Battlefield 1's New Medic Class Will Revive & Retaliate
Medicine murderers
Battlefield 1's [official site] dramatic 64-player E3 outing last month looked fantastic, but, like most of the big budget games showcased at these kinds of events, at times felt a bit staged. Loads of slightly more reliable closed-alpha footage surfaced through the week, though - the most interesting of which focuses on the returning Medic class. Gone are defibrillators this time round (the popular external device used today wasn't invented until 1930, see), and in their place are vials, drugs and syringes; while the medicine men patrolling the Great War's battlegrounds can also repair vehicles. Which seems a bit odd.
Recent Battlefield installments have seen both the Heal and Revive skills assigned to Assault players, but, given the fact combat medics played a vital role in WWI, these traits have now been redistributed to Medics. Here's YouTube person Westie with a fairly thorough overview of what this game's slant on the class is all about - including how healers have absorbed duties from the now absent Engineer class. Observe:
Westie argues that Medics taking on the role of repairing vehicles makes sense, given that healing in Battlefield is a largely cosmetic process - it's essential but ultimately makes little sense against reality. The obvious downside to this though, as Westie also points out, is that harnessing both skills means Medics have access to less slots and will need to sacrifice a medikit should they wish to become accomplished mechanics.
For further viewing, the folks at IGN also posted a seven-minute trailer showcasing a Medic soldier in both defence and combat. And for further reading, let me point you towards why history professor Robert Whitaker feels Battlefield 1 could be the best World War One game ever.