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Preview of: Battlefield 2: Modern Combat | By: Justin Fenico |
12 Jul-2005 |
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EA was kind enough to send the latest demo of their console version of Battlefield 2, known as Modern Combat. Similar to the PC version, Modern Combat features a very well designed stat and VoIP communication system. Much more so than the PC version, the VoIP communication sounds clearer and easier to use on the Xbox. |
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As of now Modern Combat does not feature any pre-made messages and with the Xbox Live headset, there’s really no reason to waste precious buttons so that people can spam the same thing over and over again. Modern Combat also features upgradeable equipment for each of your units; which include Assault, Sniper, Engineer, Support, Special Ops. Oddly, the medic unit is not included in Modern Combat and one might wonder why.
Unfortunately to become successful, Modern Combat faces a few uphill battles that might be tough to overcome. First and foremost is the fact that this game will undoubtedly be compared to Battlefield 2, which features larger maps, 64-player online battles, more realistic sound, much better graphics and an overall bigger package in every direction. The question then remains; is Modern Combat a console title for those who can’t afford to run BF2 on their old PCs? I have to ponder as to why EA would release Modern Combat now when they could really boast the power of the Xbox 360 with this type of title.
One advantage Modern Combat does have is its very convenient accessibility to gamers who just want to plug in and play. Finding games were extremely easy (compared to the in-game browser of BF2), map loadings took less than 30 seconds, and from the time I turned my Xbox on to the time I was in-game capturing flags was surprisingly quick. In-game action is fast paced and without the addition of a stamina bar, players run a little bit more rampant than they do with BF2. Maps feature tanks, attack copters, and planes, which for our Xbox gamers, are much easier to fly than in the PC version. EA and DICE have done a great job of porting over the controls for Modern Combat. Just as with Battlefield, you’ll be able to duck, crouch, change weapons, hop into vehicles, parachute, communicate, and toggle your map zooming preference with the Xbox controller. In fact, playing Modern Combat with an Xbox controller is much easier than playing BF2 with a keyboard and mouse. Now I know PC fanatics might ask about how accurate you can be with a console controller and I have to say that the aiming reticule is very smooth and conducive to any type of shooting, whether you’re a sniper, an assault unit, or manning a machine gun on top of a tank.
Though the demo did not include a playable single player mode, it did show a very interesting movie that featured a Hot Swapping style of gameplay. Gamers are given the ability to switch to any squad member at any time during the battle. Which means you won’t be constricted to one specific class during the fire fight. Even though the single player aspect is still a bit sketchy, something like this might make Modern Combat’s single player experience more enticing than what BF2 offers. The bottom line thus far is that Modern Combat does offer a bit of fun for those who really haven’t experience BF2. Personally, having BF2 in my possession pretty much discourages me from purchasing Modern Combat when it is released, and I believe most people will feel the same way. So the question remains, how many people have the option of only getting an Xbox or PS2 version? Whatever that number is, I’m sure that Modern Combat will not disappoint in the Fall Season. |
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