What Order Should I Play Battlefield Games In? An Insider‘s Perspective

As a passionate Battlefield gamer and content creator, I‘m often asked what is the best order to play Battlefield games for newcomers seeking to get into this legendary FPS franchise. With over 15 mainline titles released since 2002, the series has seen some remarkable evolutions in settings, multiplayer gameplay and groundbreaking features over the past 20 years.

Jumping randomly into any Battlefield game can be fun – but following the release order allows you to better appreciate the major innovations introduced in each title. You also get to experience the franchise‘s eras more chronologically, from the WWII days of Battlefield 1942 to the modern combat of BF3 and future warfare visions of BF2142 and the recent BF2042.

So if you want the insider perspective on the ideal Battlefield play order, buckle up for my complete guide to these monumental titles!

The Best Order to Play Battlefield Games

If you‘re strapped for time or budget, I‘d recommend this condensed order focusing on the major innovative Battlefield releases:

1. Battlefield 1942 (2002)
2. Battlefield 2 (2005)
3. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010)
4. Battlefield 3 (2011)
5. Battlefield 1 (2016)
6. Battlefield V (2018)

But for the complete journey through Battlefield‘s evolution, you can‘t go wrong with playing all the mainline titles in release order:

Below I deep dive into the background, features and community reception of each major series entry – from my standpoint as a Battlefield aficionado!

Battlefield 1942 (2002)

This is the game that kicked off the Battlefield franchise back in 2002, pioneering large-scale online multiplayer battles with up to 64 players. Set in WWII, it featured land/air vehicles, destructible environments and a focus on team-based objectives over just getting kills. Signature mode Conquest has two teams battling to control majority of control points on a map. Revolutionary!

• Multiplayer Focus: Large Scale Battles, Teamplay, Vehicle Warfare
• Setting: WWII (Stalingrad, Midway, Wake Island)
• Reception: Widely praised, 89 metacritic. Established the Battlefield formula.

Battlefield Vietnam (2004)

The follow up to BF1942 shifted the combat to the Vietnam War era, with new weapons, jungle environments, and a killer soundtrack from the 60s/70s. Helicopters and aerial combat took center stage here, along with innovations like firing from vehicles. Maps based on historic Vietnam battles cemented the atmosphere. Engaging multiplayer keeps a small community playing to this day.

• Multiplayer Focus: Aerial Combat, Vehicle Warfare
• Setting: Vietnam War
• Reception: 84 metacritic. Built well on BF1942‘s formula.

Battlefield 2 (2005)

Considered one of the best entries in the series, Battlefield 2 brought modern combat to the franchise for the first time in 2005. Offering massive 64 player battles with vast improvements to vehicles, graphics and loadouts, teamwork was crucial with the new Soldier Classes system. introducd squad spawns and Commanders who could issue attack/defend orders. Conquest mode and the "Battlefield Moments" it generates remains legendary!

• Multiplayer Focus: Classes & Teamwork, Modern Combat
• Setting: Fictional Modern Conflict
• Reception: 91 metacritic. Perfecting Battlefield teamplay and warfare.

Battlefield 2142 (2006)

Set in a dystopian 22nd century devastated by a new ice age, Battlefield 2142 delivered a unique sci-fi spin on the formula by 2006 – with mech walkers, futuristic weapons, and the brand new Titan mode. The goal was to destroy the opposing team‘s Titan airship while defending your own in this epic tug of war battle. It never quite reached BF2‘s heights but had cutting edge visuals and innovations for the time!

• Multiplier Focus: Titan Mode, Futuristic Combat
• Setting: Ice Age Apocalypse
• Reception: 86 metacritic. Innovative but clunky experiment into future warfare.

Battlefield: Bad Company (2008)

A spin-off experiment for console gamers, 2008‘s Bad Company focused on a rag-tag squad whose messy antics brought some humor and character to the series for the first time. Destructible cover also changed firefights dynamics. The squad based multiplayer was simplified from BF2 but still retained large maps, vehicles and the Conquest mode. But it‘s the new Rush mode that stood out, with linear objectives and tickets bleeding dynamic similar to a tug-of-war.

• Multiplayer Focus: Rush Mode, Destructible Cover
• Setting: Fictional Modern Conflict
• Reception 82 metacritic: Entertaining experiment for consoles that expanded fanbase.

Battlefield 1943 (2009)

Almost an afterthought game, Battlefield 1943 was a download-only digital title exclusively for consoles in 2009. Offering upscaled retro graphics and just 3 Pacific Theatre maps, it focused on streamlined arcade-style FPS action in WW2 – sort of like a prototype version of what would become Battlefield V‘s multiplayer decades later. It didn‘t innovate much but delivered a polished simpler experience.

• Multiplayer Focus: Arcade FPS Action
• Graphics: Retro Upscaled
• Reception 82 metacritic: Light distraction while DICE focused on Bad Company sequels.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010)

The pinnacle and fan favorite of the series for many, 2010‘s Bad Company 2 represents Battlefield multiplayer at its absolute best for a lot of gamers. The core infantry combat hits a real sweet spot between realism and accessibility with solid gun mechanics that still holds up impressively today. And destruction reached new heights, with entire villages able to be leveled dynamically during matches. Each mode shines bright here, from hardcore Rush to frenetic Conquest – achieving perfect multiplayer balance. The engaging campaign is a blast too!

• Multiplayer Focus: Large Scale Destruction
• Setting: Modern Conflict
• Reception: 90 metacrritic. Peak classic Battlefield multiplayer and sheer fun.

Battlefield 3 (2011)

Ambitiously dubbed a "Generational Leap", 2011‘s BF3 arrived with a huge graphical and technical overhaul powered by DICE‘s new Frostbite 2 engine. Vastly improved sound design and ultra-realistic visuals had PCs sweating but struggling to keep up. Huge multiplayer battles with jets dogfighting overhead cemented Battlefield‘s status as an technical showpiece experience that demanded powerful hardware. But the campaign was poorly received, and the multiplayer didn‘t quite have the refined balance or map designs achieved by Bad Company 2. Overall an impressive technological feat with great but not genre-redefining gameplay.

• Multiplayer Focus: Maximum Graphics & Sound
• Setting: Modern Conflict
• Reception: 89 metacritic. Jaw-dropping technology jump but imperfect gameplay balance.

Battlefield 4 (2013)

Hitting PS4 and Xbox One launch, Battlefield 4 offered a direct sequel to BF3 – doubling down on lore, technology and massive multiplayer battles across land, air and sea. It further amped up environmental destruction with showpiece Levolution moments, like skyscrapers collapsing amid warfare. The introduction of amphibious attack vehicles added more tactical dimensions. Refined netcode and gun mechanics improved upon BF3‘s fundamentals, and fan favorite maps like Operation Locker and Siege of Shanghai became instant classics demonstrated next-gen capabilities beautifully at the cost of single-player.

• Multiplayer Focus: Levolution Environmental Destruction
• Settings: Modern Conflict
• Reception: 83 metacritic. Refined BF3 formula & showcased next-gen graphical potential.

Battlefield Hardline (2015)

A surprise twist for the franchise, Battlefield Hardline switches out global warfare for the mean streets of LA with a cops vs criminals theme in 2015. The urban setting called for new modes like Heist and Rescue adding cinematic action. Overall it felt a bit rushed though and level design is more constrained. Reusing BF4‘s engine at launch it didn‘t feel different enough, playing too much like a mod. Some fun ideas but it never found an audience. Campaign was enhanced with actual writer and TV production value but not better than Bad Company.

• Multiplayer Focus: Cops vs Robbers Gameplay
• Setting: Urban Police Conflicts
• Reception: 77 metacritic. Ambitious genre-shift but not unique enough from BF4.

Battlefield 1 (2016)

In what seemed a counter-intuititive move after years of modern military shooters, Battlefield 1 took the bold step of going back to World War 1 – to the dawn of modern warfare. 1916 weaponry and battlefields turned expectations upside down with a fresh brutal combat flow and period appropriate arsenal full of bolt action rifles, bayonets and sabers. Biplanes and zeppelins ruled the skies while tanks pioneered mechanized warfare on muddy battlefields. Operations mode delivered superbly cinematic WW1 combat narratives only fitting Battlefield‘s scale. With visuals and sound reaching new impactful heights, BF1 lands as an intense, unforgettable entry many adore.

• Multiplayer Focus: WW1 Atmosphere & Immersion
• Settings: World War 1 Battles
• Reception: 88 metacrtiic. Artistically crafted period shooter masterpiece.

Battlefield V (2018)

After visiting WW1, DICE continued their journey into the early 20th century with Battlefield V‘s portrayal of early WW2 battles from the Fall of Europe to the Pacific and African fronts. This brought iconic but less commonly depicted battles from 1939 to 1945, creatively demonstrating the evolution of firearms and vehicles during the war. Infantry and vehicular gameplay achieves an ideal balance, and small details like reviving squadmates increase bonds between players. Fortifications allowed you to build defensive structures in real-time, adding tactical considerations beyond just destruction now. Limited post-launch content updates held it back from achieving full potential though.

• Multiplayer Focus: Iconic WW2 Battles, Fortifcations
• Settings: Early WW2 Europe & Pacific
• Reception: 84 metacritic on release, Improved to 89 over time. Fantastic gunplay slightly hindered by drip-feed content model.

And that catches you up with major entries! Of course there‘s also free to play offshoot Battlefield Heroes, the Bad Companies and 1943 on console, the Battlefield mobile games, and OG Xbox exclusives like Battlefield 2 Modern Combat before DICE was acquired by EA. But the core modern Battlefield multiplayer gameplay loop was cemented by 2010‘s stellar Bad Company 2 and has seen refinements and new ideas sprinkled in subsequent titles.

Now let‘s jump to the present with 2021‘s ambitious but controversial Battlefield 2042 which I‘ve written about before.

Battlefield 2042 (2021)

The latest entry in the series adopts a futuristic settings where the world has descended into chaos from climate disaster and refugee crisis, battlefield specialists with unique traits and abilities have emerged as the last combatants. Set in 2042, technological innovations allow for unprecedented 128 player battles on massive maps with dynamic weather, environmental hazards and call-in abilities replacing signature classes. Struggling to run well on most hardware and lacking expected features at launch like voice chat or a traditional scoreboard, 2042 felt quite bare bones to fans out the gate. Content updates have slowly improved things, but 2042 remains divisive and wouldn‘t be a good entry point to the series.

• Multiplayer Focus: 128 Player Battles, Massive Maps
• Settings: Climate Apocalypse Future Warfare
• Reception: 67 metacritic on launch, widely panned by community for lacking expected features and optimization issues. Still in progress…

And that journey through Battlefield‘s evolution brings you up to date on every major series entry since 2002! Let me know if you have any other questions about getting started with Battlefield or which game specifically might be best for you based on whether you prefer modern, historical or future settings and combat.

Hope you enjoyed this insider‘s guide to Battlefield play order! See you on the battlefields, soldiers…