Almost everyone will agree that Battlefield 1 is a different kind game. Its uniqueness is what makes it among the best in the gaming industry. With the addition of a new update (Giant's Shadow), everything even skyrocketed. A good number of tweaks and fixes arrived, coupled with some balance changes on the game's weaponry. Developer DICE certainly know how to make things of excellence. However, in between those lines, it fails to resolve one issue -- the narrowness, that is.
There's no doubt that the content was a great addition. Heck, the features and whatnots it brought are proof to that. According to Inverse, if one is too look at the narrow design of the new map, it doesn't present itself as an issue right away. After all, this seems to be a standard in various game modes that offer a small quantity of player count. However, when you find yourself caught among those fields -- provided you have no cover -- it can get quite frustrating.
Each area in the new Battlefield 1 map features a very specific design, something that would require the players to come up with a certain strategy. This is, of course, if they intend to capture and/or hold a point. Add to that the necessity of balancing the team composition, with each class working accordingly to acquire a win. While these can be remedied easily, the narrowness of the map doesn't do them justice -- like at all. There's basically a lack of cover (of any form), leaving players wide open to be attacked by the opposite team.
Personally, this is what I love about games like Overwatch. (I know they're two different games, but hear me out). The latter offers a good set of maps in which narrowness isn't an issue. You know that somewhere out there, you can get cover without having to think twice. I'm not saying Giant's Shadow is a complete mess. That would be a hypocritical thing to say, as I love playing it. My idea is what if DICE made it a little bit more covert, adding terrain or structures that can be used by players to their advantage. After all, we're talking about a Battlefield installment here.
In most of my matches, I observed some players doing some workarounds here and there. For instance, they try to lock down an enemy by way of flanking them. Mind you, this isn't a bad idea at all. Most maps in Battlefield 1 even give you the opportunity to do so, though with the existence of unrestricted flanking paths. But with Giant's Shadow? I doubt it's going to be that easy. You'll need a good amount of luck, as you're restricted to the boundary limitations. You have to maneuver in a way that the opposing team won't notice you quickly.
While I can't speak for the entire community, I believe DICE could've done something better that what Giant's Shadow now has. But hey, what can we do exactly if this is what the studio really wants to offer. Despite these, though, it's still interesting to see that at least, there are moments in the map that you can be proud of.
What are your thoughts on the new Battlefield 1 map? Do you agree with its narrowness being an issue? Any other suggestions or whatnots that you can offer? Be sure to let us know at the comment section below!
