Battlefield 1's New Trailer Tells a Story of People and Machines

Today, Electronic Arts and DICE debuted an incredible new trailer for their upcoming installment in the Battlefield series, Battlefield 1. The ambitious first-person shooter will delve into the previously unexplored territory of World War I. While Battlefield is primarily an online multiplayer game, DICE has tried its best to produce memorable campaigns. They've failed, a lot. However, we're finding it difficult to not be dazzled by the style and narrative promise that this new trailer shows us.

While it immediately received the adoring and joyous cheers of the gaming community, many have expressed concerns about the overall game's subject matter. The First World War is one of the most unbelievable tragedies to ever strike humanity, frankly put. The video game world has been saturated with World War II titles, and many have been respectful and thought provoking, but WWI is something else entirely. Historically, it's the first instance of "total war," and the death of millions. It's never been touched by a game studio, at least not in this massive sense. Would this game marginalize the worst thing to happen in an entire century, would it turn the graves of millions into petty playground? While the Beta put some of those concerns to bed, many still worried. This trailer may finish off the rest.

The Battlefield 1 story will explore humanity at a time of destruction and new technologies. Young men who had never even held a rifle were suddenly being barraged with cannons so large that they could only be transported on trains, gas that literally choked and burned the air around them and planes dropping bombs from the sky. Exploring the perspectives of many different characters, the game will span from the Italian Alps to the desert plains of Saudi Arabia. The cast will show the human spirit embodied in various sexes, nationalities and ethnicities including historical figures such as Lawrence of Arabia and the Harlem Hellfighters.

Battlefield 1 will arrive on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on October 21st.