Battlefield 5, the 2018 installment in the long-running first-person shooter franchise, took players back to the battlefields of World War II. While renowned for its multiplayer experience, the game also features a single-player campaign mode called War Stories. These stories offer a collection of self-contained narratives that explore different perspectives and lesser-known events of the war. But how much time should you expect to dedicate to experiencing these War Stories? This comprehensive guide will delve into the playtime of the Battlefield 5 campaign, factoring in various playstyles and completionist aspirations.
Understanding Battlefield 5’s War Stories
Unlike traditional linear campaigns, Battlefield 5 presents its single-player content as a series of independent War Stories. This anthology format allows players to jump into different theaters of war and experience the conflict through the eyes of diverse characters. Each War Story focuses on a specific historical event and offers a unique gameplay experience. This structure impacts the overall campaign length, as players can choose to play only the stories that interest them or complete them all for a comprehensive experience.
Available War Stories
Battlefield 5 launched with three War Stories: Prologue, Nordlys, and Under No Flag. Later, a fourth War Story, The Last Tiger, was added. Each of these stories offers a unique perspective on the war and varying gameplay styles.
- Prologue: Serves as an introductory experience, showcasing different aspects of the game’s mechanics and setting the tone for the War Stories to come.
- Nordlys: Follows a young Norwegian resistance fighter as she battles German forces to sabotage their efforts to produce heavy water, a crucial component for nuclear weapons research. Stealth and survival are key elements in this story.
- Under No Flag: Tells the tale of a British criminal recruited into a special unit tasked with disrupting German supply lines in North Africa. Expect explosive action and daring raids.
- The Last Tiger: Puts players in the role of a German tank commander during the final days of the war. This story explores themes of duty, disillusionment, and the human cost of war.
Average Playtime for Each War Story
Determining the exact playtime for each War Story can be challenging, as it depends on several factors, including difficulty level, playstyle (stealth vs. aggressive), and familiarity with the game’s mechanics. However, we can provide a general estimate for each story:
- Prologue: The Prologue is relatively short, acting as an introduction. Most players can complete it in approximately 30 minutes to an hour.
- Nordlys: Nordlys tends to take longer due to its emphasis on stealth and exploration. Expect to spend around 2 to 3 hours on this story.
- Under No Flag: With its focus on action and sabotage, Under No Flag typically takes around 2 to 3 hours to complete.
- The Last Tiger: The Last Tiger is a more narrative-driven experience, and players can usually finish it in about 2 to 3 hours.
These are just estimates, and your actual playtime may vary. Players who prefer a more cautious and thorough approach will likely spend more time in each War Story, while those who prioritize speed and action may complete them more quickly.
Total Campaign Length: A Range of Possibilities
The total length of the Battlefield 5 campaign depends on whether you choose to play all the War Stories or just a select few.
- Playing All War Stories: If you aim to experience all four War Stories, you can expect to spend approximately 8 to 12 hours on the campaign. This estimate assumes a standard playthrough on a moderate difficulty level.
- Playing Select War Stories: If you only want to play certain War Stories, the total playtime will be shorter. For example, playing only Nordlys and The Last Tiger would take around 4 to 6 hours.
Therefore, the Battlefield 5 campaign is not a particularly long one compared to other single-player experiences, but it offers a diverse range of scenarios and perspectives on World War II.
Factors Influencing Playtime
Several factors can significantly affect how long it takes to complete the Battlefield 5 campaign. Understanding these factors can help you plan your playthrough and manage your expectations.
Difficulty Level
The difficulty level you choose will have a direct impact on playtime. Playing on higher difficulty levels will require more cautious gameplay, strategic planning, and frequent use of cover. Enemies will be more accurate and deal more damage, leading to more frequent deaths and restarts. This will inevitably increase the time it takes to complete each War Story. Conversely, playing on easier difficulty levels will allow you to progress more quickly, as you will be less likely to encounter challenging combat situations.
Playstyle: Stealth vs. Aggression
Battlefield 5’s War Stories often offer multiple approaches to completing objectives. Players can choose to adopt a stealthy approach, carefully maneuvering through enemy territory, using silenced weapons, and avoiding detection. This playstyle tends to be slower and more methodical, requiring patience and careful observation. Alternatively, players can opt for a more aggressive approach, engaging enemies head-on and relying on firepower and tactical maneuvers. This playstyle can be faster-paced but also more risky, as it can lead to more frequent deaths.
Exploration and Collectibles
Each War Story contains various collectibles, such as letters, challenges, and hidden items. Players who aim to find all of these collectibles will need to spend extra time exploring the environments and searching for hidden areas. This completionist approach can significantly extend the playtime of each War Story. Some collectibles are relatively easy to find, while others are well-hidden and require careful searching.
Cutscenes and Dialogue
While Battlefield 5’s War Stories are primarily focused on gameplay, they also include cutscenes and dialogue sequences that help to tell the story and develop the characters. These sequences contribute to the overall playtime, although their impact is relatively small compared to other factors. Players who skip cutscenes and dialogue will naturally complete the campaign more quickly, but they may miss out on important narrative details.
Skill Level and Familiarity
Your skill level and familiarity with the game’s mechanics will also influence playtime. Experienced players who are familiar with first-person shooter games and Battlefield’s gameplay systems will likely complete the campaign more quickly than newcomers. Understanding how to effectively use weapons, gadgets, and vehicles will give you a significant advantage in combat situations.
Completionist Run: How Long to 100% the War Stories?
If you’re aiming for a 100% completion run of the Battlefield 5 War Stories, you’ll need to factor in additional time for finding all collectibles, completing all challenges, and mastering each War Story.
Finding All Collectibles
Each War Story features a set of collectibles, including letters and unique items. Locating all of these can add several hours to your playtime. Some are easily found, while others are hidden in obscure locations, requiring thorough exploration. Using online guides or walkthroughs can significantly speed up this process, but discovering them on your own can be more rewarding.
Completing All Challenges
Each War Story also includes a series of challenges that players can complete to earn extra rewards and achievements. These challenges often involve performing specific tasks, such as getting a certain number of kills with a particular weapon, completing objectives without being detected, or finishing the story on a specific difficulty level. Completing all challenges can be time-consuming and require multiple playthroughs of each War Story.
Mastering Each War Story
Mastering each War Story involves not only completing all objectives and challenges but also understanding the nuances of each story’s gameplay mechanics. This includes learning the best strategies for combat, stealth, and exploration. It may also involve experimenting with different weapons and gadgets to find the most effective loadouts for each situation. Achieving true mastery of each War Story requires dedication and practice.
A completionist run, including finding all collectibles and completing all challenges across all War Stories, could easily take 15 to 20 hours or more. This is a significant increase from the average playtime for a standard playthrough, so be prepared to invest the time and effort if you’re aiming for 100% completion.
Is the Battlefield 5 Campaign Worth Playing?
Despite its relatively short length, the Battlefield 5 campaign offers a worthwhile experience for players who are interested in exploring different perspectives on World War II. The War Stories provide a diverse range of scenarios and gameplay styles, from stealthy infiltration to explosive combat. While the campaign may not be as extensive as some other single-player games, it offers a compelling and engaging experience that complements the game’s robust multiplayer mode.
The War Stories are particularly valuable for players who are new to the Battlefield franchise, as they provide an opportunity to learn the game’s mechanics and experiment with different weapons and gadgets in a less competitive environment. They also offer a glimpse into the human cost of war and the diverse experiences of those who fought in it.
In conclusion, the Battlefield 5 campaign offers a solid single-player experience, lasting approximately 8 to 12 hours for a standard playthrough of all War Stories. Completionists aiming for 100% can expect to spend 15 to 20 hours or more. The campaign’s diverse stories and gameplay styles make it a worthwhile addition to the Battlefield 5 package.
How long does it take to beat the main story campaign of Battlefield 5?
The main story campaign, “War Stories,” in Battlefield 5 typically takes around 6-8 hours to complete. This timeframe assumes you’re focusing primarily on the core objectives of each story and playing on a standard difficulty setting. The individual War Stories vary in length, with some being shorter and more focused, while others involve more open-world exploration and extended combat scenarios, contributing to the overall completion time.
Factors that influence the completion time include your chosen difficulty level, your familiarity with first-person shooter mechanics, and how much you prioritize side objectives and exploration. If you aim to rush through the campaign and skip optional content, you might be able to finish it in closer to 5-6 hours. However, a more leisurely pace, involving thorough exploration and engagement with optional objectives, can extend the playtime to 8 hours or more.
What affects the time it takes to complete each War Story in Battlefield 5?
Several factors can affect the time it takes to complete each individual War Story. The complexity of the missions, the size of the maps, and the number of mandatory objectives play significant roles. For example, a War Story with a linear narrative and focused objectives will generally be shorter than one that offers more open-ended exploration and numerous side tasks.
Furthermore, your chosen difficulty level significantly impacts the completion time. Higher difficulty settings introduce tougher enemies, require more strategic gameplay, and often necessitate multiple attempts to overcome challenging sections. Your personal playstyle, whether you prefer stealth, direct assault, or a balanced approach, also influences how efficiently you navigate each War Story and complete its objectives.
How much extra time should I allocate for completionist activities in Battlefield 5’s campaign?
If you’re aiming for full completion, including finding all collectibles, completing all optional challenges, and achieving specific accolades within each War Story, you should allocate an additional 5-7 hours on top of the base campaign completion time. This extra time accounts for thoroughly exploring each map, replaying sections to achieve specific objectives, and potentially consulting guides to locate hidden items.
The completionist activities often involve tasks such as finding letters, completing stealth challenges without being detected, or achieving specific kill counts with certain weapons. These tasks require patience, attention to detail, and sometimes a more methodical approach than simply progressing through the main story. Therefore, dedicating sufficient time specifically for these activities is crucial for a true completionist run.
Does difficulty level significantly impact the campaign completion time?
Yes, the difficulty level significantly impacts the campaign completion time in Battlefield 5. Playing on higher difficulty settings like Hard or Very Hard introduces tougher enemies with increased health and damage output, forcing you to adopt more strategic and cautious gameplay. This increased challenge often translates to more time spent in combat encounters and potentially repeated attempts at certain sections.
Conversely, playing on easier difficulty levels like Easy or Medium allows you to progress through the campaign more quickly, as enemies are less challenging and require less tactical maneuvering. This enables you to focus primarily on the main objectives and explore the environments without constantly being under intense pressure, ultimately shortening the overall completion time.
Are there any War Stories that are significantly longer or shorter than others?
Yes, there are noticeable differences in length between the individual War Stories within Battlefield 5. “Under No Flag,” for instance, tends to be one of the longer War Stories due to its open-world structure and numerous optional objectives. Players often spend significant time exploring the North African setting and completing secondary tasks alongside the main narrative.
In contrast, “The Last Tiger” is generally considered one of the shorter War Stories, primarily focusing on a more linear and emotionally driven narrative. While it offers a compelling experience, its relatively smaller scope and fewer optional elements contribute to a faster completion time compared to other War Stories. These variations in length can influence your overall campaign playtime depending on the order in which you tackle the stories.
What are some tips for minimizing the time it takes to complete the Battlefield 5 campaign?
To minimize your campaign completion time, prioritize focusing on the main objectives of each War Story and avoid excessive exploration or engagement with optional side content. Utilize the in-game map and objective markers to efficiently navigate each environment and avoid getting sidetracked. Experiment with different weapons and loadouts to find what works best for your playstyle and allows you to dispatch enemies quickly.
Additionally, consider lowering the difficulty level to a more manageable setting if your primary goal is to complete the campaign as quickly as possible. This will reduce the challenge of combat encounters and allow you to progress more smoothly through each War Story. Watching gameplay videos or reading guides beforehand can also provide valuable insights into efficient strategies and optimal routes for completing specific objectives.
Does completing the Battlefield 5 campaign unlock anything significant for multiplayer?
While completing the Battlefield 5 campaign doesn’t unlock any overtly significant advantages in multiplayer, it can provide some benefits. Playing through the War Stories familiarizes you with the game’s mechanics, weapons, and overall gameplay feel, which can translate to improved performance in multiplayer matches. You also unlock various cosmetic items, such as dog tags and weapon skins, that can be used to customize your multiplayer soldier.
Furthermore, the campaign provides a foundation for understanding the game’s lore and historical context, which can enhance your appreciation for the multiplayer experience. Although the direct rewards for completing the campaign might not be game-changing, the gained experience and unlocked cosmetics contribute to a more well-rounded and personalized multiplayer experience.