Description:

Well, who hasn't heard of the Battlefield series? This game is an army based first person shooter, based on capture the points, and capture the flag game modes. While many other FPS games are concentrating on WWII settings, this game tries to mimic modern day armed forces combat.


Graphics: 8.5/10

While I'd say that this game isn't "being all that it can be" in the graphics department, it really does look great. I own the PC version and run it at basically the highest settings possible, and I'd have to give the edge to the Xbox 360 version here. While the levels are smaller, everything that I've seen from both versions is fairly neck and neck, but it seems to run smoother on the 360. And it's not the displays that I have each game running on either, because I have each running to my LG Widescreen LCD HDTV.


Sound: 10/10

On my computer, I have 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound turned on, but it doesn't sound NEARLY as good as what it did when I fired it up on the 360. Again, the same thing applies here as for graphics, because it's not the speakers. Both versions are hooked up to the same sound system. Your allies scream into the radio for help, as bullets come whizzing by your head, and because of the subwoofer that I have hooked up, explosions really do rock the ground.


Gameplay: 8.5/10

It's not perfect. There, I said it. That's the ONLY bad thing I really have to say about how this game plays, and controls. I have fewer issues controlling this with an Xbox 360 gamepad, than I do on my PC's keyboard and mouse setup. Let me get this through to all those developers out there that make first person shooters for PCs... Just because a keyboard designed for Windows has 104 keys, doesn't mean that you have to use each and every one of them in a game. Everything should be accessible and not a chore memorizing where each control is. The vehicle controls on the 360 version are so incredibly much better than on the PC, it's mind blowing. Driving a truck with WASD feels so alien compared to how it is on the gamepad's analog stick. All your guns and weapons are easily accessible, and the voice chat is completely superb to what is available on the PC. If I could go back in time, I'd stop myself from buying it for the PC and just wait for this version. Like I said, the gameplay isn't perfect. Looking around using the second control stick just isn't as fast as it really is with the mouse, but IT DOESN'T MATTER. If everyone has that same "disadvantage", then it's no longer a disadvantage. It's simply something that everyone has to deal with. Besides, it's not like the looking is sluggish or anything. It works quite well the way it is. I only marked the gameplay down a point and a half, because I'm sure that this game could be better, and I'm sure Battlefield 3 will be.


Overall: 9/10 (Not an Average)

One thing that I'm worried about with this game is the addition of more content. As it stands right now, there are only 16 multiplayer maps. That's not bad, right? I agree, but what I'm worried about is that EA could decide to release more maps and then charge for each of them, or in map packs. They could have them ready, right now, and just wait a month or two, and then release them to spark interest in the game again. It's a good business decision, but should we, as consumers, really have to pay more, on top of the sixty bucks initially, to get something that could have been in the package already? I don't think so, and it's just not right.

Anyway, this is a great game, that any FPS afficianado would enjoy. If you like the genre, and are getting a little tired of PDZ, and COD2, try this game. The maps are smaller than the PC version so the action is more frantic, and clan support is included. As far as I know, this is the FIRST 360 game to include clan support. It's complete with leaderboards, news sections, and the whole shot (no pun intended).


Jmann2k1