To follow up the enormous success of the rest of the battlefield series is no easy task, but Dice has succeeded in making BF 2142 a game that delves further into squad-based combat, with even more replay value than the other games in the series. The graphics are stellar if you're running the game on a system that can handle it, and Dice has vastly improved the interface, load times, server selection, and--because it's worth saying again--the load times. Battlefield Vietnam had its music to match the era, and loading a game usually took almost an entire Janis Joplin song. Battlefield 2 was similarly slow. With 2142, the game loads up in a third of the time of previous installments, diminishing the loss of "continuity of effect" (staying excited about the game) , that was much more likely in the long load times of earlier games.
But how does it play? It's true that veteran players of the series will quickly see that the tried and true formula is the same as in previous games. This is where the "this is just a mod" theory rings true. But the addition of character-based advancement through sequential upgrades forces the player to make decisions of how is character will fit in to the battle. If you want to be the secret special forces fighter who stealthfully (and with partial invisibility) moves in to enemy bases to destroy assets, you can. If you like to go in with guns blazing, firing rockets (with which you can control at what distance they will detonate), there's that too. What the sequential character upgrade system adds is the need for players to decide how they will effect their squad. In other words, this is no run-and-gun Unreal Tournament type of arcade game--you need to work with your teammates and design a fighter that best compliments the team, while you play in a style you enjoy.
The vehicles are in some ways better and in some ways worse than earlier games in the series. Those who enjoyed the more true-to-life simulation when flying helicopters and jets of previous games, may be disappointed with the simplified flying styles of 2142 aircraft. While this might take away from the flying expert who once dominated the skies in BF 2, it also serves to open up the flying game to more players. Small additions to other vehicles add strategy to where there was just getting from one place to another in previous games. An EMP rocket from the troop transport can shut down an enemies vehicle for a short time, allowing other players to fire their rockets in attempt to beat what would have been an over-powering tank. The Battlewalker is enough to scare the crap out of any soldier on the ground forcing them to hide-and-gun in the hope that the base at hand can be captured. Even the Jeep vehicle now has Nitrous, increasing the speed for a short time, making getting across the enormous maps much easier and providing a viable means of escape when the crap really hits the fan.
There's been a lot of talk on the Gamespot forums about the in-game ad support, but it beats the heck out of paying a monthly subscription fee. While it does lower our already shaky respect level for EA games (horrible loading times in previous games in series, faulty server filtering, and stability issues), those that aren't conspiracy-minded will be able to easily tune out the ads for the fast-paced and more truly squad-based gameplay. It's true that it seems like a quick and somewhat dirty way for EA to make a buck, but it's hardly a showstopper when you get into the game.
In the end, Battlefield 2142 comes out on top for those looking to expand their BF experience with plenty under the hood of the game to maximize replay ability. I feel that many reviewers have short-changed this game for its smaller problems, ignoring what truly pushes this to the top of the Battlefield franchise. If you're looking for a exciting next level for the Battlefield series, this game is well worth your money. If you want to just drop in for some mindless killing, UT 2007 is just around the corner...