This past week, Battlefield fans have been able to test out the open beta for the next installment of the franchise, Battlefield Hardline. The currently ongoing beta was available for download starting February 3rd and ends tomorrow February 9th.

Originally the game had been scheduled for release last fall, but due to poor feedback on its closed beta developers worked to address many of the issues plaguing the game. It appears developer Visceral Games may have gotten the beta right this time around since General Manager Steve Papoutsis announced via Twitter that Hardline has surpassed over 5 million players this weekend. According to Gamespot, that puts the beta ahead of Destiny’s 4.6 million players when they launched their beta last year.

Though the numbers are quite impressive reception has ranged from mixed to generally positive. Jason Evangelho, a contributor to Forbes website, expressed some mild concerns with Hardline’s beta. The highlighted issues range from limited grenade physics, poor driving capability, and graphic setbacks. Overall though Evangelho states, “Criticism aside, I think Visceral and EA have created a promising Battlefield spin-off with its own identity and value.” Nathaniel Hohl, from Shacknews, also had doubts stating that the original beta felt nothing more than Battlefield 4 dressed up in an urban setting. Since giving the latest version another try Hohl feels the contrast from last summer to now be “night and day.”

“The previous beta did virtually nothing to shake up the core Battlefield experience other than swap out military fatigues for cop uniforms and ski masks. This experience proves that developer Visceral Games isn’t content with letting Hardline be remembered simply as “Battlefield with cops and robbers.”

I was able to try out Hardline for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this past week and highly recommend it. If you have not had a chance to try it out you still have time since the beta closes sometime tomorrow morning. While there are definitely a few issues that need to be addressed before its release next month, the beta delivered fans an enjoyable experience that offers a promising start to this new series.

Battlefield Hardline is scheduled to release on March 17 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.