Battlefield Hardline

(Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows)

WITH its sun-drenched Florida setting and featuring heavily armed cops in stylish sunglasses, the first thing that comes to mind when you pick up Battlefield Hardline is Miami Vice.

This is a game that takes a welcome break from the usual war zones of the Battlefield series and puts you in control of rookie detective Nick Mendoza.

Another series that Hardline's dirty cops and double dealings might remind you of is The Shield, a gritty show about a corrupt LA strike team.

But the first-person shooter gives more than a nod to its TV influences as it is just as episodic.

In a refreshing update to the usual tired format, when you restart your game you are given a recap of where the plot is up to and when you quit out you are given a quick preview of what is still to come.

One of The Shield's lead actors Benito Martinez even plays your captain in Hardline.

Playing a police officer also opens up a host of new gameplay dynamics.

If you can sneak up on a criminal you can flash your badge and arrest them or incapacitate them with a taser rather than resorting to gunfire.

Each arrest gives you extra 'points' that can ironically be spent on beefing up your lethal weaponry.

It's always fun trying to get the drop on your enemies but what makes it a bit silly is if they spot you before you show your badge they'll immediately pull their gun on you.

Why should a badge matter when your outfit says 'police' all over it?

Hardline borrows a few ideas from other games. Distracting guards by throwing items and the ability to disable alarms is straight out of Far Cry and searching for clues is reminiscent of the Condemned series.

But where Condemned's detective mode was sophisticated and immersive, Hardline's is anything but.

The game basically gives you waypoints to find clues making it simplistic and a little pointless.

As for plot, it is very fast paced as you find yourself fighting on both sides of the law and with associates going from friends to enemies and vice versa in a heartbeat.

Although most of the levels take place in Miami's urban jungle, the developers take care to give players variety with a brilliant level in the alligator-infested Everglades as well as a tense prison break scene.

A Battlefield game wouldn't be the same without its frantic multiplayer and Hardline impresses while keeping with the 'cops and robbers' theme.

While playing, I was able to connect to the game's servers in an instant and the matches ran completely smoothly.

The standard team deathmatch and Conquest modes are a good showcase of what the game is capable of with 66 people able to play together at any one time.

You can ride everything from police patrol cars vehicles to helicopters and even leap out to parachute down into the action.

'Heist' and 'Blood Money' sees criminal gangs attempting to steal cash from under the police's noses while 'Crosshair' is about protecting/assassinating an informant.

The most disappointing mode was 'Hotwire', where you take control of vehicles and ride them at high speed – it just descends into chaos more often than not.

But one of the best game types is 'Rescue', a hostage situation where you only have one life and a time limit leading to many tense moments.

The first Battlefield game to be made by Dead Space creator Visceral Games, Hardline is an arresting triumph.

RATING: 8/10

DAVID MORGAN