DICE on Battlefield 4 for the Xbox One

It’s safe to say that Battlefield 4 is one of the most hotly anticipated games of this year, with the concept of dynamic maps, under the moniker “Levolution”, one of the most hyped about concepts. As such, Xbox Wire spoke with DICE on Battlefield 4, specifically on the Xbox One.

One of the big things DICE has been hyping is the new Frostbite 3.0 engine powering Battlefield 4, going so far as to call it “one of the best engines in the industry”. With Frostbite 3.0, they feel they can provide “a deeper experience and connection to our games”. As an example, for the single player mode, the developers at DICE said, “We’re going to deliver the most dramatic story we’ve ever created with real life character performances by actors like Michael K Williams from HBO’s Boardwalk Empire or The Wire, who bring out the emotion and believability of the action.” For multiplayer: “We’re delivering the epic 64-player battles that consoles players have been asking for. On Xbox One, the game will also be running at 60 fps without sacrificing the features that makes “Battlefield” great – all-out vehicle warfare, destruction, huge maps, and team play.”

We’re looking into features that enhance the controls

DICE also explained how they planned to use extra features, like SmartGlass or Kinect 2.0, to enhance the game. With SmartGlass, DICE feels providing an overhead map, along with the advantages of second screen in general, is something to look forward to. For Kinect 2.0, “we’re looking into features that enhance the controls including peeking and leaning and tracking head movement as well as incorporating voice commands.”

Another ballyhooed feature is the return of Commander Mode for Battlefield 4, albeit a little retooled. As DICE explained, “We redesigned Commander Mode with a focus on intelligent warfare and enhancing the Commander vs. Commander experience. This means players on the ground will reap the rewards from their Commander doing the right things such as outsmarting their opponent using UAV’s, countering EMP strikes, etc.”

“And in true ‘Battlefield’ fashion, cooperation pays off by providing the Commander more options and rewards to give his troops on the ground. We’re also including second screen support, so not only will Commander Mode be playable on Xbox One and Xbox 360, but for the first time players will have the ability to play as a Commander on their tablets via an internet connection. This gives our players the opportunity to play Battlefield 4 even when they are not in front of their Xbox One and Xbox 360.”

The final thing DICE talked about was “Levolution”, the concept of maps dynamically changing. “We’ve created these dynamic environments that react to your every move. Some things are massive like reducing a skyscraper to rubble or flooding an entire level in real-time. Also, in the Paracel Storm map we showcased at Gamescom, players can destroy the anchor to a warship docked off-shore causing it to crash on land and giving their team access to the anti-air cannons onboard. In addition, there are other actions that are smaller but hugely impact the game like shooting fire extinguishers to distract enemies or cutting the power of a building to blind opponents.”