Yes, I've played all Battlefield games.
You know why Call of Duty was seen as the more arcade game? It's not because Battlefield had absurdly realistic gun handling physics or damage calculation based on the caliber of gun. It's because Call of Duty had smaller maps, faster gameplay and most importantly it had health regeneration. Something that was quite controversial at the time.
These comparisons to Call of Duty as usual lack any substance. If you actually start comparing them properly, you'll see that while there are certainly similarities, there are also many substantial differences. If older Battlefield games were realistic, then try to explain why the Project Reality mod was developed for Battlefield 2. It wouldn't even have a reason to exist if Battlefield 2 was all that realistic. If you wanted realism at the time, you'd be looking for games like Operation Flashpoint.
I think we need to recognize that the legacy of the Battlefield franchise doesn't just include Battlefield 1942 and 2. It includes all of the Battlefield titles that followed afterwards as well. Battlefield 6 shares the most similarities to Battlefield 3 and 4 and is honestly a pretty good successor to it.