long detailed review for buyers. definitely not a mod of BF2, titan mode is a great addition, unlock system improved.
The Bad: for VOIP to work you need a sound card (no integrated cards), unlock sys can make life for new players a little difficult.
first off i was originally against getting this game for 2 reasons, 1; i didnt have high spd internet to play this game. 2. the in game ad's/adware gave me doubts.
but i got the cable internet and decided to see if the ad's were as bad/harmful as some people say they were. AD'S: im a veteran of BF2(battlefield 2), so i knew what to expect gameplay wise, my only concern was the ad's. I discovered the ad's are not harmful and in fact they are somewhat non-functional, i see the same ad's with 3 to 4 variations on almost all severs. the ad's are logos or symbols of sites i dont know of or haven't been too. so i think EA really isn't looking at you all the time, i think there ad sys is broken or they decided to cancel it and just post the same ads so no one questioned if it still functions.
the unlock sys: is very interesting, and its kind of like a tech tree/ladder for each of the 4 classes of soldiers. there are 2 trees of unlocks per class, each tree has 4 unlocks. and at the top of each tree is a actual weapon(the other unlocks are equipment). EA decided you have to start from the bottom of each tree, so you cant just pick the weapons at the top you have to first unlock the stuff below it, so you have to go from bottom to top with no shortcuts. There's also player ability unlocks like grenades, better endurance, more pistol ammo, etc. As well as sqd leader unlocks like spawn beacons, to sensor/gun drones that float over your head. in your first few promotions you'll(as a new guy) be given 2 unlock points per promotion, with each unlock require just 1 pt. so it doesn't completely leave new players at a disadvantage, i climbed through the mud pretty quick and got to the assault rifle weapon unlock in just a few hours of play. of the 2 unlock trees in assault kit i choose to climb up the 1 w/ the more powerful rifle at the top, it only carries 20 rounds per clip but fires larger round for more damage, my motto is if you cant kill a man in 10 to 12 then your screwed anyway. this weapon is the future equivalent to the G3 in BF2, and this "baur" weapon has helped me climb higher through the ranks to get more unlocks. after your first 3 to 4 promotions you'll have to get the top unlocks the hard way 1 pt per promotion and 3 equipment unlocks before the sweet weapon at the top. so choose wisely on your first unlocks, because changing your mind later means you'll have to play and wait a long time before you can unlock top weapons in a different class than the ones you've been focusing on. my advice is to go for an infantry killing unlock tree, assualt or recon with the special forces weapon, get the good sniper rifle later, anti vehicle unlocks are a good second choice one you got your killing rifle, because tanks and walkers will be a pain in your side when your on foot with the wrong kit to deal w/ them. you'll find out through your first few hours what weapon unlocks to strive for, because you'll find yourself getting killed by these weapons alot. advanced sniper rifle were looking at you! lol
once you get to around the sargeant rank the amount of pts needed to get promoted to the next level increases, right now i'm near the end of master sargeant gold and its about 900 to 1000 pts between promotions, and i know the higher you get the worse the pt gap gets.
Kits: assault and medic have been combined into just assault, your basic infantry support/killing kit, gun unlocks include the baur (heavy combat rifle) and the scar-L and light rifle. support is still all by itself with a shotgun unlock as well as a heavier mg. while recon class includes both sniper and special forces weapon unlocks, engineer class is the combination of engineer and anti-tank and is more expanded upon to include anti air rocket unlock, as well as a anti vehicle rifle. equipment as you would guess depends on the class you play, engineer equip will be vehicle mines and scanners, first-aid to assault, ammo supply to support and well as sentry mg drone, etc. recon gets scope and rifle stabilizers, and cloak field generator, and all classes include battlenet helmet equipment unlocks, basically once you have unlocked it any time you look at an enemy that info will appear to any allied player in the area so you dont have to waste time manually identifying the enemy.
Vehicles: walkers and tanks are strong, w/ walkers beating tanks from close to mid range while tanks and defeat them easily at long range, air power is not so substantial anymore thank god. apc's are ver important in titan mode because you can launch yourself onto the enemy titan once its shields are down. plus the apc's launch pods are like escape pods too, in case you need to evac cause your going to blow up. alot of the fun in BF 2142 is in the versatility of the equipment and vehicles you use. some vehicles have personal shields. air power is really now just air transports and hovercraft helicopter type flying machine, they are not worth less, they just can't dominate like planes could in BF2. Levels: look great and are littered with wreckage to all kinds of stuff, makes you feel like your fighting in a real world, unlike in BF2 where there are no burning destroyed tanks placed in a level for cover, etc. this is where i disagree with those who say this game is a mod of BF2, the weapons, the levels and vehicles are all top notch, this is a full game. even though it uses nearly the same graphic engine as BF2, this game is still better.
i cant really tell you how fun this game is online, for those who haven't played any BF games before your in for a real treat, theres nothing like it when you've killed five guys without dieing and your low on ammo and surrounded, the adrenaline pumping through you, and all you got left is a pistol or knife, the desperation of the moment to survive, it almost feels real.
I love that and i haven't found anything better in gaming.
i have almost no lag on most severs, and i have the game running on medium-high settings. my only problem with the game is my sound card isn't good enough for VOIP (online communication in-game with other players)
other than that the game sounds great.
i recommend anyone who plays online to buy this game, and for only $40, its even more worth it. trust me the price wont drop for a while and the longer you wait the longer it will take to get up the unlock sys and be on even footing.
hers my sys specs:
Pentium 4, 3.0 ghz processing spd
PCI express nvidia 6800 256mb video card (which is 2 generations behind the newest stuff today)
1 gig of ram
integrated sound (the only negative in my specs)
BF 2142 soldier profile: SPARTAN-BF2316
-i look foward to seeing you on the battlefield-