Battlefield – A Retrospective: Part 3

Let’s face it: people loved the AI and all the additions to the Battlefield series, but the real reason why the game still has a massive community and fanbase is because of the multiplayer. Still today, there are countless servers available to play in and millions of people to play with. Battlefield 2 also had a ranking system as well as a (primitive but none the less functional) levelling system so you could easily identify which players you had to keep an eye out for in the match. A second tier of weapons could also be unlocked with the experience points earned in multiplayer.

An expansion followed in November of the same year which focused mostly on infantry combat but offered 8 new maps, new factions, 10 new vehicles, 8 new weapons and gadgets and equipment such as night vision goggles, zip lines, tear gas and more. It is probably on of the most complete expansions to date, as it is basically a whole new game by itself. Two booster packs were also released: Euro Force and Armored Fury, which gave access to the European faction and their armory and also introduced new vehicle calsses and many new maps, vehicles and weapons. These boosters, released in 2006, were made free in 2009. Owning all 3 of these expansions will grant you one of the biggest, most refined and polished online experience you will struggle to find anywhere else, even in 2011.

Overall, still to this day Battlefield 2 is one of the best online experiences you can have. The game is very easy to get into, but very deep if you are willing to play a more strategic role as a squad leader or a commander. It set standards high for all shooters which followed and contributed greatly to features we couldn’t play without today. It is so packed with content that it is no surprise people are still playing It today just as much as they were playing it nearly 7 years ago. It is without doubt a masterpiece of modern gaming and deserves a spot in the gaming Hall of Fame.

I know there is so much I haven’t really touched on, but an in-depth talk about the game would be way too long for this article, maybe that will happen some other time.The game is simply too big and too great, I wouldn’t be surprised if even Battlefield 3 wouldn’t be able to topple this giant.