Battlefield 1's promo artwork

With E3 currently in full swing I don't think anyone should be surprised that EA and DICE have decided to showcase some Battlefield 1 gameplay. Though I have to say, its rather encouraging to see them unveil so much of it at once, even though the players at the helm might not represent it in its best light.

As a slight appetizer for the massive video to come, here's the recently shown gameplay trailer that features a variety of new weapons and vehicles, infantrymen riding on motorcycles and horses, and plenty of explosions timed with the music:

 

Two things stood out to me from the trailer, the first one being the use of realistic weather to impact the battlefield. While it might be a small addition, at least as far as gameplay mechanics are concerned, its one that could drastically change how some maps are played. A somewhat flat map might be heaven for snipers and biplanes during bright weather, but adding even tiny amounts of rain and fog could drastically shift the balance of power towards more mid-ranged weaponry, thus creating a new experience on the exact same map. Whether this will actually pan out, I don't know, but its certainly a nifty idea.

The second element of the trailer that caught my eye was the zeppelin, or rather, how the zeppelin blew up. Besides looking pretty damn awesome, its slow descent and subsequent explosion left the landscape in absolute ruins, an effect I don't remember ever seeing in a previous Battlefield game. I have no idea how common zeppelins will be, even though the answer to that is probably "not very", but its still interesting to consider how much of an impact it can make even in its death, as one massive explosion could open an entirely new front by leveling buildings and destroying trenches.

Enough of me rambling around, however, here's the second and much larger gameplay video, courtesy of Eurogamer who managed to capture it from the E3 stream. Do be warned though, the people playing are... of a rather questionable skill level, but it should still give you an idea of what Battlefield 1 is all about:

 

Battlefield 1 will be releasing on October 21 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.