While EA and DICE have promised a reveal for the upcoming next-generation Battlefield 4 next week, details regarding the FPS have already been leaked on the web.
According to a post made on Chiphell forums the following details will be mentioned in the April issue of the Edge magazine. However, as always take everything you read with a pinch of salt.
Battlefield 4 is going to be powered by the new Frostbite 2.5 engine and with the PC being the lead platform, we can expect some serious jaw-dropping visuals. If you were awed by Battlefield 3, wait till you see the fourth installment in action; or at least that’s what the leaker suggests.
On the next-gen consoles PS4 and Xbox 720, Battlefield 4 is said to maintain a steady 60FPS on 720p resolution which is a remarkable feat. Although earlier rumors did suggest that it would promise 60FPS at 1080p; I guess players will have to just settle with 720p then.
Both the PC and next-gen console version of the game will have support for up to 64 players, while the current-gen consoles will stick to the default 24 player setup seen in Battlefield 3.
The jump from Frostbite 2.0 to 2.5 is to be seen as a huge accomplishment. On the PC, the engine will feature DirectX 11 compatibility. Also the engine has been designed to include dynamic weather effects like rain, fog, sandstorms and the like. Of course not all weather arrangements will find their way into each map. The weather setups for each battlefield will be designed according to the environment.
Destruction 4.0 is back and it’s back with a vengeance. Expect even more destructible environments and buildings than what we saw in Bad Company 2. The leaker noted that on the PC the destruction would be more realistic. Furthermore, all of the environment including water, terrain and characters/NPC would make use of the new tessellation technology implemented inside Frostbite 2.5.
The game is said to be set in 2020 and will feature China and USA as the main infantry factions. The single-player section is supposedly composed of only two campaigns and will last around 5-6 hours.
Some of the multiplayer maps are said to be:
- Diaoyu Island
- Tiananmen
- Shanghai Bund
- Xizhimen
- Xizhimen Rush
Regarding vehicles; the M1A1 TUSK and PLA Type 99 tanks are said to be confirmed. Each will have their own set of customizations like laser guidance, armor piercing rounds and smoke screens. In the weapons department the Chinese J20, Y20 and Xianglong would appear in the game along with those from other factions. Furthermore the air combat zone this time around is going to be increased, giving more freedom to the pilots.
The Commander system is back as well with various options to provide support to a team, including UAV detection, artillery and fire support. Micro-transactions are to be included in the game as well but it’s unknown as to what players will be able to purchase. The leak notes that it won’t affect the balance of the game. We assume weapons, vehicle skins to make their way into the store.
Battlefield 4 will release with a few multiplayer maps but a DLC later on will add four further maps:
- Power station in Dalian
- Daqing oil field
- The great wall of China
- Wake Island (Classic Battlefield Map)
Battlefield 4 is expected to be revealed next week at GDC 2013, while according to the leak the final game will release in November.
Source: WCCFTech
