No revolution, but a breath of fresh air in the series

One Hardline .... what have you .... do wrong in the communication to the players before the release I was also more likely to be people who Hardline have considered very skeptical. A game session at a friend finally convinced me and I bought the game.
In the communication EA and Visceral seemed always eager Hardline as great game in its own right to communicate.
And even if the other focal point was quite clear to me, it seemed to me, like many others, more like an imposed gap filler. I do not know exactly what is going wrong in the communication to us players, and you can Hardline from many perspectives to consider both positive and negative, but I was ultimately extremely surprised at how good this game really is ultimately. But a little more into detail:

Like any Battlefield Bad Company since divided the game into a campaign and a multiplayer mode. At once the campaign:

Battlefield never stood for truly innovative campaigns. From Bad Company you tried on the Call of Duty jump train and to tell an action-packed campaign. Bad Company 1 and 2 was in the story by the unconventional team certainly stand out, was eventually off it but also just a nice military shooter. In Battlefield 3, we actually ended a campaign that knew that they had no real, depth of content, but in the end we had even a boom boom with lots of "USA USA USA!" - Shouting. And, even if the campaign of BF3 for me no total failure was ... what would it be, Batman made better.
Then came Battlefield 4. Once a generic military shooter ... again a bit much and boom boom "USA! USA! -Gebrüll. This time even with a story that wanted to be more than she was and without any highlights. Jap. ..the campaign BF4 was a total failure.

Hardline is here now a new way. The setting of Hardline is not a military shooter, but a police setting. Here but rather not the sweet, uniformed man next door, but more action in the style of Miami Vice or Bad Boys.
The content is about the cop Nick Mendoza who wants to solve a drug war and quickly finds that much more behind this gang war. That's almost even. The story also here has no real depth. But to leave the stand so you would not do justice to. She tried not to be, as it is (see BF4). It is straightforward and tells very lives, of the well-staged, characters ... even if they are rather cliché and have rather less depth. The total package is right for me, however. Story and Setting are rather unconventional for such Shooter and even if we here have definitely anything but an Oscar-capable script ... the whole package goes for such Shooter for me really okay. Strength and weakness at the same time is the episode format. Hardline tells the story in episodes as a series ... including preview and review, when you exit and start the game. This has consistent and contributes a lot to this Miami Vice-feeling. However, the story in some places also acts thrown together a little.
Content, I would put the campaign total to a similar level as Bad Company 2. The more unused setting, however I would personally Extra evaluate again - especially since the whole package works. No super-depth story, but a coherent narrative. For me the best ever campaign in Battlefield.

In gameplay, the campaign is also rather unconventional ways ... at least for the Battlefield series. Fast passages in the game are more spacious and offer a little more freedom than in any campaign of the series before. No, as huge areas as in the multiplayer battles, which are still not. But it gives me more freedom finally proceed. And yet the campaign has its moments that had not stay in my head ... moments that BF4 for me in the campaign in terms of staging.
In addition, the developers have probably a little geared to Far Cry 3 and 4. Because here, almost any spot also be completed by stealth. Compared to a Far Cry 3/4 or a real stealth game ala Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell, Hardline draws here clearly shorter. But basically the system works and provides for at least the series is actually a small revolution since. To crawl one is not forced. Of course you can also quite conventional to shoot through the level as its predecessors.
The crawl is however accompanied by a new feature - you can arrest criminals. This happens by up to 3 opponents at a time its brand shows and keeps the gun in chess. From gameplay perspective is a good step that absolutely works. In terms of immersion can criticize you that you are practically infinite has many handcuffs available and the other opponents of the group wait obediently until they were also arrested. Here you have to decide what predominates in one. The positive attitude, because it works as a gameplay element, or the negative, because it is not 100% immersive. Since I have no police Simulation expected, I see it in person positive - after all this work and breathes new life into the series.
In addition, there are some criminals with arrest warrants. Detain opponents earns points, unlock new weapons and gadgets. Opponents with a warrant bring extra points. Bit unfortunate, I find that I carried my Schleich style free unlock weapons, but I actually tend not to use in the style.

Does the campaign: It is for me the best in a Battlefield previously. Yes, it's still a shooter. Yes, here is not a revolution. But - and this must also highlight - the tradition of the series is skilfully broken without the strengths of the series to spoil here. And I must praise himself the guys and gals at developer Visceral.

And the multiplayer? Just that's what always was Battlefields greatest strength. Here was once told: Yes, on the whole, this is still Battlefield. But again, it sets their own priorities. Hardline is a total of more smaller, faster game. No, Hardline is not CoD development of Battlefield. For easy plug still too much Battlefield indoors, but the maps are still far too free and great. But especially when compared to a Battlefield 4 we here have a much faster and slightly smaller game, which is also very represents the fight on foot to the fore. And as was said directly: This works great, you must have only in mind that Hardline rather focused on something else and not on gigantism like Battlefield. 4
Accompanied which is by many new modes. When raid instance criminals must penetrate into a building, etc. Money steal and then disappear. The police must prevent. This is the feeling round about a sort of modified Rush mode, but definitely has the "clean-and-Out", instead of "clean-and-Bumm" principle its own accent. Hostage rescues of course there are, even in a very small amount of 5 vs. 5 players. Here, the developers probably strongly oriented in Counterstrike. And although I have to say that Counter Strike works better overall in this small measure, this is a mode that you can play really good for a little variety. The large 64-player battles in Conquest mode, but there are of course. My Favourit is so far the new Hotwire mode. It is a modified Conquest mode for almost 30 players. The points that need to be taken, here are fast cars and there are points when you move them to a certain speed. This gives the game a lot of exciting moments and a healthy mix of pace and Battlefield formula.
Further, significant changes are new gadgets like the grapple and the zip line. Unlock new things can now no longer as usual. By playing get their money and can thus relatively free to decide what you unlock when. Like me, while I was not for me rather unnecessary weapons must necessarily unlock.

All in all you have to say that the multiplayer is great as well. He is still too much of Battlefield, but sets its own focus that feels fresh. If you want this gigantic, rather slower battles of Battlefield 4, you is perhaps misplaced. But when it comes to playing a Battlefield with fresh wind, you should also give the MP from Hardline a chance.

And technically?
The sound is generally great. The music fits the weapons are powerful, the voice actor fit.
Graphically, the game is really good, but not outstanding. Battlefield 4 pulled its great look through the mixture of super technology and huge, detailed maps, where there is plenty to see. Technically Hardline on a very similar level. But by the smaller alignment it is not as pompous as his predecessor. The 900p resolution the PS4 fall in the eye ago not to absolutely. Only in the area antialiasing more could come. In addition, the developers have targeted 60FPS. And these are mostly achieved. Here and there, there are smaller dropouts, but most of the time the thing runs at a really good graphics at 60FPS.
A point, there is technically for me but where Hardline really stands out: The facial animations. The wrinkles, the facial expressions, the movement of the eyes - this is really great cinema.
When it comes to destruction Hard Linen steps back. What first seems a bit weird, does ultimately for the gameplay, but a lot of sense. Again, just again the focus to the "smaller". The destruction inside the building, however, seems to me personally visually currently better than it was the case in Battlefield 4.
Technically makes Hardline not so much different. It is at a similar level, looks great, runs largely on 60FPS, but affects a whole not as colossal as Battlefield 4. Perhaps the most important yet: The Netcode works - that's at Battlefield 4 only recently halfway the case.

And what remains now? Is Hardline only on expensive DLC for BF4?
In my opinion, no. Hardline is accused of much Innovationslosigkeit. As the game much based on the mechanics of BF4 and overall is more of "Battlefield" as "hardline", perhaps not wrong in principle. However, I am not sure why you just now that accuses the series part, the most breaks with the conventions of the series.
Hardline has more than one DLC for Battlefield 4. I had the money rather than estimated AddOn, but overall I do have the impression that there are also more than that through the consistent refocusing.
Although I was very skeptical at the beginning, I must say that Hardline as it is has a right to exist. People who still do with BF4 enough fun, it must not necessarily buy. And if one particular is on the Colossal a Battlefield, Hardline is maybe not the right thing. But the fact remains that Hardline has its raison d'être and in what it is, works and finally time some series Conventions breaks without what you like about the series, to be ignored.
For me become a real surprise and with it a buy rating.