Battlefield 2: Modern Combat - Xbox

Developed by DICE of Sweden, EA’s Battlefield franchise earned the respect of online FPS players. The original, Battlefield 1942, looked fun and innovative compared to other shooters of its day, allowing the player as it did to take control of a number of different vehicles – jeeps, tanks, planes, even battleships - and join the fray on either the Allied or Axis side in the World War II shooter. Several expansion packs came out for 1942. Then last year EA brought out Battlefield Vietnam, which allowed fans of the series to take to helicopters and riverboats, and fight as US soldiers or Vietcong. The game also featured a number of authentic music tracks from the era to make it more convincing.

Now Battlefield is coming both to consoles and to the modern world of combat for the first time. The single player game - all-new to the series - throws the player headlong into Kazakhstan, and they must decide what they need to do, as well as to what extent they have been deceived by government propaganda prior to their mission. They must choose sides and decide the outcome themselves. As they progress through the game they’ll be able to gain promotions and points that allow them to upgrade their moves, weapons (there are more than 50) and use 30 vehicles from amphibious craft to tanks and helicopters.

This being a Battlefield game though, the focus seems more slanted towards multiplayer play. An impressive 24 players can play online, as one of four factions: Middle East Coalition, US, European Union or Chinese. The action takes place on any one of more than 10 maps and the online support provides community features such as friends lists, voice over IP, rankings, stat tracking and clan support. It’s this combination of impressive, modern day firepower, FPS heritage and solid online performance that will attract players to the game. more