Rescue: What's A Hostage Worth To You?

Hardliners,

Last week, our game went gold! I’m excited to see this game finally on store shelves, but I’m even more thrilled about playing with you guys soon. The Beta was fantastic, many of the changes you suggested went into the game, and soon we’ll all be playing a better Hardline together!

So let me prepare you for a new mode you haven’t experienced: Rescue

Rescue is new to the Battlefield franchise, and probably our biggest departure from past games in the series. As cops, your job is to get in, get a hostage, and get out. As criminals, stop that hostage rescue as if your life depends on it – because it just might! Like our new Crosshair mode;, each team has five players, you only get one life, and you win the match by winning five of nine rounds.

This mode is all about subterfuge and distraction. There are two hostages, but cops only need to save one of them, creating an interesting choice for players on both teams. As criminals, how can we cover both hostages while still responding as a full squad once an attack comes? As cops, do we split our forces for a chance at either hostage, or do we stay as one unit to better the odds of survival?

The first round strategy is complex, but later rounds get even more interesting. Successful teams can’t repeat a single strategy for a full match – or predictability will be their downfall. We’ve even kept the destruction present between rounds, adding another layer of strategy – blowing that roof was loud last round, but now that it’s fully open you can use it without giving your position away. And so the game transforms into tricking, bluffing, and misleading the other team, in order to keep the element of surprise.

Which is where Hardline’s gadgets truly shine. Small details, like a well-placed Decoy, the clever use of Stealth, or an important Revive can mean the difference between a win and a loss. My favorite Rescue strategy is finding new routes with the Zipline and Grappling Hook, getting the jump on my enemies from unexpected angles – and leading them to cover those routes in future rounds, while I casually walk through the front door that they’re no longer paying attention to.

Of course, everyone will have their own strategies, which will change between rounds, throughout matches, and over the months of playing Hardline. With small player counts, multiple rounds, and layers of complexity, Rescue is custom tailored for our competitive audience – which probably includes many of you reading this post right now.

Rescue, to me, is a special mode for specifically that reason. I can’t wait to get it into your hands.

See you on the Battlefield soon!

Ben Gaciu
Systems Designer
@TheSureBen