It Has Its Quirks, But It's Full of Memorable Experiences

Battlefield 2 is the third installment of the franchise and by adding some new features (and leaving out a few), they've made an excellent game which all 1942 and Vietnam fans will love.  It does have a few weaknesses, but most of those are superficial and once you get into the actual game, it's incredible. 
 
 
Graphics 
If you have the system to handle it, the game looks amazing.  This is most apparent while in flight as you can literally see for miles across the battlefield.  On the ground though, the maps are highly detailed and although there isn't much real-time damage to the environment, you will see bullet holes in walls after a firefight.  The explosion effects are nice, especially when nearby and you get that ringing in your ears.  The maps aren't as diverse as I would've hoped and there are only 12 which is slightly disappointing.  Overall though, the game looks great and are some of the best outdoor environments we've ever seen. 
 
 
Control 

The gameplay is a mixture of good and confusing.  The FPS basics are all here, and work fine, but the mapping of some of the keys will leave you scratching your head.  I still don't understand the use of "9" as the parachute key, especially with the added emphasis on flight vehicles and the vertical nature of a few of the maps.  Your parachute is greatly needed, and having to take your hand away from the mouse to open your chute is lame.  A toggle function on prone/crouch/stand would've been nice, since trying to hold control while walking and shooting only advances my carpal tunnel. 
 
The big new addition to the gameplay is Commander mode and the added emphasis on teamwork.  The commander can view the map from overhead and call in artillery strikes, drop supplies, issues orders to locations, and generally be the head of strategic operation.  Below the commander in the chain of command are Squad Leaders.  Players can join squads immediately upon logging in.  Each squad consists of up to 6 players, and these are the people you can hear and talk to over the mic.  This eliminates the horrific idea of having 64 people on one channel.  The only problem with squads is that you aren't automatically put into one, and many people seem to not know they exist.  This leaves those players out of the loop and no way for the Commander to give them updates. 
 

The vehicles, which are what made Battlefield 1942 amazing, are back and better than ever.  They are balanced well and you certainly aren't invincible in a tank.  My only complaint is that the vehicles are too powerful against a soldier on foot.  If I'm driving a dune buggy 50mph and run over a sniper, yes he should die.  But if I'm an engineer trying to fix a tank and the driver simply tries to rotate, I shouldn't immediately die.  There should at least be some leeway for teammates getting run over.  The planes and helicopters are a bit easier to fly, but still have a helacious learning curve for those new to the game.  This can be frustrating because new players want to learn, but there's no way to do so without trying, which means that many times people will waste your team's oh-so-important aerial arsenal.  A tutorial mode of some kind would have been excellent.  A flight school and Commander tutorial would have done wonders for the overall experience online. 
 

Lastly is the interface, which is quite atrocious.  The server menus are extremely slow and clunky plus the game has some pretty long load times.  The game has no friends list or favorites whatsoever, which is simply baffling.  If you don't remember what server you were on, you aren't going to find it again.  And even if you remember someone's name whom you had fun with, there is no way to do a search for them.  For a game so focused on teamwork, finding familiar players should've been a no-brainer.  The redeeming factor of the interface is the stat tracking.  I'm a stat tracking whore.  I love that stuff.  BF2 tracks pretty much everything you ever do and you gain experience that levels you up through the ranks of the military.  The higher rank you are, the better your chances of becoming Commander are.  The game also offers medals for you to collect by achieving certain things on the field of battle.  They serve no real purpose but are fun to collect.  Again though, there is no way to look up your friend's stats to compare with your own, which is extremely disappointing. 
 
The presentation and control certainly have their low points, but when you find a good server with good players that work together and have everything clicking right, the gameplay experience is like nothing else you can currently find on the market. 
 
 
Sound 

The sound in BF2 is one of my favorite parts of the game.  Authentic is the best way to describe it.  From the various weapons firing around you to the explosions to the vehicles rumbling past to the incredible voice-over work.  The voice-overs do get a bit repetitive but they're in three different languages so that helps.  Also, once you get your mic set up, you'll wonder how 1942 ever worked without communicating with your teammates.  Whether you use a headset or 5.1 surround, the game's sound design is excellent.  
 
 
Replay Value 
Let me start by saying that there is still no single-player mode.  Well, there is, but it's just you and 15 bots on a small map.  The AI is still quite dumb, but I guess that doesn't matter since no one buys BF2 for single player.  Multiplayer only offers one mode, Conquest.  This is the mode that made 1942 famous and it's a hell of a lot of fun, but it would've been nice to have the option to play CTF or DM on occasion.  I'm still surprised that they haven't incorporated some type of objective mode in the game, which would work excellently with the focus on teamwork.  So, BF2 is basically a one-trick pony, but that one trick is like a Tony Hawk 900.  It's so good that you almost forget that it's your only option.  Finding a good server in the clunky interface may be a hassle but once you find one you like, you can be locked in for hours without even realizing the time has passed.  The addition of experience and medals only fuels the fire to keep playing.  
 
 
Conclusion 

Okay, so once you spend an hour mapping the controls to your liking, crash about 15 planes and choppers, physically write down your favorite server name, and start playing...this game is fucking awesome.  Thanks to the seven different weapon kits, you can play however you want.  Whether you want to follow your squad and in a 6-man flag capturing machine, sneak off on your own, or take to the air, it's all up to you.  The different classes are great and well balanced so each has their strengths and weaknesses.  If you have a gaming PC capable of running this game at a respectable quality, you need this game.  Just don't expect a plethora of modes and maps like Unreal Tournament 2004, but do expect a series of expansion packs. 
 
 
*** This review was written for Flamevault.com shortly after the game's release. ***