Battlefield 2: Special Forces

"In the dead of night a Snipers scope stalks his victim.."

Battlefield 2 was perhaps the greatest multiplayer PC FPS to be released for a good few years. Special Forces is no different, it stays true to the quality of Battlefield 2.

Visually the expansion remains as stunning at the original game. This isn't just some thrown together excuse for an expansion pack that you might find elsewhere. The weapon models, player models, environments and effects are all tip-top quality.

The sound is as crisp as the original too. With new countries being represented there are obviously new voices that convey the actions and commands of the soldiers just as in BF2. What's interesting here are the voices of the SAS soldiers. Being from Britain myself I find it funny to hear the American take on a British accent, however I've never met anyone who talks quite like Special Forces portrays.

The new equipment is awesome. The grapple allows you to scale buildings that don't have ladder access to the roof. The zip-line allows you to quickly descend from a height directly to your target destination. Of course, this equipment is split between classes, which is a shame because there are times when you wish you had both at your disposal. However, good teamwork with your fellow players will result in the best usage of these two features.

Night vision is another wonderful addition to the gameplay mix. The maps set at night, such as Devil's Perch, present the player with a contrast of well lit and almost pitch black areas. Utilizing night vision is vital in these situations if you want to survive and adds a certain extra level of tension as you scour the dark nooks and crannies around your target flag location for hidden enemies.

I do however have some misgivings. The gas grenades are annoying, simple as that. Everyone is equipped with a gas mask, but putting it on before the gas has any effect is almost impossible. I also feel that maybe flash bangs are slightly over powerful if you witness the explosion directly. While it has obvious authenticity the gameplay implications are questionable.

After playing with the new content for some time it becomes apparent that the unlockable weapons are somewhat disappointing, mostly because there are so few additions to the list. I can't help but feel there should be more weapons to unlock to allow that extra bit of choice when choosing which class to play. The unlockable weapons do apply to BF2 as well though so I suppose there is at least that.

All in all Special Forces strengthens the existing Battlefield 2 experience with fresh and diverse content. Hopefully we'll see more expansion packs in the future, and more unlockable weaponry.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/05