I've been browsing through gaming catalogs lately, trying to decide what to play. With my busy schedule, I barely get a few free evenings to play, which isn't enough to fully complete a game, unless it's a small, older shooter. Recently, I played through Battlefield 3, which was released 15 years ago, and I loved it! It's still relevant today, so I thought, let's check out how the 4th installment of the series holds up in 2026.
Battlefield 4 is a first-person shooter that came out in 2013 - almost 13 years ago! The game was developed by DICE, who are still behind the series in 2025, when they released Battlefield 6, which I think deserved the 'Shooter of the Year' award. I played Battlefield 4 on my Xbox Series S through Game Pass Ultimate.\xa0
1. Story
As I played through Battlefield 4 in 2026, I realized something both important and sad - we really miss the simple, corridor-style shooters from back in the day. Now, every developer seems to be focusing on online multiplayer, forgetting where they came from. The good old days...
The story in Battlefield 4 is pretty straightforward and cheesy for a shooter from that era. We play as a team of US Marines called 'Mujihadeen - 1,' who find themselves in the middle of a global conflict between the US, China, and Russia.
Our team tries to evacuate some VIPs from a Shanghai city torn apart by a military coup. The operation takes us to a familiar location, and soon, a global war erupts between the superpowers.
The majority of the story in Battlefield 4 revolves around surviving and escaping the conflict's epicenter.
Don't take the story too seriously, as it falls apart when you analyze it. There are plenty of plot holes, questions, and inconsistencies. It's a shooter, after all!
2. Gameplay
The gameplay? Two words: intense action! The game doesn't give you a single minute to breathe. Something incredible is always happening on screen. We're in Baku, and we're sneaking into an operation, then we're evacuating, all while surviving a collapsing high-rise building. We take out the captain's leg!
We're storming a sinking aircraft carrier, taking an airfield in the middle of a typhoon, surviving a Singaporean prison, parachuting onto a ship in the midst of a naval battle... and it's all topped off with some awesome tech, from tanks to motorboats.
Honestly, I really enjoyed it - not a single minute of boredom throughout the entire playthrough. The sheer variety of guns is impressive, and each one feels unique. Shooting is fun, and the sound effects... wow, my respect!
But, of course, nothing's perfect. I have to mention the bots - and I'm not being kind. They're just plain terrible. Enemies and allies from the Mokhovskiy camp are all equally useless. They can't see each other, even when they're right in front of each other, and they can't hit each other to save their lives. It's like they're just pretending to help or fight. Most of the time, the player has to do everything themselves. It gets ridiculous. And don't even get me started on the AI - it's not just the bots that are the problem. Even the game's own scenarios can be confusing and raise more questions than answers.
\xa0I've had to fiddle with the door for 5 minutes while we're mopping up the enemy's beachhead and taking on a helicopter - it's a real pain.
\xa0But then you can just bypass it, jump over the railing, and you're in - it's like they never even learned to climb in school. I'm baffled, to be honest, why they wouldn't just jump over the railing instead of trying to hack the door open under enemy fire.
\xa0Or that moment where you're appointed as the team leader and they tell you to take charge - our game doesn't even have audio, so I'm just standing there wondering who I'm supposed to be commanding. It's moments like these that had me chuckling and face-palming.
3. Graphics
\xa0When I fired up Battlefield 3 a few months ago, the first thing that stuck out was the graphics. They're a bit outdated, but still pretty nice. That's not the case with Battlefield 4, though - on my 4K TV, everything looks super sharp and visually stunning. Sure, you can see the age in the texture details and character models, but the lighting, destructibility, scale of the maps, and dynamic water all look phenomenal, even in 2026.
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\xa0Of course, if you're not playing a shooter and are just nitpicking the graphics, you'll find something to complain about. I'd recommend not getting too caught up in finding pixelated messes on your screen and instead immersing yourself in the story of Mog's squad.
4. Technical Condition
Back in 2013, this game was pretty rough around the edges. Bugs, glitches, and all the other fun stuff that comes with a launch title. Fast forward 13 years, and I've played through the game without any major issues. No freezes or crashes. I'll mention that I did have some trouble with Battlefield 3 on my Xbox - it just wouldn't progress past a certain mission, and I had to skip it using my old saves. Thankfully, I had those saved.
5. Multiplayer
I didn't get to play the multiplayer mode this time around, but I'm just too old for online shooters now. Ten years ago, though, I was hooked - I'd spend entire days playing with friends in Battlefield 4. The multiplayer mode in 4 is still one of the best, and some people consider it the best to this day. I did check out the servers on Xbox, just for kicks. Yeah, they're still up and running, and there are players there if you want to join in. It's a good thing Battlefield 4's servers are still alive and kicking, unlike Battlefield 3's.
6. The Verdict
Battlefield 4 in 2026 is a fantastic shooter for a couple of nights in with some beers. It's like watching a Hollywood action flick about brave super-soldiers saving the world, with plenty of action and excitement. I enjoyed it, and I've played it four times already!
Developers DICE didn't aim to create a deep, political drama or an intellectual thriller. They wanted to make a game that's like a summer blockbuster - fast-paced and action-packed. And they succeeded. The game's tempo and density are its strongest assets.The game isn't about realism; it's about delivering an epic experience that'll leave you on the edge of your seat. DICE made a great action movie, where the dialogue is secondary to the hero doing cool stuff, like jumping off a five-story building and being chased by a helicopter.
After 13 years, this approach feels nostalgic - it's a reminder of the simpler, more over-the-top storytelling of the past. When you could just be the hero, saving the world without all the moral complexity and gray areas. Battlefield 4 is a thrilling, dynamic action movie that delivers on its promise - it's a blast to play.
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