 | | The character models look considerably better this time out. Expect your typically hilarious rag-doll deaths |
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In you've been too busy engrossed with the exploits of skeletal paedophiles on TV to notice, the Battlefield 2 demo was released over the last few days. As someone who's since become addicted to it in a big way, I simply can't recommend it enough.
While I dug the previous Battlefield games (particularly the first one), they were flawed in a number of significant ways. The foot combat was lame and lacking in execution, graphics were barely serviceable, balance issues plagued the vehicles and worst of all, it lacked heavily in the team play and tactics department for what was a heavily multiplayer focused game. What had the potential for a fully realised battleground with engrossing army tactics was essentially just a little bit of harmless circle strafing fun with stupidly powerful vehicles.
With Battlefield 2, it appears that potential has been fully realised. On the strength of this demo, every single problem I listed above has been rectified in some way. I'll save full in-depth thoughts for my full review later in the month, but I will say there are two specific traits that really stand out about this game;
 | | The demo level is massive, but scales in size depending on the number of players. It works surprisingly well |
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For one, the ground combat is phenomenally good now. It's a telling sign that in a game full of tanks, jeeps, choppers and planes, I
always opt for the life of a foot soldier. Sure, the vehicles rock, decked out with power and beauty, but they're simply outmatched by the greatness of the infantry game. The guns have been spruced up in look, sound and feel, and now handle more like Counter-Strike Source than anything. That coupled with the impeccably well done iron-sights and the hilariously vicious rag-doll physics make running and gunning no longer a chore, but a genuine delight.
Secondly though, are the enhanced team play features. These may not sound like much on paper, and indeed unless you happen upon a group of appropriate team mates, may not even be immediately noticeable, but in the right hands they shine.
You can now divide teams up into individual squads. These squads are given a leader along with their own communication channel thanks to built in voice chat. Orders and waypoints given by the squad leader show up on the mini-map, and help give focus and objective to the warfare. Best of all, you can even respawn at your squad leaders location on death, reinforcing the team element and constantly keeping your squad mates close by.
 | | Vehicles are as much fun as ever, and are now more comparable in feel and handling to those in Half-Life 2 |
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This in and of itself makes a world of difference to the average game, but the icing on the cake is the new commander class. Each side has one such commander, with additional abilities such as artillery strikes, supply drops and enemy tracking. What's great is that this commander then has the ability to make more far reaching plans by passing out orders to the squad leaders beneath him.
In the right hands, the commander becomes the most powerful member of the side as a result...even if he lacks straight up kills, it's really he who dictates the course of the battle.
Again, this all boils down to the people you play with, thus your mileage may vary, but as someone who's found himself in dozens of such blissful encounters, I can testify that Battlefield 2 promises genuine greatness on release. It's an epic shooter with the perfect blend of arcade blasting action and tense, realistic warfare. It's pre-order time.
This review/report was created by the great team at TPSreport.co.uk:
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