Battlefield 6’s REDSEC platform is now open for all to access, and as a free-to-play Battle Royale game, it’s doing exactly what you’d expect. There’s a large, open map, a couple of battle passes to choose from, a bunch of missions to resolve in-game, and an ever-shrinking circle of death that eventually strangles the entire lobby.
It’s Warzone-coded, and in many ways, that makes sense, because the leadership team piecing REDSEC together has that in their blood. Ultimately, REDSEC doesn’t offer anything in the way of any huge innovations on the Battle Royale genre, but it is a decent entry into the space that should at least be tried.
Is Battlefield REDSEC Any Good?
As a Battle Royale title, Battlefield REDSEC is everything you could hope for. Players parachute into a map from helicopters, picking their landing zone from a series of POIs, looting crates, kick-starting missions, and fighting other players. As the game clock ticks over, the playable zone shrinks, surrounded by a ring of deadly fire.
It’s the same concept as Firestorm, the Battlefield 5 BR mode introduced almost seven years ago, which more or less fell flat on its face.
REDSEC offers all the trappings of Battlefield 6. The weapons, characters, equipment, vehicles, and movement mechanics are all pulled from the central experience, which is itself a fantastic offering. On the surface, REDSEC feels great to play; the movement is smooth and fluid, and the core elements of a Battlefield game, such as intense destruction, are present.
As you explore Fort Lyndon, the map in REDSEC, you’ll find ‘killstreaks’, challenges to unlock tanks and other powerful vehicles, custom weapon drops, and kits that you can use to upgrade weapons on the fly.
This is where the innovations that do exist start to leech into the game, and it’s also where we see some cross-collaborative innovations coming over from games like Apex Legends, also published by Electronic Arts.
It’s good, but I couldn’t help but feel I was playing Warzone at times, which isn’t what you want from a direct competitor. Everything from the double XP token structure to the battle pass mechanics, and from the nature of side missions to the loadout features, REDSEC simply smacks of Call of Duty: Warzone.
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REDSEC Proves Battle Royale is Still Going Strong
The Battle Royale genre is an ebb-and-flow kind of thing that never seems consistent. It has been populated over the years with multiple games, and once upon a time, developers in fringe titles threw their hat in the ring to see what they could do.
With that, I mean that even games like Forza Horizon and Fallout 76 once had Battle Royale modes.
The hype surrounding REDSEC was palpable, and going into the game at launch, players were met with sizeable queues. There was a spike in traffic on streaming and content platforms, and player counts had a nice injection of energy, with Battlefield and Call of Duty fans alike eager to explore this free-to-play BR platform.
Even after more than a decade, the concept of the Battle Royale remains a winning one, and REDSEC takes the ball and runs with it, producing something laden with potential that might just be stable enough to challenge the likes of Warzone.
There’s a learning curve for sure, especially concerning the destruction capabilities of the game and some of the movement and weapon handling mechanics, but I feel that this is as accessible a Battle Royale as you could hope for.
The map is great, too. It’s the kind of environment I love, fusing urban biomes with natural regions and a touch of mountainous, desert areas. It’s diverse, large enough to accommodate the player count without feeling enormous, and has plenty of nooks to explore.
RELATED: Full Battlefield 6 Review
But It’s Not Perfect
REDSEC has had issues at launch. When I played, I experienced more than my fair share of bugs and glitches:
- Network instability causing packet loss and rubber banding
- Dynamic elements like custom weapon drops floating in midair
- Weapon crates duplicating on interaction and falling into each other
- Players falling under the map (and staying there)
- Redeploy towers throwing teammates into the fire
Teething issues are commonplace these days, and it’s hardly fair to take points away from the game, but you’d imagine that REDSEC would launch in a better state given the consistency of the multiplayer platform and how much stock Electronic Arts (and associated studios) have poured into the Battle Royale platform.
Battlefield REDSEC Review Verdict
If you’re going to give REDSEC a try, I’d recommend picking up a battle pass (ideally the BF Pro battle pass) if you think you’re going to sink a few hours into it. It adds another layer of meat to the bones of the game, and you’ll have a bit more to aim for. The core gameplay loop is fulfilling enough, but BRs have a tendency to get dull quite quickly under the strain of repetition.
Time will tell how Electronic Arts treats Battlefield REDSEC. For now, it’s a great Battle Royale title that has everything you’d expect from a Battlefield bolt-on, and I’m certainly going to invest more than a few hours into it.
Let me know on the Insider Gaming Discord server what you think of Battlefield REDSEC.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the recent patch notes for Battlefield 6’s 1.1.1.0 update
Battlfield REDSEC
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Battlfield REDSEC
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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