Battlefield has a ranking system similar to that of Call of Duty. Based on your performance in game, you’ll level up and unlock weapons. The twist is that unlockables are class-specific. The demolition class can unlock an anti-tank gun and the medic can unlock a mortar strike. The classes felt well-balanced, with each class having its own perks and downfalls. In our time with the beta, the medic class was rarely used, making it hard to stay alive very long. We have a feeling that was just people wanting to shoot more than heal, which will be sorted out naturally as players try new things out.

Only one game type is available on the beta, but it’s not your standard Team Deathmatch. The game is called Gold Rush, which pits the two sides against each other in a battle for gold crates. The attackers have to blow the crates up, while the defenders obviously are meant to defend the crates. The attackers have multiple stashes of gold crates to destroy, while they have a limited amount of respawns. The defenders have unlimited respawns, but must prevent their gold from being destroyed. All in all, Gold Rush is very enjoyable and can boil down to which team has the soundest strategy.

The beta isn’t without its own problems,  but it’s only a beta. We thought that the assault rifle felt weaker than the other guns, specifically the shotgun. The server issues that plagued the beta were troubling, but we are hopeful that those issues will be ironed out before Battlefield launches in June.  Even after we nitpicked the beta to death, the game is very solid, and it’s only a beta. Our biggest problem is that it makes the wait for this game that much harder, and that might be the best thing that you can say about Battlefield.