Although reveal trailers rarely give you a glimpse at whether the final product will be any good, Battlefield 1‘s glorious announcement clip at least had the internet buzzing for several days. Now, their Gamescom trailer, which was released on Monday at Gamescom, has legions of fans eagerly anticipating the open beta, which launches on August 31 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While we still can’t give you a full breakdown of what to expect from Battlefield 1, EA let us go hands-on with two multiplayer modes: Conquest and Domination. If those two modes are any indication of the quality of the rest of the game, we’re in for a treat. Check out the footage above, and read below to see what I mean.

Conquest

What has always made the Battlefield series so beloved is the attention to detail (in addition to the massive multiplayer matches). The sounds, the visuals, the action, the team camaraderie make for a fully engrossing online experience. Before jumping into Conquest on The St. Quentin Scar, we chose between four different classes: assault, support, medic, and scout. Each supports a different style of play. The objective is to control certain points on a massive map, likening it to an actual battlefield.

It wasn’t until I spawned on the map that the scope of the game finally hit me; this map is massive, and best of all, it feels like a living, breathing world. I mean, you can see for miles ahead of you, a sprawling landscape that looks like LA on Fourth of July. As soon as your boots hit the ground, you feel like you’re part of a larger struggle.

As I previously mentioned, all the sounds, stunning visuals (running 60 fps on PC), and tight controls that make you feel like you’re in a classic war film. As easy as it is to run around picking off enemies with a sniper rifle, it’s even easier to jump into a tank to overpower the enemy strongholds. As you may already know, this has been one of the series’ main pulls: the ability to wage war on land, air, and sea. This time around though, vehicles are even bigger–like giant freakin’ blimp bigger. And that makes for some spectacular multiplayer moments.

Everything about this battlefield is dynamic, whether it’s the building surrounding you crumbling from the opponent’s blasts, or the weather dynamically changing throughout a match. It’s absolutely brilliant when everything is firing on all cylinders.

Mechanics (per usual) were tight, making for a seamless experience. Every aspect of the game ran buttery smooth. Jumping into vehicles to wreak havoc on opponent bases was as easy as the click of a button, and a total blast when you have four other teammates manning the guns.

Domination

If you’ve played other first-person shooters, Domination won’t be new to you. This is basically a smaller conquest mode, where you have to hold down different points of interest. The longer you maintain control of a location, the more points it accumulates for your team. Battlefield 1 does nothing to change up the gameplay here–after all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. To put it simply, this is your basic Domination mode. However, by not adding any sort of gimmick, it allows the game’s strengths (like strong combat mechanics, team-based tactics, destructible structures, and the WWI setting) to shine through.

The map we played on during Conquest mode, St. Quentin Scar, was the same backdrop for the Domination session, but this time a smaller section of the map was in play. The three points of interest were spread out through a small town with old buildings available as cover. With the emphasis on smaller battlegrounds, you need to be a lot more vigilant about the structures surrounding you–wooden doors and flimsy walls won’t give you much cover when the bullets start flying. The dynamic weather works in almost the same manner; it can give you a distinct advantage if you play smart enough. It’s this constant chess match that’s not seen in other shooters, which ultimately makes for a good time.

Strategically choosing your class also becomes important if you plan on being successful. Every class has its role, and a cohesive team will make sure to have all their bases covered. Again, it’s not all about having the lone-wolf mentality, especially when you’re one man on a thirty-two player team.

This smaller game type also makes better use of certain weapons like gas. Because your opponents will be huddling together in surrounding buildings, you’ll be able to take advantage of the situation and toss gas to really mess up their day.

While most will play Battlefield 1 for the large-scale fights, Domination will definitely provide players with a faster game type thanks to its smaller scale.

Battlefield 1 could be a return to form for DICE. What we played at this year’s E3 was fantastic, making us incredibly excited for the the upcoming first-person shooter. The upcoming open beta will give players access to the Conquest and Rush game modes, which will be playable for up to 64 players and will include ridable horses, a controllable armored train, and three new Elite classes–the Tank Hunter, Flame Trooper, and Sentry.

What do you guys think about the gameplay? Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: EA