From the shady recesses of EA Games and Digital Illusions comes the next installment in the Battlefield franchise. The year is 2142, and a new ice age has triggered a massive scale war for the last livable territories on earth. Two military superpowers have formed: The European Union and the newly formed Pan Asian Coalition, vying for control over the land not yet engulfed in permafrost.
That,s all well and good, but how does 2142 compare to the earlier games in the franchise, and is this just a fancier version of Battlefield 2 with guns that go ‘pew pew pew?,
There are quite a number of similarities. For instance, you will find yourself fighting for control over several points on a map in the ever-so-familiar Conquest game mode. Each team has a ticker which counts down faster as their opponents hold more control points. Take these points back to slow your ticker count and, consequently, increase your opponent,s. First team to hit zero is a rotten egg.
Battlefield 2142 also features a persistent ranking system, complete with ribbons, medals, and unlockable equipment. The premise remains virtually unchanged from Battlefield 2, but here the customization is much more complex. Now, the unlocks are instant and available on your next spawn, with 5 times more to choose from than Battlefield 2. You can also customize the character classes to suit your play style. Don,t need all that hindering armor? Take it off and run free in the wind.
One of the most notable changes to 2142 is the new Titan game mode. Here, control points have been replaced with missile silos that your team must capture and hold. A successfully held missile silo will automatically fire surface-to-air missiles at the enemy Titan base, slowly taking down the otherwise impenetrable shield. Only after this shield has vanished will you be able to board the floating leviathan and take it down from its fleshy inside.
Here is where things get freaky. Your team must find some way to get onto the gigantic, hovering Titan base. Some silly soldiers will take a flying personnel carrier and land directly on the base. A soldier with more bravado may decide to eject themselves onto the base via a land vehicle,s escape pod. Once boarded, there are a number of consoles which must be destroyed before the Titan,s core is exposed and ripe for the smashing. If your team manages to do all this, you will have a few measly seconds to escape from the crumbling fortress, Indiana Jones style, before it explodes with you inside. Sound fun?
The weaponry and vehicle arsenal has changed as well. Futuristic gun ships roam the skies, armored battle-walkers patrol the ground, and hover-tanks… hover along the battle field. Your soldier,s weapons, while flashy and shiny, all have their counter-parts to other Battlefield games, so fans will feel quite at home. There are, however, a few new additions such as a cloaking device, smart mines, EMP weapons, and others that add a cruel and unusual twist to the game play.
While all this high-tech gadgetry may sound cool and look even cooler, how much does it actually change the way the game is played? Unfortunately, not all that much. Once you get over the initial change of how things look and feel, you will find yourself playing Battlefield 2 with a slightly different theme. The Titan game mode definitely changes things up a bit, but a truly enjoyable game in this mode requires superior team-work and leadership, so clan play may become a near requirement. The plus side of this is that those who loved the other Battlefield games will most likely love this one even more, because it,s all of the good old fashioned fun we,re used to, plus some other crazy stuff.
Look for the retail release of Battlefield 2142 in stores on October 18th, 2006. Until then, fans can download the multiplayer demo from the official site.
