Battlefield 1943 Impressions
Both Eurogamer and GameSpot have posted their impressions of Battlefield 1943, a download-only title coming out for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 platforms.
Eurogamer: Battlefield 1943 may be simplified - three maps, three classes, one objective - but the key word is accessibility, not casual. There's a tutorial this time - the first in the series, rather unbelievably - that introduces you to the concepts offline and then lets you practice in planes and tanks unmolested by hostiles. There are facilities for private matches, clans and squads, and there are levelling and reward systems (Achievements/Trophies and a broader range of honours beyond that, although no unlocks), but for the majority of people approaching the game from scratch, it's a one-click process to start playing, and it's not difficult to understand what's going on. You pick an infantryman, rifleman or scout class and then choose where to spawn. But it's still Battlefield, and it still punishes you for pratting around.
There are five control points on each map, like the one we're seeing today - Iwo Jima, after last month's reintroduction to Wake Island - and the European press gathered at DICE's wind-battered Stockholm headquarters have more difficulty negotiating the keycard door to the balcony than they do contesting the territory on the second map's thin, turbulent sliver of Ogasawara. Fighting seesaws between an airstrip at one end through trenches and over grassy hills past a lighthouse to higher ground at the other, and while all the vehicles are present and correct, it's an infantry war; automatic weapons, bazookas, sniper rifles, pistols and - gloriously - katanas doing the best of the killing.
Gamespot: With support for 24 players, this map had a lot going on. We were never hard-pressed to find some sort of scuffle nearby, and the vehicles available to you mean you can find it by land, air, or sea. With three different classes, you can also choose from a few different combat styles. The methodical player can roll as a scout in a ghilli suit, planting remote-detonated explosives on a road and waiting in the bushes until a jeep loaded with enemies comes driving by. The target-practice enthusiast can hop into an antiaircraft gun and shoot at the fighter jets buzzing through the sky, or hop into an air-raid shelter and call in his own assault from on high. Run-and-gunners can just dash around with a machine gun shooting anything running nearby. Bottom line: There are plenty of ways to wage this war.
Battlefield 1943 uses the Frostbite engine, so it looks and feels a lot like the original Bad Company. Those playing the console versions will find that it controls almost identically and offers a level of destruction similar to last year's comedic caper starring B Company. You'll see trees topple over and walls exploding into bits, so any place that seems safe one moment could be the exact opposite a moment later. And though the game's visuals aren't quite as sharp as Bad Company's, they're not far off and still look great for a downloadable game.
If that weren't enough for you, there are new videos showcasing previously unreleased footage of the game and interviews with the game's developers:
