some thing the war game lover must check out
Cons: Drab graphics; emphasis on easy kills, not tactics
Even through they are two very different games, it’s hard not to draw comparisons between Battlefield 2 for the PC and Battlefield 2: Modern Combat for the consoles. For example: Battlefield 2: Modern Combat pales in comparison to the PC version.
The Equation for Fun
Not convinced? Ok, here’s a little more detail. You remember Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Vietnam, and Battlefield 2, right?
Two teams + lots of weapons + vehicles = red hot military action
Yeah, well, after the monstrous success of those games on the PC, developing a special version for the consoles was a no-brainer. The developer ought to be commended for attempting to make the game more palatable for the average console player.
This War ain’t Pretty
It’s too bad the graphics didn’t make the jump. While we weren’t expecting the jaw-dropping splendor of Battlefield 2, the environments in Modern Combat are universally drab. Even things as simple as vehicle explosions look positively awful. Instead of shattering into a heap of twisted metal, vehicles just kind of disappear in a poof of smoke.
Control of your solder is sluggish. It feels like you’re running through molasses.Stopping, starting, and changing directions feels imprecise--like they put an extra level of acceleration on top of your analog control. Vehicles are a bit better, and in the case of helicopters, much easier to control than on the PC. But the inability to look around while driving a jeep makes it very hard to see where you’re going. Turreted vehicles obviously don’t have that problem.
Fun for One
The single-player mode, not even worth a mention in the PC games, has been completely reworked into something that’s actually playable. Solo gamers will get to play through a variety of combat missions complete with AI teammates and enemies. Although there’s a whisper of a narrative unifying the missions, it’s really just an excuse to pop in and start blasting the bad guys.
The big deal in single-player mode is the hotswap feature which allows you to jump into the shoes of any allied unit in view. Because of the class-based nature of game, this is a great way to keep the player doing the most interesting things at all times. If a bomb needs to be planted, just switch to a nearby engineer and have at it. Need to thin out the enemy ranks? Zip over to that sniper on the rooftop and start scoping them out.
As you switch from one unit to another, the AI picks up the slack admirably. While driving a jeep to an objective, you can swap places with the mounted machine gunner to take out some enemy troops. he AI soldier will take over driving duties and continue on to the objective. Nice.There is also a series of challenge missions that test your driving, marksmanship, and hotswap abilities. It’s a pleasant diversion, but hardly worth the price of admission.
The Faceless Enemy
The downside to all this single-player mayhem is that it feels a little bland. Enemies appear to just pour out of spawn points indiscriminately. Once you discover where these points are, you can sit tight and mow them down as they come out.
Single-player mode also benefits from a stat tracking system that rewards players for doing things such as using a weapon extremely well or not dying a whole lot during a mission. Doing well earns you weapons and equipment upgrades for the various classes during the remainder of your single-player shenanigans.
Mediocre Multiplayer
We wish we could say that the multiplayer in Modern Combat has the same magic as the PC versions, but it doesn’t. Modern Combat plays like a dumbed-down version of Battlefield 2. Now the Battlefield series has always been about outrageous action over simulation, but there was also a great incentive to work and play as a team. This was further refined in Battlefield 2 with the squad and commander system. None of this is present in Modern Combat.
The action in Modern Combat is more arcade-like than on the PC and as such, the ability to employ even simple team tactics is rendered moot. Enemies appear on-screen with big red targets over their heads making them too easy to locate when they are supposed to be hiding.
The auto-aim used in the game to make up for the lack of mouse/keyboard controls makes it way too easy to hit your target. This is especially true of the sniper class, which is clearly the most popular class in the game at the moment. Snipers have little trouble picking off enemies from great distances in one shot. Heck, the auto-aim is so overbearing, we were able to charge into the thick of battle and mow down several enemies while shooting from the hip with our sniper rifle. Yeah, right.
Class Warfare
The soldier classes in Modern Combat have been revamped to make each one more useful under different circumstances. This was a good idea as specialty classes like the medic and the engineer would be all but useless. No one stays injured long enough to seek medical attention. They either die quickly in a hail of gunfire or they just walk over to one of the many first aid stations that are peppered all over the map.
Medics have gained the ability to call in mortar strikes and double as an all-purpose assault class. Engineers still have mines, the shotgun, and the ability to repair things. They also have a rocket launcher, which does away with the heavy weapons class entirely. Snipers are given even more toys to play with, including a GPS device that can highlight enemy players on the map as well as a laser targeting system for taking down vehicles.
Do you Kiss your Mama with that Mouth?
Once in the thick of things, the multiplayer experience is fast and smooth (occasional slowdown notwithstanding). Of course, with an emphasis on easy kills and a de-emphasis on tactics, the dregs of the online society have moved in and made the servers a breeding ground for griefing and foul language spewed forth by pre-adolescent weenies. If you’ve got a solid group of friend to play with, Modern Combat is fine. If you don’t, the online experience is more trouble than it’s worth.
I’ve Lost that Loving Feeling
In the face of the excellence found on the PC versions of the game, Modern Combat is lacking. The beefed-up single-player is nice, but when the main focus of the game comes up so short, it’s hard not to feel disappointed. Battlefield may have won the war on the PC, but it lost the battle on the consoles.