| Game Reviews From a Parental Perspective! | |
|
|
|
| Home | Forums | Review Archive | Columns | Feature Articles |
|
Home >
Review Archive >
Video Games
> Results: Battlefield 2142
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Scroll down for our Kid Factor. 
The ESRB Says
Violence:GamerDad engaged in battle after battle ... after battle, guns blazing all the while. For this futuristic entry in the venerable Battlefield series, the setting is the frozen wastelands and fast-shrinking temperate regions that apparently await us in the next century. But that is not all that awaits us ﾖ there are new weapons, vehicles and game modes. Also waiting for us are controversial streaming ads and many of the problems that plagued the previous entry, Battlefield 2. Some things that will excite fans of multiplayer shooters are the great new vehicles and the Titan game mode and the cool new maps and the reward and unlock system and the focus on teamwork. The game takes place far enough in the future that vehicles like the battle walker are possible, yet close enough that many of the weapons are based off of current types of armament. The feel of the combat is that it is modern yet not too futuristic that it becomes sci-fi. The new game modes and massive Titan mode will keep players busy for a while - and the enhanced ranking system provides nice rewards for experienced players and those sticking to a single specialization. The game looks and sounds like a tweaked and modernized version of Battlefield 2 ﾖ and for good reason, because that is essentially what the developers did. Ultimately the game feels like Battlefield 2 ﾑPlus' ﾖ and that isn't bad. It is just that the changes feel evolutionary across the board. From the weapons to the vehicles to the classes to the maps themselves, everything looks familiar but improved. It is easy to find fault with the game, because there are many flaws. The load times and server lag are still issues, as are occasional crashing. During heavy server loads the three seem to conspire to make for long stretches of unproductive time waiting for the game to start, load and connect. Given that the game uses the same engine as the previous entry, it seems that further optimization could have been done in the past eighteen months. And while the unlockable skills are a great way of customizing the classes for experienced players, it makes it difficult for newer players to make progress since they are at an immediate disadvantage. Despite the various issues, the experience is overwhelmingly positive ﾖ this is a rock solid shooter that requires your twitch skills as well as strategic planning and extensive use of group tactics. The sense of immersion is enthralling, especially in a huge 64-person battle in which you take down the other team's Titan! This is about as far as you can go from plain vanilla Deathmatch and still be a first person shooter. If you are serious about playing shooter games online, you really need to give this a try ﾖ between the improvements in the gameplay modes and skill unlock system, there is plenty of new stuff to keep you interested.  
This is a game that is perfectly catered to teen fans of shooter games. It has constant battles, but no blood or gore. It looks realistic and you are always shooting humans (or manned vehicles) so it isn't meant for younger kids. There is no inherent strong language, nor will you find any at all when playing off-line, but online the game fully supports VOIP (Voice chat Over Internet Protocol). This means that other players will be saying what they think, feel or just want to blurt out whatever they want while playing. Some times the matches I played were pretty tame, but more often than not it felt like a chat with Tony Montana or Andrew Dice Clay. Definitely not for younger kids.
Another thing that makes this easy to recommend to teen shooter fans is that it is an open book. Play with your kid once in an internet match and you'll see it all - no hidden blood or gore or sex or killing innocents or anything else other than massive strategic battles for control. Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Battlefield 2142 |
Read the GamerDad 2007 Holiday Guide!
|
Please Note: GamerDad is not intended to be read by anyone under 18. We stay clean, but be warned! Content Management System developed by Redbird Solutions. |
