"The definition of "epic warfare""

”Welcome to duty, soldier”

Some of the best moments in gaming happen when you are playing with others. Part of the fun in Massively Multiplayer games is that it feels just like real life. Battlefield 2 combines the communal fun found in massively multiplayer games with the no-room-for-mistakes fights of modern war. Being a sequel to one of the best shooters of 2002, Battlefield 1942, Battlefield 2 had much to live up to. However, Battlefield 2 does not just improve on the foundations its predecessors laid. Battlefield 2 smashes them, and it is simply one of the best multiplayer action games ever made.

Right from the start, you should know that Battlefield 2 has rather heavy system requirements. Dice Interactive also prevented a relatively large group of people from playing Battlefield 2, requiring graphics cards that must support Pixel Shader 2.0. As a result, owners of older cards that only support Pixel Shader 1.3 are not advised to buy this game.

Battlefield 2 takes place in the near future, with a fictitious war going on between the United States of America, China and a new faction called the Middle Eastern Coalition. Battles take place on several fronts, from the Pacific in “Wake Island 2007”, to northern China in “Songhua Stalemate”, the Chinese coast in “Daqing Oilfields” and the deserts of the Middle East. It is a first-person shooter, and one of the biggest selling points of Battlefield 2 is its large-scale, 64-player battles.

The setting up of the game gave some bad impressions. Most noticeably, many of the supposed “server filters” do not work, or are faulty. This forces you to wait for over 10 minutes, for the browser to search for Battlefield 2 servers (which, at the time of writing, number over 5500). Thankfully, server organization does work, so you can find out which servers have the lowest latency with a few clicks on “Ping”. There are some issues with servers registering 0ms of delay, but those servers can be ignored. Add all the low-latency servers to you're Favourites list, so the next time, you can just click on Favourites and update those servers you often play on – a quick workaround to the server browser problems.

Another negative factor was that there is no friend-tracking system at all in Battlefield 2. Thus, you can only plan with your friends beforehand what servers to join. This is a bad move on the developer's part, for any primarily multiplayer, online game should have a buddy-tracker – even moreso for a game that emphasizes teamwork like Battlefield 2.

Battlefield 2 introduces some new ideas into the series, like the Commander mode, and squad-based combat. In each round, players can apply to be the Commander of your team. Commanders are decided by rank, and in the event of a tie, by voting. Commanders have access to several strategic tools to turn the tide of the battle, and are critical in the success of a team. Commanders can call down artillery strikes, send out an unmanned aerial vehicle for scouting, request a satellite sweep of the area and send down supplies to your troops. Commanders, more importantly, can zoom in on the battlefield, seeing enemies in hiding and warning your comrades on their thereabouts. The role of the Commander is to issue clear orders to your team, and this is implemented in Battlefield 2 with a strategy game-like command list, where you can order a squad to “Attack” a coordinate, “Repair” strategic structures and “Defend” your bases. Squad leaders will then either accept or reject the orders, and subsequently relay these orders to squad members.

This brings me to the next new feature in Battlefield 2 – Squad-based combat. In every fight, you can either form a new squad, join an existing squad or remain as a lone wolf. Squad-based combat is the core of Battlefield 2, and commanders can only issue orders to a squad and never to unassigned team members. A squad full of friends, fighting and backing up each other, bonds them like no other activity. Squad leaders can also request for supply drops, unmanned aerial scans or artillery strikes at their targeted location, though this must be approved by the Commander before the action is executed. Squad leaders themselves can also issue orders to squad-mates without Commander approval. Voice-over-IP technology is also used to great effect in Battlefield 2, allowing Commanders to speak to Squad leaders directly, and Squad leaders, to their squad members. This enhances communication and is invaluable in critical situations where typing is inconvenient. There is also a “Commo Rose”, where upon holding the “Q” button, a “rose” appears in the middle of the screen that shows you the remarks you can radio to allies, like “Enemy Spotted” or “Need Medic”. “Spotted” enemies are marked on the radar for all allies and the Commander to see, flashing but merely for a few seconds.

Battlefield 2's other main attraction is the chance to take joyrides in jet planes, choppers, Main Battle Tanks and military jeeps. This aspect is done very well, and some vehicles are just a joy to fly. Barraging an armored convoy with 14 missiles in a chopper, leaving no survivors is one of the pleasures of Battlefield 2. You can engage in adrenaline-pumping aerial dogfights between advanced fighters, tank battles, chopper clashes and devastating bombing raids. Technology plays a big role in Battlefield 2's fights, with homing missiles, TV-guided missiles, rapid-fire machine guns, large 80mm tank cannons and various high-tech toys deciding the fate of the combatants.

Infantry combat is not neglected even with so many other distractions. Foot soldiers are very versatile, able to run on higher ground to flank enemy forces and reach places otherwise inaccessible by other ground units. There are a few different “kits” that you can play, which are, in essence, various specialists in battle. For example, Engineers repair damaged structures and vehicles; Spec-Ops use covert tactics and cunning to achieve various strategic objectives like destroying enemy artillery; Medics are able to revive fallen allied soldiers, and so on, with other classes like Assault, Sniper, Anti-Tank and Support.

A big draw to Battlefield 2 is its persistent player ranking and statistics system. By playing on ranked Battlefield 2 servers, you can gain points which determine your rank. You can also earn badges, awards and medals just like when serving in real military corps. Furthermore, there are detailed records on your accuracy, kills and deaths, points earned and even the amount of time spent playing each class, each map, and time spent in each role in the army (Commander, Squad Leader, Squad Member and Lone Wolf).

If you have a current generation graphics card that supports Pixel Shader 2.0, you will quickly see why Battlefield 2 has such steep requirements. Though Battlefield 2's textures are nothing to swoon over, it's the minor details that stand out. Jet planes traveling at high speeds produce ice trails from the tips of the wings. Entire tanks teeter from the recoil after a shot from its main cannon is fired. Artillery shells cause trails of smoke that, in an artillery strike, are the harbingers of an explosive and fatal symphony. Bombs send up huge clouds of dirt and dust, obscuring vision and heralding the death of an unlucky few. Treads of the tanks throw up dust clouds that fade away, and upon entering pools of water, ripples form and dissipate. Dynamic shadows for the high-end computers add to the realism, and realistic lighting completes the graphical package.

All models are detailed, and resemble their real-life counterparts closely. There is little to fault when comparing the vehicles of Battlefield 2 with those in real-life, other than some nitpicks. Soldiers' looks reflect their nationality, with the Chinese troops looking distinctly Chinese, Middle Eastern fighters looking like real Middle-Easterners and even having black and white soldiers on the United States' side, which is a really nice touch. Different troops also speak different languages, another nice touch for additional realism.

Sounds are really well done in Battlefield 2. Every gun's shots are distinguishable, no mean feat considering there are well over 20 different weapons in Battlefield 2. Some games falter in immersion because of unrealistic sound effects, but Battlefield 2 is definitely not one of them. Turning on the bass really adds to the realism, and you are totally immersed in the environment thanks to the sound. Bombs cause the area to shake at a high bass volume, and with 3D positional sound, you don't just see that F-15 jet streak over your head into the horizon. You feel it.

Battlefield 2 is highly replayable. Your game time does not end with just the achievement of a Corporal rank. It does not end when you unlock every single weapon. It only really ends when you are completely sick of what Battlefield 2 has to offer. With persistent scores, you do not lose what you took a year to achieve just because you took a 6-month break. Battlefield 2 just keeps you coming back for more with total, complete immersion in the game atmosphere.

Pros
- Graphically astounding
- Sound effects are the most realistic I have ever heard
- Completely immersive
- Very fun vehicle combat
- Commendable attention to detail

Cons
- Clumsy server browser
- Some minor graphical problems like people flying above buildings after being bombed

Overall
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Replayability: 10/10
Reviewer's Tilt: 10/10

Final Score: 10/10

Battlefield 2 is more than just a game. It is more than just an experience. For many, it is as close to the gritty battles of modern warfare as they can get. However, Battlefield 2 is marred by a few minor flaws that are rather troublesome to resolve, particularly in its Multiplayer server filtering and searching mechanics. Yet, those flaws should not deter you from picking up Battlefield 2 from your nearest game shop, for after playing it you will know what “epic warfare” truly is.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/07/06