Battlefield 2 Review

One major gripe I had with this addition, that doesn't necessarily have to do with the developers but rather the behavior of online pickup teams, is that much of these great new features will be useless in a random online match. I get the feeling that these gameplay additions will only really work in organized clan fights. Then again, it was DICE's duty to include the options, and not make everyone use them as intended. Bottom line, idiots will use the artillery strikes to rake up frags for themselves. Hopefully, the incentive in points will be enough to make at least some players act as responsible commanders (even if they're leading a bunch of hormonally imbalanced morons).

The greatness of the sequel is in the little things. The things you might not notice at first glance. The fact that the maps are scalable is truly an awesome way to make the action as smooth and dynamic as possible, and yet, you won't notice it at all. All you'll know is that you're having fun, and really, isn't that all that matters?

The new engine looks beautiful, and its value is not purely aesthetic either. The way that the physics are handled, the way that guns recoil and how you need to consider the bullet trajectory when you shoot and the type of weapon you're using, all add to the immersion and the skill factor of the game.

Battlefield 2 looks and sounds great, from the desert settings to the swamp areas and the backdrop of Syrian mountains, not to mention the awesome sound effects of jets roaring overhead and the deadly whistle of heavy artillery shells. The use of pixel shaders has not been overdone, while it does provide for some neat effects when tanks fire or grenades go off and you happen to be standing (or lying) nearby.

All this worked just fine on my test rig (AMD 64/1.5GB RAM/ATi 9800XT), without any noticeable drops in frame rate or any major lag as far as the net code goes.

Finally, some problems that plagued the previous Battlefield games make their return once again; namely the worthless single-player portion and the rather lackluster AI (your computer squad mates are not the best drivers, I can tell you that much), and the chopper handling is still very awkward for me. That is not to say, however, that people don't know how to fly these things, because they do. You'll know it as soon as the first smart bomb lands on your head from out of nowhere.

In closing, while Battlefield 2 doesn't make any huge leaps over its predecessor, it is a very, very good game, and the more you play it, the more you'll notice how good it is. DICE Sweden knows their stuff. They've put a lot of work into ensuring that all the little details click as they should and that the gameplay is as fun and balanced as possible. I ask again; why fix something that isn't broken? I give Battlefield 2 two thumbs up and recommend it to the fans of the series. It's not a major upgrade, but the combination of the little things makes it an excellent addition to the franchise.