Battlefield 2142 Windows PC Game Review

Battlefield 2142 Windows PC Game Review
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Screenshots

Team work is key

Mobile armor is the battlefield juggernaut

The future looks pretty bleak

Introduction

You can easily count with your fingers the top quality enduring successes like the Battlefield series of action strategy titles. With years of continued sales and a loyal on line fan base, this series appears to be headed toward the future. Following virtually on the heels of Battlefield 2, it’s not a surprise Battlefield 2142 was built with the same core technology used for Battlefield 2. They started working on the groundwork for Battlefield 2142 before Battlefield 2 shipped. This made it possible for Dice Sweden to concentrate on designing battle-worthy units using the heat of intense play testing and creating an equilbrium in the increasing ambitious and intricate features they added during the development of the game. This is the fifth installment in the popular action/strategy titles, and I’m happy to say the game is everything you would expect.

The Story (4 out of 5)

Set in a cold earth wrapped in the arms of a new ice age, Battlefield 2142 looks and feels like Battlefield 2 meets The Day After Tomorrow, Roland Emmerich’s 2004 movie depicting a future earth encased in a new ice age artificially created by man’s excesses. The encroaching ice forces the world’s life to migrate toward the equator to stay warm and obtain enough food to survive, fostering wars for territory and the available resources between two forces; the Pan Asian Coalition and the European Union. You are battling to leave Europe before the arrival of the ice and re-establish their way of life in North Africa.

Pros (5 out of 5)

The wildest new ride in the Battlefield series, the Titan mode, rocks the interactive entertainment world with a radical change from the old Battlefield conquest mode. The set up of the new unlock system promotes team play over longer periods of time and you slowly upgrade your character to become the battle hardened veteran that kicks ass. A departure from historical themed battlefield titles is a welcome relief - change is a good thing.

Cons (4 out of 5)

The graphics engine is getting a little long in the teeth, and it might be time to design a new one. At several points it was starting to show indications of old age. They need a little more variety in the factions since they only designed two into this title. With all the time they had, you’d think they could have done a little better. While playing the thought kept going through my mind - Where are the indigenous North African inhabitants, you think you might see a few war-torn refugees? Having played every Battlefield game in the series, my little devil was use to the endless load times, but it would be nice if Dice was able to give us a little change in this area.

Graphics (4 out of 5)

Battlefield has always been outstanding in this area for me and Battlefield 2142 is as beautiful and well rendered as all the titles in the popular action/strategy series. It looks like Dice used the same graphics engine for Battlefield 2 and the eye candy is just as good as the earlier titles. All the battlefields look and feel futuristic, and the units and vehicles have beautiful details and the 16 included maps for the single player mode are a major portion of the entertainment and enjoyment factor for Battlefield 2142. Gibraltar looks even more formidable in the future, Berlin is once again a smoking ruin of death and destruction, and the barren and arrid wastes of North Africa are definitely one of the better garden spots on the planet. You’ll travel through beautiful European surroundings, filled with stylish European towns and villages on the way to the sleek metal towers of North Africa.

The detail that Dice has designed into the environments is amazing and easily the best part of the experience. The sensation of the action occurring on the battlefields is intense when the attention to detail of the scenes gives you the feeling of reality. The feeling of being surrounded by a battle-storm, the synchronization of the sound effects, and the disabling effects of an EMP pulse, all add to the immersive quality of the game.

Sounds (4 out of 5)

Battle would be a malestrom of sounds and Dice has done a good job making the atmosphere realistic because of the excellent sound quality in Battlefield 2142. Constant chatter can be heard as your team mates issue orders and identify targets for destruction, the various European forces all speak in flawed english phrases and you’ll need to learn to recognize Russian phrases to survive. The sound effects of Battlefield 2142’s futuristic weapons all have individual sounds that sound lethal if you’re on the receiving side. Throw in a soundtrack that has battle-worthy tracks designed to get the adrenalin flowing before the battle and Battlefield 2142 has everything we expect in a battle-worthy Battlefield title.

Playability (4 out of 5)

If you love action/strategy titles and have played any of the earlier Battlefield games, you won’t find many games in the genre that will give you a better playing experience. The sheer variety of units and vehicles combined with the geographical locations included always makes Battlefield titles very playable games. The inclusion of the new Titan mode gives this title something the other games didn’t have and it adds to the enjoyment and playability of Battlefield 2142 considerably.

Replayability (4 out of 5)

The need to play this game over and over to unlock items is going to make a few gamers shy away from _Battlefield 214_2, but gamers who love this kind of adrenalin ride will be spending a significant portion of their game time in order to unlock everything. The single player mode will keep the lone gamer busy, but the on line multi-player option for Battlefield 2142 is where the real battlefield veterans will be heading with this game.

Conclusion (4 out of 5)

Battlefield 2142 still does everything that Battlefield 2 did well, with a few refinements and the addition of the new Titan mode, this battlefield title is a battle-worthy replacement for its predecessor. The increased emphasis on team play and the online multiplayer mayhem that ensues with this battlefield makes it impossible for me not to suggest you give Battlefield 2142 a try.

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This post is part of the series: Other Battlefield Reviews

Battlefield is one of the most popular action/strategy war games on the market, with on line and single player options that have brought millions of hours of gaming fun and enjoyment to millions of gamers.

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