Battlefield 2

In all areas it has the credentials but the bugs all point towards another EA title that has been rushed out the door... Its squad based tactics are rewarding and the overall game does have the right fun factor to go along with the diverse gaming options.

You've got love a game that can have you dodging bullets as you ride through an enemy base in a buggy, guns blazing one minute, then sneaking onto an enemy runway, blowing their aircraft to pieces and stealing one of their helicopters to escape the next. The variety is what makes Battlefield 2 the enjoyable game it is; the unpredictability means it rarely gets repetitive.

While Battlefield 2 doesn't make any huge leaps over its predecessor, it is a very, very good game, and the more you play it, the more you'll notice how good it is. DICE Sweden knows their stuff.

Simply put, if you can get past all the damn bugs in the online game, Battlefield 2 is hands-down the best PC game you’ll probably ever play in your life. Well, that’s at least until the next installment comes out.

A great round of applause then for DICE for making a game that improves the concept and gameplay as well as Battlefield 2 does it.

The animation is smooth and the sound effects are top shelf. Bullets whiz by, explosions echo in the valley and the screams of the enemy play like a sadistic symphony across the bloody fields. War has never been this much fun.

Graphically it's stunning to behold, geographically vast to explore and whereas the first two games in the series were typified by the anarchic rushes for armour, BF2 promotes and rewards altruism and teamwork like no other.

Perhaps the single most thrilling instance of how far shooters have come. [Sept 2005, p.44]

The neat thing is that none of it—the chain of command, the elitist bands of E-brothers, the Patton-approved battle plans—needs to matter, at least to the curious weekend commando looking to pop into a public server and simply shoot somebody.

If you have a clan or a group of friends that want to go fighting together, it is a great way to spend a couple of hours.

DICE and EA have nailed it with Battlefield 2. I'm hooked, and you should be too.

Want more statistics? You got 'em. More ways to contribute to your team (and rewards for doing so) for things like healing and supplies? Done. Better graphics? Much, much, much better. Same great zippy action as you move from tank to helicopter to foot? You bet.

A much-needed statement of authority for PC - an online spectacle that eclipses the grand rhetoric volleyed back and forth between the manufacturers of tomorrow's super-powered consoles. A new level of multiplayer combat begins here and now, with shock and awe.

There are only two things that keep Battlefield 2 from online perfection. The first and most formidable of the two is the terrible browser used to navigate the game’s servers. It’s slow, inaccurate, and downright frustrating at times.

On a server packed full of humans, with a decent commander and motivated, organised squads it plays like an absolute dream. So hurrah for that.

Those looking for a completely new gameplay experience will be disappointed, as will those hoping for more realism. However, if you're looking for a faster, cleaner and more polished Battlefield, this is it. Digital Illusions didn't roll any dice on this one (pardon the pun), they stuck to the formula but fleshed it out and polished it up.

Each class changes the game so drastically that when you grow tired of slinging lead in the alleys, you can always go spec ops or engineer for a completely new experience. The depth and quality here is just staggering, and you won't find a better multiplayer shooter on the PC.

Much like the real military, Battlefield 2 is not just a game, it’s a way of life.

A masterpiece. [Aug 2005, p.104]

The game is excellent, merely sabotaged by lack of polish and in some circumstances, by human behaviour. I wouldn’t punish Dice for being adventurous.

Now if only DICE can figure out how to address some of the issues that have plagued the Battlefield games since 1942, like bad single-player content and a pervasively noob-hostile atmosphere, we'd be in gaming heaven. As it stands, we're slightly below that.

While Battlefield 2 definitely shines as the most impressive in the series, the lack of advancement to gameplay may give it a shorter lifespan than the original.

Easily the best online experience I’ve ever had. Even with a few shortcomings like a horrible in-game server browser and extremely long and boring load times, Battlefield 2 is still a step ahead of the rest.

The available maps are enormous, and the player is overwhelmed by the feel of modern warfare as jets race across the sky, choppers hover overhead, and tanks roll across the roads.

On the field of multiplayer shooter combat, Battlefield 2 conquers the competition with shock and awe.

Battlefield 2 represents a far better understanding of what war actually entails; an effort to put the player in the heart of a battle where advancement is more strategic than just running around looking for a target. [Aug 2005, p.90]

Battlefield 2 is a game that can offer tremendous amounts of online fun, but the effort required to actually get there is almost a turn-off in itself at times.

A thrilling testament to how great PC gaming can be. It packs unmatched gameplay, impressive visuals, and endless replayability in one exquisite package. And it's, by far, the most fun that we've had with a PC game this year.

Once you strap into an F/A-18 and rocket over the landscape, once you're crouched next to a tank trying valiantly to repair it while bullets ping off of the armor inches above your head, once you defend a waypoint and ask for new orders from your commander over the radio, all of those nitpicks about map balance or sniper power fade.

If your machine is up to it, you won’t find a better team game than Battlefield 2, period.

BF2 is one of the best FPS modern day wargames to date in my opinion. You gotta have it!

It’s one of the few games where I’ve had a ton of fun even when I m losing a match. I’ve had many cool experiences playing it and a lot of “did I just see that” moments but all of that is crapped on by the bugs and quirks in the game.

The thing to remember about Battlefield 2 is that it's exceptionally fun.

When it’s all said and done, Battlefield 2 is one of those games that justifies upgrading ones computer and splurging for the sometimes-pricey broadband connection. It’s a fulfilling experience through and through.

An excellent step in the evolution of the series, featuring strong improvements to communication in action games while retaining the hectic nature of the combat so familiar to fans.

Battlefield 2 is a fantastic online shooter, and possibly one of the best we’ve played. The attention to detail, the features and the fantastically designed maps combine to make a brilliant game.

For those of you that like multiplayer games then you have a winner in Battlefield 2. If, however, you are a single player fan like myself then I’m sorry, but there are better FPS out there for you, including "Battlefield 1942."

One of the strongest multiplayer shooters on the market. With classes that compliment each other, a brilliant squad system, and fast, furious gameplay, Battlefield 2 is about as much fun as online shooters get. An easy contender for game of the year.

Exhilarating to the point of giddiness. This is a martial masterpiece. [Aug 2005, p.80]

It's finely tuned maps and balanced gameplay prove that you CAN improve on perfection. [Sept 2005, p.56]

If first person shooters are your bag, be sure to peel this banana and taste its sweet bounty.

Team-based combat has been attempted in many games before, but it’s never been as well pulled of as in Battlefield 2. If this game doesn’t create some great team-play action on public servers, then nothing will. [July 2005, p.70]

An excellent modern-day multiplayer FPS. The game has an amazing atmosphere and the arcade-ish gameplay makes it fun to play. [Aug. 05]

An amazing game. Digital Illusions has done what many considered impossible: made a game better, and more fun than "Battlefield 1942."

There's a clear and steady stream of tactical flow across virtually every map, a rare feat in and of itself. [Aug 2005, p.66]

Playing with dozens of real-life comrades is exhilarating.

Team play innovations, graphical supremacy and the thundering roar of enemy jets combined with persistent stats all work together to really put you There. There being any one of the varied, immaculately crafted maps, each available in 16, 32 and 64 player sizes.

The game is at its best when played online or across large networks, since real opponents can be ingenious and make better fidgety targets.

Looks gorgeous and its gameplay is intense and ambitious. There are just enough new features to justify its massive hype, giving fans of the series many reasons to be excited. But it is not yet the finished article.

A phenomenal game if it runs on your machine. While it is not exactly the dynamic battlefield that EA had hyped, it is one of the most enjoyable multiplayer first person shooters to come out in years.

It's so well put together that the flaws that do stand out are minor, and while they do add up, they are generally forgotten about once you actually get into the game. It has definitely seized the top spot in its genre.

If you've got a powerful enough system, you simply must take advantage of it and buy Battlefield 2.

When people get together and play as a team, the game truly shines. Battlefield 2 is the ultimate package. You’ve got gorgeous visuals, excellent gameplay and superb sound.