Score: 4.5/5
Electronic Arts’ “Battlefield” franchise entered a new chapter in its history last week when the highly anticipated “Battlefield Hardline” finally released. 
Unlike past “Battlefield” games, “Hardline” revolves around a cops vs. criminals motif, differing from the wartime theme the franchise has maintained over the past several releases. 
While most “Battlefield” enthusiasts were rather skeptical with the change in aesthetic and questioned if the developers could pull it off, it’s undeniable that “Hardline” is a resounding success, and Visceral Games accomplished its wary goal of developing an innovative first-person shooter. 
Though the game includes some of the same game modes “Battlefield” gamers have come to love like the multiplayer favorite Conquest, “Hardline” features five new game modes, each more exciting than the last. 
In the new mode Heist, the criminals team must move cash-filled packages to an extraction point without the police team intervening. If the criminals transfer all of the money to the designated area, they win the game. 
This is just one example of how the game transcends itself, taking similar elements of past games and improving them to create a new and refreshing experience for old and new players.
The game mode Hotwire allows those who enjoy driving to reign supreme as vehicles become the traditional Conquest flags and capturing the cars, or bases, depends on a certain cruising speed. 
New modes aside, “Hardline” provides a seamlessly exciting and invigorating shooter experience that rivals any of the great first-person shooters like the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” or “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” series. 
Even some of the small changes in “Hardline” compared to “Battlefield 4,” such as new gadget and sidearm options, make the game that much more impressive and enjoyable to gaming veterans or anyone just breaking into a
video game obsession. 
A grappling hook gun, an adrenaline injection and a detection device that highlights enemies making them visible through buildings and other objects are just a few of the new additions in the mesmerizing gameplay. Criminals can even use baseball bats instead of a traditional knife.
The only drawback of “Hardline” is the absence of combat vehicle options, an integral part of the past “Battlefield” games. Because of the cops vs. criminals style, there are no heavy artillery tanks that allow a different perspective in the combat experience. 
Those who found comfort in the armored, combat vehicles of “Battlefield 4” may find difficulty in the highly gun-oriented “Hardline.”
Additionally, some uneducated shoppers may be deterred by the similarity that “Hardline” has to the popular “Grand Theft Auto 5.” 
Because the new “Battlefield” addition contains similar elements and aesthetics to “GTA5,” gamers may not see the potential in “Hardline” when they could simply play a game they already have. However, anyone who plays the game will realize the distinct features and advantages to the
franchise’s addition. 
Overall, “Battlefield Hardline” is a tasteful and phenomenally well made video game that should replenish EA’s following and provide an overwhelmingly entertaining multiplayer experience.
You can reach Michael Tarver on Twitter @michael_T16.