Holy crap, let's just get this out of the way. The funny thing about this review is that this game is such an easy game to like-I mean, who in their right mind would consider giving this bad boy a bad rating? Not this guy, I'm telling you right now. DICE has done it again, bringing a reason to get a PC and upgrade the hell out of it. The third game in the BF series is the modern combat-driven Battlefield 2, a perfect reason to gather some friends, learn some tactics, and play online.

Gear up, Marine!
You have to be aware that the focus of this game is to jump online and meet some friends. Military tactics play a bigger part of BF2. In the past, it was an all-out blitz with only a few people playing some sort of tactics if they were connected to some third-party VoIP (voice over IP). The game is broken into a squad-based online scenario, usually conquest (same as previous renditions). The team has one commander who controls the troops who themselves break up in squads. Each team has a squad leader who can issue orders to his squad, and of course, the commander can issue orders to the squad leader so you get the more real to life tactical aspect. The commander also has the ability to send in help via supply drops to his troops, tell and reveal of enemy movement, and the best, send in artillery strikes when needed. Nothing is more fluid when you have a competent commander that takes care of his team.

The same gameplay applies: you control one guy in first-person mode. This marine/soldier can hop into every single vehicle to bring in some tank, transport, or my favorite, air power. Calling in air strikes from your planes and backup from tanks can really turn the table on an area your team needs to take or defend. Of course, the downside of this is the fact that you have to rely on people you have never met for the perfect scenario to happen, but such is life.

Experience
You can now "level up," so to speak. Via actions you take on ranked servers, you can gain medals and even rise in rank. This helps in calling dibs on commander, as the highest ranking person who applies for the job gets it. You can also earn the ability to use unlockable weapons that add a bit more firepower to your character in the field. Nothing feels better than getting a field commission and adding a new rank. All the data is stored on BF HQ so you can compare your stats to others and see who is the best in the trenches when it counts.

Classes
Oh, baby, you now have a job to do. No more are classes just some ways to get a difference in weaponry. Now they serve individual purposes, all of which help with the mission at hand. Special Ops can blow bridges to allow for a tactical advantage; Medics can revive fallen soldiers and heal in the field; Support can hook you up with extra ammo; Assault is your grunt who gets some added protection in combat; Anti-Tank is just that, anti-tank; Snipers can spot enemies and enemy movement; and the Engineer can repair damaged equipment. You will need to be proficient with them all depending on the orders you are given because at the end it's about getting the job done.

Get in the Fight
This game is a Snackbar Favorite off the bat. With the inclusion of in-game VoIP, better tactical movement, and graphics that kick, Battlefield 2 is everything so many expected and more. I heard the single-player campaign has been improved, but I have yet to try it since being online and ranking is taking over our lives. The game is an A+ in every fashion. Join a server today.

Jul 13, 2005 | 2 comments
Mike Carabajal