Battlefield: Hardline is a pretty interesting entry in the Battlefield series, even though it's often seen as the odd one out. I personally enjoyed the single-player campaign quite a bit—it has a cop drama vibe that you don’t really expect from a Battlefield game. You're playing as Nick Mendoza, a Miami cop navigating a corrupt world of drug busts, double-crosses, and betrayal, and while the story is kind of predictable, it's fun in a "turn-your-brain-off" kind of way. Think of a mix between a cop TV show and a Call of Duty campaign, with all the explosions and over-the-top action you'd expect.

The stealth mechanics, where you flash your badge to arrest criminals, might seem cool at first but get repetitive quickly. It's very "Metal Gear Lite"—sometimes you just wish you could run and gun instead. That said, the pacing is decent, and there’s enough variety with gadgets like grappling hooks and ziplines to keep things fresh for a while. The voice acting is surprisingly good, and the visuals hold up fairly well, even in 2024, although there are some odd character animations. The story's plot twists don’t exactly break new ground, but for what it is, it’s entertaining enough to keep you hooked for the 7-8 hour ride.

But let's be real—Hardline was always more about the multiplayer, at least that was the intention. Unfortunately, the multiplayer is practically dead these days. That’s probably the most disappointing part because the online modes, especially Hotwire and Blood Money, were chaotic, fast-paced fun when the servers were active. These modes had you chasing each other with cars and stealing cash, which made for some seriously ridiculous moments, but none of that matters if there are no players left to enjoy it. Even back in the day, Hardline struggled to compete with other shooters, and nowadays, you’ll be lucky to find a server with a decent amount of people.

In conclusion, if you're here for the multiplayer, you’ll probably want to skip it. The servers are ghost towns. But if you're curious about a solid campaign with a cop drama twist, it’s worth grabbing, especially if you find it on sale. Just don’t expect it to blow your mind.

Good game.

Battlelog is a pain to use. Hitting play calls EA launcher which in turn opens your browser. It's 2024, why is a game i bought on steam being lauched by a browser?

Multiplayer achievements don't work. If that's important for you it will only leave you frustrated.

Also there is exactly one active multiplayer server at the moment, never seen it reach 40 players at once. The game is on it's last breaths.

If i had the option to kill every side character in the game i would have