For gamers that could never quite stand the Call Of Duty franchise, Battlefield has long provided what many consider to be the superior alternative. The first entry released way back in 2002, one full year before Call Of Duty began, and offered a completely different kind of FPS. Large-scale battles with huge numbers of players spread out across multiple maps provided an experience that combined action with a real sense of tactical urgency, a formula that has proven itself a hit with fans time and again.
The Battlefield series has had its ups and downs over the years, but some are much more kindly looked on than others. Using my impressive techical knowhow (scrolling through Metacritic to look at review/user scores), I've established the correct order of Battlefield games from worst to best. The results are... fairly surprising, to say the least - but you'll have to read on and see for yourself.
Battlefield Heroes - 69/6.1 (DICE/Easy Studios, 2009)
Hands up if you remember Battlefield Heroes? Now put your hands down, because I think you're lying. A free-to-play third-person shooter that's closer to Fortnite than Battlefield, nobody wanted this.
Battlefield Hardline - 71/4.2 (DICE, 2015)
DICE
Nah.
Battlefield 2142 - 80/6.8 (DICE, 2006)
DICE
If I'm being completely honest, I had no idea this game existed until I started writing this article. Not sure exactly how Battlefield 2142 flew under my radar, but I'm not too fussed that it did, after taking a look at the reviews. Not an awful game, by any means, but one that didn't bring anything that innovative to the table beyond a sci-fi setting.
Battlefield V - 81/2.9 (DICE, 2018)
DICE
DICE's return to the WWII setting after so many years was well received enough by critics, with a few reviewers even hailing it as the best in the series so far. Unfortunately it had its fair share of flaws, including a lacklustre single-player story and a disappointing amount of content at launch. Of course it's in much better shape today though, and worth checking out.
Battlefield 4 - 81/6.2 (DICE, 2013)
DICE
Going from the user score, it seems nobody was in a massive hurry to forget that Battlefield 4's multiplayer was a bit of a mess when it first launched, especially on the then-nascent PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Still, new features and modes both large and small weren't to be sniffed at.
Battlefield 1943 - 82 (DICE, 2009)
DICE
A digital-only release, Battlefield 1943 was an entirely multiplayer-focused shooter with a minimal number of maps and modes. Not really a core entry in the series, but a lovely little stop-gap for those missing Battlefield 1942.
Battlefield Vietnam - 84/7.6 (DICE 2004)
The second game in the series obviously wasn't called Battlefield 2, because DICE has never cared about making the Battlefield numbering make sense - see Battlefield 1 and Battlefield V. Vietnam did little to change up the series, but added a few cool new vehicles and weapons. Good enough.
Battlefield: Bad Company - 84/8.1 (DICE, 2008)
DICE
Bring back Bad Company, already! While this spinoff entry had its fair share of memorable multiplayer mayhem, it was the incredible campaign and characters that really let the experience shine. While the franchise as a whole is for multiplayer fans, Bad Company is truly the single-player's Battlefield.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - 87/8.2 (DICE, 2010)
DICE
Oh, but it got better. Bad Company 2 took everything about its predecessor that worked, and turned it up to 11. More multiplayer modes, bigger set pieces, and destruction on a much larger scale. Seriously, can the next Battlefield just be Bad Company 3?
Battlefield 1 - 88/7.1 (DICE, 2016)
DICE
At a time when gamers were crying out for a new WWII shooter, EA made the bold decision to take the Battlefield franchise even further back for an epic multiplayer FPS set during the First World War. Easily one of the more interesting franchise shooters of the last few decades, even if the campaign was lacking.
Battlefield 3 - 89/7.6 (DICE, 2011)
DICE
I'd always assumed fans and critics alike believed Battlefield 3 to be the best entry in the entire series given the way they bang on about it, but I guess I was wrong. A modern day shooter to rival the likes of Modern Warfare, Battlefield 3 was one of the best-looking games of its era, with multiplayer on a truly jaw-dropping scale.
Battlefield 1942 - 89/8.6 (DICE, 2002)
DICE
Battlefield 1942 had a ton of praise heaped upon it at the time, and rightly so! The very first entry in the series was a groundbreaking FPS in a number of ways, introducing things like different soldier classes, and larger conquest-style games that allowed players to get the most out of much bigger maps.
Battlefield 2 - 91/8.4 (DICE, 2005)
DICE
Here we go, Battlefield 2 is officially the daddy of all Battlefield games, according to science. And when I say science, I of course mean the opinions of various critics and fans. Those who played it at the time were blown away by the sheer scale of the game's maps, offering virtual conflict at a level not previously thought possible. Of course, with Battlefield 6 promising to offer never-before-seen scale when it arrives in 2021, we haven't seen anything yet.
Featured Image Credit: EATopics: Feature, DICE, EA, Battlefield