How Long to Beat Battlefield V‘s Campaign? Depends on Your Style
To directly answer the question posed, Battlefield V‘s campaign length clocks in around 6 hours if rushing the main objectives. For completionists striving to five-star all missions, collect all letters, and conquer the highest difficulties, expect a lengthier 25-30 hour tour of World War 2‘s European theater.
Breaking Down Battlefield V‘s War Stories
Battlefield V returns the acclaimed shooter franchise to its WW2 roots through several globally-hopping "War Stories." Let‘s analyze these missions in detail:
Nordlys
1943, German-occupied Norway
- Playable Character: Resistance fighter Solveig Fia Bjørnstad
- Main Objective: Sabotage Nazi plans for nuclear weapons
- Length: 2 hours (Average playthrough)
This opening prologue throws you into the icy but visually stunning Norwegian landscape on a personal quest for vengeance and sabotage behind enemy lines. It‘s shorter and more contained than later stories but sets an emotional tone.
Under No Flag
1942, North Africa
- Playable Character: Convicted robber turned commando Billy Bridger
- Main Objective: Infiltrate and destroy Axis airfields
- Length: 3 hours
Bridger‘s chapter spans the hot sands of Egypt to Libya, focusing on stealthy sabotage and sniping behindmoving fronts. The buddy-cop dynamic between Billy and self-righteous Commander Mason injects some humor into the horrors of war. Destructible environments also steal the show.
Tirailleur
1944, France
- Playable Character: Idrissa from the Senegalese Tirailleur infantry battalions
- Main Objective: Rescue doomed French regiments from Germany‘s Operation Dragoon
- Length: 2 hours
The most emotionally heavy chapter, you inhabit Idrissa desperately searching for his missing brother while confronting the racism entrenched among colonial empires. It humanizes the disenfranchised soldiers thrust towards the frontlines.
The Last Tiger
1945, Germany‘s Retreat
- Playable Character: Tiger I crew commanded by Peter Müller
- Main Objective: Defend key bridges to cover German retreats
- Length: 3 hours
The Last Tiger shifts perspective to the Axis by inserting you into the claustrophobic interiors of the legendary Tiger 1 tank. As Germany‘s borders crumble, you question the propaganda billions were sacrificed for.
So in summary, Battlefield V‘s War Stories encompass about 5-6 hours focusing purely on major plot beats but expect closer to 20+ hours for completionists seeking collectibles, difficulty badges, and savored storytelling.
The Good & Bad – Analyzing Battlefield V‘s Campaign Quality
Battlefield titles often prioritize online multiplayer over solo experiences but BFV‘s War Stories leave a positive impression, blending emotional heft with series staples. Let‘s examine what reviewers praised and panned:
THE GOOD 🙂
- Powerful character-driven narratives
- Gorgeous recreations of iconic WW2 battles
- Satisfying stealth and sandbox-enabled combat
- Captivating imagery in cutscenes and transitions
Critics found BFV‘s solemn, sobering tone a refreshing palette cleanser from the bombastic bravado of competing shooters. Moments holding fallen comrades or reconciling loss speak volumes without words. Destructible architecture also dazzles as billowing red bricks tumble amidst the fury of combat.
THE BAD 🙁
- Occasional disjointed pacing between chapters
- Sparse check pointing leads to repetition
- Gameplay inconsistencies on higher difficulties
- Underdeveloped supporting characters
Reviewers cite emotional whiplash between chapters as a drawback – tonal shifts can feel jarring. Liberal save points also punish experimentation, making trial-and-error tactics tedious when stealth unravels. AI behavior also varies wildly across harder modes.
Yet most agree BFV finds a firmer footing than predecessor Battlefield 1‘s globe-trotting vignettes. War Stories bind you to siblings in arms for longer, more resonant stretches.
By The Numbers
Digging into completion stats paints a numerical picture explaining Battlefield V‘s middling 6 hour average:
| Game Mode | Avg Hours | Avg Trophies | Avg Skill Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Story | 5-6 | 31/51 (61%) | Beginner |
| Completionist | 25-30 | 51/51 (100%) | Moderate |
Factor in collecting all collectibles, acing harder difficulties (cranking enemy lethality), and side objectives then runtimes bloat considerably. But many newcomers or those seeking just the beats of BFV‘s WWII recreation have completed tours of duty in under 8 hours.
Measuring Up: Battlefield V vs. Other Battlefield Campaigns
Contextualizing Battlefield V‘s place in the first-person shooter franchise proves trickier given wildly fluctuating single-player ambitions. Does BFV‘s emotionally stirring vignettes fill a happy middle ground? Let‘s compare.
Battlefield 3 offered bombastic set-pieces akin to rival Call of Duty including escaping earthquakes, jet dogfights, even nukes – but at the cost of substance. BF3‘s globe-trotting felt soulless compared to later entries.
Battlefield 4 tried correcting course with boots on the ground action focused on bonds between brothers-in-arms. A more earnest take on geopolitical conflict but still hampered by inconsistent writing and foreshadowing.
Battlefield 1 marked a high watermark plunging you into forgotten fronts starring the Harlem Hellfighters, Bedouin riders, even a young Lawrence of Arabia. Hauntingly beautiful scenery amplified the pathos and futility of early mechanized warfare.
And Bad Company 1 & 2 retain legacies as fan favorites thanks to endearing ragtag squads trading barbs between massive skirmishes. Their humor and hijinks contrasted beautifully against collapsing towers and midnight raids.
So how does Battlefield V‘s poignant, honest character studies stack? In many ways, this somber return to humanity among history‘s ultimate cost sits comfortably alongside Battlefield 1 as a new high watermark. By concentrating on bonds between brethren and the ripple effects of conflict‘s cruelty rather than flashy firefights, Battlefield V stands apart as a entry unafraid to show war‘s global toll.
Wrapping Up on BFV‘s Campaign Runtime & Reception
Battlefield V respects World War 2‘s sacrifices by narrowing focus to individual faces rather than forces. Skip introductory remarks musing on the purpose of conflict, and DICE‘s latest offers among the most impactful first-person shooter stories in years.
Its potency explains the scant 5-6 hour average playtime – every moment pierces flesh to expose mankind‘s heart beneath, for better or worse. Length takes a backseat to leaving impressions which this historian envisions will only amplify as the years pass.
So for those still wondering…"How long is Battlefield V‘s campaign?" – use this breakdown as your guide:
- Main Story: ~6 hours
- Completionist Dedication: 25-30 hours
Skeptics may scoff at the runtime but it‘s no measure of emotional resonance. Like the tattered photographs clinging to survivors‘ walls, Battlefield V‘s War Stories will haunt, heal, and honor you long after the smoke clears.
