I am and always will be a fan of EA games, and their affiliates. I might start this review complaining about massive holes in the game, balance issues and what I consider to be downgrades in the overall playability of the game. However I am sure that if you have spent any time at all on any battlefield forum you are already aware of all these complaints. I am not here to whine about something I don't like. Instead I will tell you exactly what you want to know; “Is it fun?”
First I want to mention the things I don't particularly care for.
I imagine the people who are just there for the unlocks will be the first to stop playing this game. Simply because the unlocks lack any real personality. They have given the illusion of choice, but when it comes down to it, generally you are unlocking things you already had in BF2. The ability to throw grenades, the ability to run a little farther than someone else, the ability to use C4, ad naseum. On top of that you can't mix and match the kits, so you will generally end up unlocking everything in the class you like the most first. It's not like having an invisibility ability and RDX (C4) is a new idea. Already it's old and unimaginative. Perhaps the first person to unlock both of those things felt awesome, but you won't, because every other recon dude out there is gonna have both of those unlocks. Had they given the different unlocks levels of usefulness (ie, level 1 RDX does a little damage, level 2 is normal, and level 3 is hard hitting) people would have felt their efforts made their soldier more personal. I liken the unlock system to salt, I don't mind some on my hash browns, but I wouldn't just want to eat salt by itself. In the same way I would love some unlocks with my first person shooter, but don't want to play a game based solely on a slightly boring system of character advancement.
Ambiance, mood, and storytelling are all more important to me than headshots. Don't get me wrong I love splattering some arrogant spawn-camper's gray-matter all over a wall, but it isn't the main reason I play games. I would play CS if I wanted a game with just headshots. The ambiance in this game is perfect, from details like a mono rail cut off by a giant glacier, to burned out cars in the parking lot behind the church, I look at it and see stories forming. I wonder about the impact of the actions that came before the present conflict. It's not easy for a game to tell a story when it doesn't even have a script. But the attention to detail that the designers put into the game has not only raised the bar for their franchise, but also other games that copy the design elements such as maps.
Combat is a game mechanic that seems less important, but just as incessant. No longer do I rush headlong into combat throwing grenades over walls. I wait for the enemy to make a mistake, then use the opportunity to get the drop on them. If I don't their squad mates will certainly get revenge very quickly. People tend to stick together much better, the lone wolf seems more as an exception than a norm. Combat is almost always quick, there are not many jumping contests, or grenade spamming ranges. Usually it begins and ends with someone running out in the open and getting shot.
Tactics and strategy are another important part of this game. I have played in both servers filled with noobs and more advanced players. When playing with the lesser experienced players I noticed that no one defended, more often than not people would race between silos and try to get the point for taking it. On the more advanced servers there is a real contest as squads hold spots and try to use the terrain and resources to foil the attempts of the other team to take that position. One thing I should mention is that this game will at first seem very confusing, especially for BF2 players who aren't used to having a lot of mobility. At first you might see it as a race to cap flags, but in the end you will realize that this isn't bf2, and holding flags is as important, or more important than getting a random kill, and capping a flag, before getting killed and repeating again. I have earned more points in defense of silo 5 than running around the map ever got me. I will also say that this game entitles the brave and forward thinking squad leaders. Even in the worst situations you can make a comeback just with a good squad and a little luck.
Vehicles are where this game really shines. There is much more sense of balance in this way than in BF2. Air superiority is based on how well you team keeps the anti-air defenses down. Tank superiority is based on how well the foot soldiers clear the area. No one is a J-10 in this game, everything makes sense and doesn't make you want to switch teams because of one good pilot, or someone who knows all the spawn locations.
Based on everything I have said I hope you can make your own decision on whether you will be playing this game, but I guarantee it will be fun for the people who play for fun rather than points.
Edit: It seems that you CAN mix and match kits, I apologize for my mistake.
First I want to mention the things I don't particularly care for.
I imagine the people who are just there for the unlocks will be the first to stop playing this game. Simply because the unlocks lack any real personality. They have given the illusion of choice, but when it comes down to it, generally you are unlocking things you already had in BF2. The ability to throw grenades, the ability to run a little farther than someone else, the ability to use C4, ad naseum. On top of that you can't mix and match the kits, so you will generally end up unlocking everything in the class you like the most first. It's not like having an invisibility ability and RDX (C4) is a new idea. Already it's old and unimaginative. Perhaps the first person to unlock both of those things felt awesome, but you won't, because every other recon dude out there is gonna have both of those unlocks. Had they given the different unlocks levels of usefulness (ie, level 1 RDX does a little damage, level 2 is normal, and level 3 is hard hitting) people would have felt their efforts made their soldier more personal. I liken the unlock system to salt, I don't mind some on my hash browns, but I wouldn't just want to eat salt by itself. In the same way I would love some unlocks with my first person shooter, but don't want to play a game based solely on a slightly boring system of character advancement.
Ambiance, mood, and storytelling are all more important to me than headshots. Don't get me wrong I love splattering some arrogant spawn-camper's gray-matter all over a wall, but it isn't the main reason I play games. I would play CS if I wanted a game with just headshots. The ambiance in this game is perfect, from details like a mono rail cut off by a giant glacier, to burned out cars in the parking lot behind the church, I look at it and see stories forming. I wonder about the impact of the actions that came before the present conflict. It's not easy for a game to tell a story when it doesn't even have a script. But the attention to detail that the designers put into the game has not only raised the bar for their franchise, but also other games that copy the design elements such as maps.
Combat is a game mechanic that seems less important, but just as incessant. No longer do I rush headlong into combat throwing grenades over walls. I wait for the enemy to make a mistake, then use the opportunity to get the drop on them. If I don't their squad mates will certainly get revenge very quickly. People tend to stick together much better, the lone wolf seems more as an exception than a norm. Combat is almost always quick, there are not many jumping contests, or grenade spamming ranges. Usually it begins and ends with someone running out in the open and getting shot.
Tactics and strategy are another important part of this game. I have played in both servers filled with noobs and more advanced players. When playing with the lesser experienced players I noticed that no one defended, more often than not people would race between silos and try to get the point for taking it. On the more advanced servers there is a real contest as squads hold spots and try to use the terrain and resources to foil the attempts of the other team to take that position. One thing I should mention is that this game will at first seem very confusing, especially for BF2 players who aren't used to having a lot of mobility. At first you might see it as a race to cap flags, but in the end you will realize that this isn't bf2, and holding flags is as important, or more important than getting a random kill, and capping a flag, before getting killed and repeating again. I have earned more points in defense of silo 5 than running around the map ever got me. I will also say that this game entitles the brave and forward thinking squad leaders. Even in the worst situations you can make a comeback just with a good squad and a little luck.
Vehicles are where this game really shines. There is much more sense of balance in this way than in BF2. Air superiority is based on how well you team keeps the anti-air defenses down. Tank superiority is based on how well the foot soldiers clear the area. No one is a J-10 in this game, everything makes sense and doesn't make you want to switch teams because of one good pilot, or someone who knows all the spawn locations.
Based on everything I have said I hope you can make your own decision on whether you will be playing this game, but I guarantee it will be fun for the people who play for fun rather than points.
Edit: It seems that you CAN mix and match kits, I apologize for my mistake.
Last edited by P581 (2006-09-27 04:34:35)