Battlefield 2: Modern Combat

"A worthwhile game from EA."

Before I start the official grading of this game, I'd like to make the way I review games very clear. In no way do I grade a game on how fun it was or how I long I played the game for. I grade on everything in the game; sound, community, graphics, the whole lot. How fun the game is translates into “Game play”, and Game play is not only how fun I found it but how fun I believe it will be for others. Nor will I be comparing the game to it's PS2, PC or Xbox counterparts. I will look at this game by itself from all aspects and strive to give the most professional review possible.

Campaign Game play:8/10
Not by any means is this a compelling story line, but still, Campaign mode is fun to play and will be entertaining enough for most of the casual gamers without Xbox Live who are buying the game just for this area. There are the traditional missions you go through, with different challenges and hard points along the way, encouraging you to use all class options (there are five: Special Ops, Assault, Sniper, Engineer, and Support) as you battle through different territories, fighting for different armies. In addition, after each mission the game rates your performance, giving you stars that, if you achieve a certain amount of them, increase your rank in the game. However, not only does that affect your rank, there are medals you can earn as you progress, being an expert sniper is one example that comes to mind. These medals become necessary for you to move up in rank as you go along. Side missions are also provided to hone your skills and keep you entertained when you want to drift away from the main campaign for awhile.

Multi-player Game play:8/10
For those who do have Xbox Live, which, I assume a lot of you do, the multi-player aspect of this game does not disappoint. However, if you do not have Xbox Live and were counting on having some nice game options for when your friends come over, you're not going to be happy. This game, without Xbox Live, is entirely a single player experience. This is what brings down the score here for me. I, myself, do have Xbox Live, but am also frustrated when a friend comes over and we have to take turns playing the game.

For Internet game play, Electronic Arts has provided us with Conquest games, (Kill the other team and capture spawn points) and Capture the Flag games, (You guessed it, you have to capture the other team's flag) both equally enjoyable. There is a maximum of twenty-four players on line in one game, and sixteen different maps that you can choose to play on. Even with twenty-four players in a game at once, lag is, for the most part, nowhere to be found. Throughout each map, there are repair points for vehicles, (The game offers snow mobiles, tanks, jeeps, helicopters, boats, and a few other unique options) health crates to heal you, ammo crates, and special locations just for those who wish to call in an artillery strike. Just as in Campaign, there are the five classes to choose from, each with their own advantages and disadvantages on line. Also similar to campaign, you have ranks, climbing from a Private to a 5-Star General. However, these ranks are influenced by your score (total points accumulated from all games played), your medals, and another factor called PPH. PPH stands for Points Per Hour, and is, as you probably guessed, an average of your points per hour. It'll take even an experienced gamer awhile to climb the ranks, and there are all sorts of leader boards for you to check out as well. Overall, a good gaming experience here.

Community (Xbox Live):7/10
This section I'll keep brief. From what I've seen playing on line, most people aren't very talkative, although you run into several friendly, cooperative gamers as you go on. There are very few of the dreaded team killers, and I've yet to run into any profanity-screaming ten-year-olds. Other disruptive gamers are few and far between. The community could be a little more talkative though, and there are a few players who seem to take the game a little to seriously; other than that, no complaints here.

Sound:7/10
This is one category that doesn't really affect me that much, unless it stands out as terrible or fantastic. This, to me, is neither. The gunshot noises seem to be alright, vehicle engine hums and chopper blades are all in check as well. However, the one, loud voice that comes blaring through your headset or speakers telling you you've taken or lost a flag is extremely annoying, and some of the sounds do seem out of place. One very impressive aspect of the game, in my opinion, is the affect of nearby explosions to your character. They will cause you to lose hearing for some time, or all sounds will be greatly reduced. A great affect in the game. In general, however, this isn't an area you'll pay much attention to either way.

Graphics:10/10
When it comes to eye candy, this game gets the job done. If you make your character turn around quickly, his vision blurs until you stop. Grass blades stick out and rustle, the sun reflects off of the water; all is well and good in your world. That is, until the bullets rip through the grass and the tank shots blow the water into the air, sending you back to the spawn where you came from. Overall, the shadows, buildings, explosions, vehicles as well as pretty much everything else appear to be top of the line, taking advantage of the new Xbox 360.

Conclusion
All in all, whether you're a die-hard gamer or the casual guy who wants to play through a Campaign in his spare time, this game's a good buy. You'll be pleased by the Campaign's longevity, and rough points, all while looking at the beautiful graphics the game supplies for you. On line you'll try to rise the ranks or just casually play a game or two, enjoying the competition. A good game from EA, and a worthwhile game for all of us.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/06