'Battlefield: Hardline (2015)' takes its long-running, military shooter franchise to the streets. Its aesthetic is unmistakably 'cops vs robbers', seeming similar to pretty much any police procedural you can think of. In multiplayer, this translates to the same large-scale battles you'd expect from the series (even if they're pared back somewhat) and some game modes that attempt to capitalise on its new dynamic (or, rather, the milieu surrounding it). In single player, this translates to a story that could be straight out of 'NCIS: Los Angeles (2009)' or any some such TV show. It's styled as if it's a TV show, too, with chapters that represent episodes and open up with recap montages of the story so far. It's chock-full of the tropes and stereotypes you'd expect from a police procedural, ultimately feeling rather generic. However, it's still enjoyable and the schlocky narrative has a certain, perhaps unintentional B-movie charm to it. The gameplay is standard for a first-person shooter, except for the fact that you're given the option to arrest criminals instead of killing them. In practice, this just means you can sneak up behind or tase an enemy and then activate a prompt to cuff them (effectively eliminating them). This is much harder to do than to just shoot enemies, especially since the stealth is very basic and most missions inevitably escalate into full-blown firefights, and there's no real incentive to do it. That's a shame because it could have been a strong, perhaps even stand-out feature. As is, it's an interesting side-challenge if you're so inclined to take it; I played the entire thing only using my taser and handcuffs, aside from the few instances in which pulling a trigger is literally required to progress (which is really annoying). Overall, the game is a decent effort. It's rather enjoyable to play and its story does what it needs to. It isn't a masterpiece, but it's a solid spin-off from an established franchise. 7/10
