The first chapter of the Battlefield 5 Tides of War schedule launched on all platforms today; giving players a selection of new features. One important part of this new content, although it may not appear to be so at first glance, is the Battlefield 5 Practice Range. An entirely new game mode, Practice Range provides players with a space to test things out for multiplayer matches. Overall, the mode is surprisingly in-depth.
The Three Modes Available in the Battlefield 5 Practice Range
“The Practice Range has modes for players to hone their individual skills or simply experiment with innovative tactics,” says DICE; “all while playing around in the Battlefield sandbox. The soldier you’ll play on the Practice Range is a unique soldier with no class restrictions on weapons, allowing the most flexible way to quickly try different load outs.”
Not only will players be able to try out different weaponry, but Practice Range actually comes with three separate game modes; the Shooting Trial, Driving Trial, and The Open Range. In the Shooting Trial mode, the Practice Range map is filled with pop-up targets. These are used in a wave-based gameplay simulation to help players practice their shooting without the frenetic pace of an actual multiplayer mode. Some of that urgency is still apparent, however, because after the fourth wave a timer starts and you’ll need to keep scoring hits to stop all your tickets from depleting.
According to DICE, a typical round in this trial should last about 5-10 minutes. To keep things different, you can choose from three different types of wave; Rapid Fire waves, where you need to score hits as fast as you can, Long Range waves, where you’ll practice using a scope, and Hunt waves, where you need to roam and pursue moving targets.
The Driving Trial mode for Practice Range puts players in control of a Kubelwagen to practice their driving. Rounds of this mode should last about five minutes, and require you to complete a course of drive-through targets.
The Open Range
Finally, The Open Range mode is the largest game type available in the Practice Range. This mode will spawn you on a version of the Hamada multiplayer map, one of the largest in the game. Different exercises are scattered throughout the map. You can practice your flying in a Stuka or Spitfire, with rapid respawn if you crash, both ground- and air-based targets, and the ability to switch planes at will. Alternately, you can practice driving in a Kubelwagen, Flakpanzer IV, or Churchill Tank. Here you have a driving track available, as well as both ground and air targets to shoot. Similarly, you respawn rapidly and can switch vehicles whenever you want.
The Open Range also features a variety of shooting trials, including shooting lanes for 25-, 50-, and 100-meter shooting. There are also exercises for angling and turning, helping you to improve your gunplay against moving targets in cover. The Open Range features weapon racks scattered throughout the area too. These allow you to select from a wide variety of weapons and options.