight,” I seriously wished that defection had been an option.

Don’t let that discourage you. Overall, Battlefield 6 marks a triumphant return to form, delivering a thrilling, almost operatic shooter experience that masterfully blends explosive combat with tactical finesse. It remains to be seen how it will fare amidst the contemporary landscape of hero shooters and battle royale games, but it is undoubtedly worth your time.