Xbox 360
Previous games in the Battlefield series have proved to be competent sprawling epics, chock full of shooty goodness. However, the one element that has stood out time and time again is the superb multiplayer that developer DICE has refined and improved upon with each instalment.
It is perhaps unsurprising then that the first full sequel to the series in almost seven years, if you consider the Bad Company offshoot as standalone, is an entirely online multiplayer game with no single player or story-based modes. Throw in the fact that the game is only available online and not as a retail product and you have one incredibly forward-thinking title which could be testament to developers leaning away from disc-based games. But that's an issue for another article of course...
Selling as a digital download for around £10, this is a streamlined Battlefield experience, but one that manages to be surprisingly deep at the same time. Based in the Pacific Theatre during 1943, the locales on offer are rich with colour and vegetation, which is a welcome move away from the grit and dull palettes present in the majority of war titles.
Each round pits both the United States Marine Corps and the Imperial Japanese Navy against each other in a battle for territorial dominance, with each of the four maps featuring five capture points. All maps are island-based with some seeing your team spawning from offshore aircraft carriers, bombing it to the coast in U-Boats while under heavy turret fire. Private Ryan eat your heart out! Each map is superbly designed, although poor spawn points irritate. There's nothing worse than spawning right in the heart of an area swarming with the opposition, to simply get fragged again in a matter of seconds.
You can choose to play as one of three troop types with no room for customisation. Those familiar with multiplayer games with tailored character classes may be disappointed by the lack of options, but the genius here lies in the ease of accessibility. You simply sign-on and get right into the fight with no faffing about. Scouts pack sniper rifles and handy satchel charges, Infantryman is a close range machine gun class with the ability to repair vehicles and Rifleman relies on a semi-automatic medium to long range rifle and frag grenades.
Vehicles are incredibly balanced here, meaning that even tanks don't feel invincible if approached correctly. In addition, you can take control of planes, machine-gun mounted jeeps and AA guns. Needless to say, there is always a lot going on and no shortage of explosions. The superb Frostbite engine also makes a welcome return, rendering just about everything destructable.
Another neat feature is the ability to level up each troop type depending on how well you perform. For every set number of kills, your proficiency with each weapon increases. Again, this is a simple system, but one that leaves newcomers at a bit of disadvantage. As such, this is a bit of a grind initially and you will have to taste your fair share of lead before you get to grips with the games many nuances.
It is hard to find fault with something so affordable that provides hours of accessible, fast-paced fun. While the game seems a bit bare bones at the moment, the promise of future downloadable content and ongoing developer support means that this can only get bigger as time goes on. With over 43 million registered frags so far, the rest of the multiplayer community would definitely be inclined to agree. Soldiers...to arms!!