EA Games Battlefield 2 review

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Verdict:

Review Date: 19 Aug 2005

Price when reviewed: inc VAT (DVD); £25 inc VAT (CD-ROM)

Reviewed By: Seth Barton

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

ExpertReviews Award

Review
Specs

Battlefield 1942 shook the PC gaming world when it was released in 2002.

It took the basic online shooter and added lots of players, big maps and vehicles of all descriptions. All this was dressed up to look like World War II, although the emphasis was more on fun than historical re-enactment.

After an add-on based in Vietnam, the developer has released the true successor. Here modern forces use the latest military hardware to battle for supremacy over 12 varied maps. Each map also scales to three different sizes to accommodate smaller or larger games.

You have a choice of division, which includes special forces, medic, assault, engineer and so on. Based on your decision you receive different weapons and special equipment such as mines, medical kits and body armour.

All divisions can drive any of the vehicles in the game. On land these range from Hummers with mounted machine guns to tanks. In the air there are a variety of helicopters and fighter jets, although you will need a joystick to gain full control over them. Each of the three factions has its own set of vehicles. The gameplay model is well balanced with every vehicle having its natural prey and nemesis.

The game supports up to 64 players online and provides integrated voice commands. Players can organise themselves into six-man squads for support. One player on each side is elected as a commander, who can call up radar scans or air strikes to support his team. This adds a level of organisation to an otherwise very chaotic game.

This is an amazing online combat experience that has everything you could want. The graphics look fantastic, especially considering the size of the battlefields. Combat is frantic, and feels polished whether you're on foot or in a vehicle. This will be the number one online shooter of the year.

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