Battlefield Hardline

Did You Know?

• The leaked trailer for Battlefield Hardline referred to the game as Omaha.
• Visceral Games began work on Battlefield Hardline about a year before Dead Space 3 shipped, suggesting development started in early 2012.
• The public beta for Battlefield Hardline ran from June 14 to June 26, 2014.

Synopsis

Set in Miami during a drug war, the story follows Officer Nicholas "Nick" Mendoza, who has just made detective. He partners with veteran detective Khai Minh Dao to trace the drug supply chain from the streets to its source. In 2012, Mendoza and his partner Carl Stoddard make a violent drug bust. After arresting a suspect, Captain Julian Dawes assigns Mendoza to work with Dao on a lead to cocaine broker Tyson Latchford.

They force Latchford's associate Tap to wear a wire, discover a new drug called Hot Shot, and rescue Latchford from armed men. Dao is severely wounded and later returns against doctor's orders. Dawes orders the pair to bring in Leo Ray from the Elmore Hotel, but they fight through armed men connected to drug dealer Remy Neltz, who distributes Hot Shot. Leo's information leads them to the Everglades, where they find drug bales and Leo's mutilated corpse.

They locate Neltz, who escapes to Miami and mentions a deal with Stoddard. The officers corner Neltz in a warehouse, but Stoddard kills him before he can elaborate. Mendoza leaves in disgust after Stoddard and Dao take cash. During a hurricane, Dawes sends Mendoza and Dao back for evidence against Stoddard.

They find a recording implicating Stoddard, and Mendoza is forced to work with him to rescue Dao. The three meet Dawes, who destroys the evidence and reveals that he, Stoddard, and Dao are corrupt. They frame Mendoza for laundering Neltz's drug money.

Release

EA pushed back the launch of Battlefield Hardline from October 21, 2014, to March 17, 2015, after the public beta gave them a lot of player feedback to work with. The Premium Edition hit on March 2, 2015, bringing masks, a Gun bench for tweaking weapons, and Legendary Status, a progression perk. That same day, four expansion packs were revealed: Criminal Activity, Robbery, Getaway, and Betrayal. Like in Battlefield 4, Premium subscribers got each pack two weeks early.

Criminal Activity dropped in June 2015 with four maps, new rides, masks, guns, and a Bounty Hunter mode. Robbery followed in September 2015, adding Squad Heist, fresh paints and weapons, plus a Legendary Super Feature. Getaway arrived on January 12, 2016, with Capture the Bag and new maps. Betrayal wrapped things up in March 2016.

The game vanished from PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 storefronts on July 31, 2024, and those servers went dark on November 7, 2024. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One storefronts lost it on May 22, 2026, with servers shutting down on June 22, 2026. The Windows version still works online.

Reception

Battlefield Hardline received "mixed or average" reviews on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One according to Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave the console versions a total score of 34 out of 40. Anthony LaBella of GameRevolution praised the PS4 version's stealth elements, action sequences, detailed single-player campaign, and compelling multiplayer modes including Heist, Hotwire, and Crosshair, which he said showcased the transition from warfare to crime.

He criticized the predictable plot, flat characters, and uninteresting story. Brian Albert of IGN praised the enjoyable campaign, comedic moments, voice-acting, animation, well-designed levels, and rewarding stealth, as well as the variety of multiplayer modes and dynamic Hotwire mode. He also commended the grappling hook and zip-line for faster traversal. He criticized the unlock system for not matching player playstyles and the simplistic AI.

Albert summarized that the game's first foray into stealth made for a fresh campaign and that the multiplayer offered something for everyone.