After a lengthy delay (as it was originally set to come out in late 2014), Battlefield Hardline is finally coming out soon. While the first-person shooter should provide endless hours of fun alone, we also suggest picking up a few accessories, if you don’t have them already, to optimize your experience with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. Check out our list of recommended items below.
About Battlefield Hardline
Since EA Digital Illusions CE is currently busy with the reboots of Mirror’s Edge and Star Wars Battlefront, Electronic Arts decided to enlist Visceral Games for creating Battlefield Hardline. For those unfamiliar, Visceral is the same studio behind the Dead Space series, so they should have more than enough talent to develop the next installment in the Battlefield franchise.
While Hardline still focuses on massive online multiplayer battles (up to 66 players on PS4 and Xbox One), the action is no longer set in a military backdrop. Instead, you will be heading into battles between criminals and police forces. Along with new gadgets, vehicles and weapons, there will also be several new modes, each with their own unique takes of the cops versus criminals tropes.
While Battlefield Hardline has a single-player campaign, which actually looks quite good, you will still spend a majority of your time in multiplayer. For first-person shooter fans looking for the next big multiplayer title, the latest Battlefield installment looks like it will be able to fill in that niche quite well.
Battlefield Hardline Premium
While season passes are hit or miss in general, Electronic Arts was able to hit it out of the park with Battlefield 4. With Battlefield Hardline Premium, you can expect the same amount of extras that will make spending more cash on the videogame well worth it.
The biggest selling points are, of course, the expansion packs with two weeks early access. The Premium season pass includes Criminal Activity and Robbery, both of which are coming out this summer. Members will also get Getaway (due later this fall) and Betrayal (launching early this year). Subscribers also get member-only benefits such customizable options, double XP events, tournaments and priority position in server queues.
If you are planning to play Battlefield Hardline for a long time, then it would be a good idea to pick the premium season pass.
Gaming Headsets
Due to the big open areas of levels in Battlefield Hardline, you may have a hard time determining which direction a particular noise is coming from. If you are planning to play competitively, we suggest getting a headset with surround sound support.
On the PS4, there are multiple first-party options that use 7.1 virtual surround sound. You can get either the PlayStation Gold or PlayStation Pulse Elite Edition if you want a wireless one or the PlayStation Silver if you would rather use a wired connection and/or want a cheaper option. You can check out all three headsets on Amazon: PlayStation Silver Wired Stereo Headset, PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset and Pulse Elite Edition Wireless Stereo Headset.
For the Xbox One, you can try out Microsoft’s Xbox One Stereo Headset. Turtle Beach also has a few quality third-party ones that, while more expensive, are worth the price of admissions. Take a look at our recommended Xbox One gaming headsets for Hardline with these next pages: Xbox One Stereo Headset, Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X and Turtle Beach Ear Force XO Seven Pro Premium.
PS4 and Xbox One Controller Grips
A lot of your success in Battlefield Hardline will be based on how well you can aim with the analog stick. If the current sticks on the DualShock 4 and/or Xbox One Wireless Controller does not feel that accurate, we suggest getting KontrolFreek FPS Freek Ultra as it should give you a better grip. In turn, you can increase the aiming sensitivity to give you better and more subtle movements.
Not to mention that the DualShock 4 has been plagued with issues of the rubbers on its analog sticks breaking apart. So it is a good idea to have some replacements ready in case something happen. You can check out the KontrolFreek FPS Freek Ultra with these pages: PS4 version and Xbox One version.
Official Strategy Guide
Last but not least, you may want to consider getting Battlefield Hardline: Prima Official Game Guide. Along with providing the walkthrough with the single-player campaign, you will also learn about how to be successful in the online multiplayer mode. Not to mention that Visceral Games are going to provide tips to take advantage of every map. If you want to get an early advantage over the competition, you should check out the official Hardline guide here.
Battlefield Hardline is launching on the 17th of March in the United States. In addition to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game will be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.