11/14/05 >> Battlefield 2 (PC)

Genre: First-person Shooter/Online

 

 

 

 

After playing 2002's popular Battlefield 1942, many probably couldn't think of any major ways to improve upon it. And that is because, well, there wasn't very much. It provided a good balance of gameplay that involved genius interaction between infantry and vehicles in a fast paced war setting. Battlefield 2 is as worthy a sequel as any game could hope to be, providing many interesting twists and additions to the classic Battlefield formula, while staying absolutely true to its roots.

 

 

Gameplay

For those few of you unfamiliar with the Battlefield franchise, here's the basic rundown. Two armies are battling each other for strategic points on a map. While a team has control of a point, dead members of that team can spawn from it, and it also makes the enemy team's points, or tickets as they are referred to in the game, drop. The team that reaches zero tickets first loses.

 

The thing that makes this interesting is the excellent map design and the brilliant implementation of vehicles in the game. The maps are laid out in a way that put vital choke points in different locations, so that large firefights can be happening all over the map.

 

The game also lets you play any way you want to. Want to be a lone wolf commando type? Play as Special Forces or sniper, sneaking in and booby trapping enemy bases, or picking off infantry from afar. How about a grunt on the frontlines? Play as the assault class, launching grenades from your assault rifle as you assault a base with squadmates. Or maybe you want to be a team player? Play support, medic, or engineer, giving out ammo and healing and reviving teammates, and laying mines at your base to ward off foes. And then there's the anti-tank class, being able to guide a rocket into an enemy vehicle, watching the resulting explosion in satisfaction. And that's just the infantry options.

 

You can hop in a vehicle at any time, from transport vehicles like jeeps and blackhawks, armored vehicles like tanks and apcs, and air vehicles like jets and attack helicopters. Playing in any of these drastically changes the way the game is played, which can make it seem like an entirely different game altogether.

All of this with up to 64 players duking it out online. These are just what makes any of the Battlefields a Battlefield game, now lets talk about how BF2 improves upon it.

 

One complaint in past games was that infantry were underpowered, but that has been solved for the most part in this game. Guns all feel more accurate and responsive, and many classes have viable anti-vehicle options that make infantry feel altogether less helpless. Anti vehicle emplacements are spread throughout the level as well which also help in balancing vehicles and infantry.

 

There was also the problem of some maps just being unplayable with a small number of players due to their size. This has been solved with all maps being scalable to 16, 32, and 64 player versions. A 16 player version might just have 3 or 4 flags in a small area, a 32 player with 5 or 6 in a substantially larger area, and a 64 player a little larger still with a few more flags scattered around. This helps in keeping the action for refined, so that you won't be running around aimlessly without seeing anyone.

 

 

And probably the single biggest change is the addition of commander mode and squads. Think of it as an RTS, except the units you're directing are actual people. Your team has the ability to split up into squads, which can talk to each other via VoIP. These squads all have a squad leader, which can communicate to the single commander on your team. Squad members can also spawn on the squad leader, as long as he is still alive and not in a full vehicle.

 

The commander of the team can give orders to the squad leader, which he can then relay to his squad members. The commander can also perform several abilities such as dropping artillery on a location, giving a radar scan for enemies on the map, sending a uav drone out to give the location of enemies to your team, and dropping supplies for your troops to use. All these abilities(aside from supplies) also has a building corresponding to it, and a special forces soldier can plant c4 on these to effectively disable that ability from their team. An engineer can also repair these, so it just adds even more depth to the game.

 

Even with all I've said, there's much more I haven't covered. The game is just full of depth and is one of the best action shooter games you can play.

 

Graphics

The graphics are pretty outstanding. From jets soaring in the air, bursting into pieces after being struck with heat seeking missiles, great looking shimmering water, and dynamic lights and shadows. For as much going on as there is, its amazing it looks as great as it does. One complaint is that it looks pretty silly when someone gets shot that a small dust like puff cloud appears. A little blood would add to the immersiveness, but it wouldn't reach as large an audience if it did. I guess you can always look for mods. Also, make sure you look into the system specs before buying though, as they are pretty steep, and lower end systems simply won't cut it.

 

Sound

Everything sounds great, from the crack of small arms fire across the city, to the nearby sound of tank treads, and explosions that cause a deafening shell-shock effect to those nearby. There's just so many different noises going on, all real time from other players in the game. It really adds to the immersiveness, making you feel like you are in an actual battle.

 

Replayability

There's just an incredible amount of things to do in this game, that it will always keep you coming back for more. The ranking system also gives you incentive to keep playing. Many play Battlefield 1942 up to this day, so think of how long BF2 will keep you going for.

 

Pros

+Amazing multiplayer

+Graphics and sounds are top notch, adding to the immersiveness of making you feel like being in a war

+Almost unlimited replay value

 

Cons

-Still weak single player, so dial up users won't get as much out of it, but who really plays Battlefield for the single player?

 

Bottom Line : If you are a fan of first person shooters, this is one of the best purchases you can make. An outstanding sequel to one of the best multiplayer shooters of all time.

 

 

 

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Game Score: 9.1