Battlefield 2142

Flak to the Future

We played two modes: Conquest and Titan Assault. Of these modes, Titan Assault was clearly the standout and the biggest indicator of 2142's potential. On these matches, a massive hovering base -- the titan -- floats above the battlefield, serving as a respawn and resupply point for one team. The other team holds the ground, fighting for control of missile silos that can deactivate the titan's shield and provide an opportunity for a killing blow. As in the other Battlefield games, the killing field is liberally speckled with tanks, buggies, and other war machines. Most of these were similar in function to the vehicles in Battlefield 2, with a few twists and tweaks here or there. Conquest was more basic, a typical game type in which the goal is to capture control points to build up a score. Nothing terribly special, but still good fun.

Kneel down to the future of war!

Kneel down to the future of war!

Battlefield 2.142?

Getting a chance to fire off a few rounds in 2142 was definitely reassuring -- this game feels tight. Still, we couldn't quite shake the feeling that 2142 is little more than a glorified expansion pack for last year's Battlefield 2: a "Battlefield 2.142," if you will. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Battlefield 2 is still considered to be one of the best tactical shooters on the market, and rightfully so. It's just a shame that EA and DICE didn't push the premise with real gusto in order to make a game where you really, truly feel like you're fighting a war in a far-flung future.

When you hear "Battlefield 2142," it's natural to expect to see firepower that would make James Cameron proud: say, Terminator 2-style laser rifles and pulse-fire weaponry. Instead, 2142 offers a more traditional array of machine guns, pistols, and sniper rifles (all with fancier muzzle flash, natch), with the odd EMP pulse for color. Not bad, but we expected something a little more, you know, futuristic.

But these are hardly reasons to seriously knock Battlefield 2142; as always, the play's the thing. Firefights felt rock solid, the vehicles continue to improve with each game (we particularly liked the robotic walkers, which reminded us of the sinister ED from Robocop), and the revamped mission objectives were a nice touch. With expectations adjusted accordingly, Battlefield 2 fans will be in for a treat this fall.

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