Sometimes just blasting the Kinks after owning some teenager can’t be helped.
* Neat weapon modeling: Sure virtually every gun in bf1942 was fully automatic, but these machine guns just feel different. Their rate of fire seems through the roof, their sound effects are shredding and kinetic, and their lethality at range is devastating. Besides the stable assault rifles, you've got a kick ass grenade launcher, WWII-o-phile fave the M14, and a bunch of unconventional weapons like punji sticks, booby traps, claymore mines, and SA-7 surface to air missiles. They’re almost all a pleasure to use and have used against you.
* Map audio features: Something BF: V does well is introduce audio into FPS tactics and maps. The Hue maps have this lady constantly berating the US, somewhat convincingly, about the error of their ways. Some US Airfields have a broadcast from a 'good morning vietnam'-esque DJ. The ability to blast Surfing Bird from your scooter after claiming a conquest point is pretty exhilarating. We'll see how old they get, but combined with the licensed pop music from the 1960's, audio seems in many ways to be this products defining feature. Never mind the enemy can hear you coming from miles away. Sometimes just blasting the Kinks after owning some teenager can’t be helped.
* New Multi-Station vehicles: My favorite vehicle in bf1942, hands down, was the inflatable raft their introduced in the Secret Weapons of WWII expansion pack. Think jeep on water. There are a few variations on this in bfv, the most notable being the PT boats. These 3 station fast attack craft are an absolute blast to use and the maps provide a constant sense of discovery as you find some heretofore unknown water way. In an interesting twist, virtually every flying vehicle is multi-station. The 6 person chopper is pretty wild when used for invasions and even the phantom's need two team members operating them to use all their firepower. Fun! Most jeeps are now 3 people, which while kind of cool, is stupid dangerous to use. The old fan favorite from Codename Eagle of the sidecar passenger being able to use their own weapon is back, so you can really tailor a jeep to any purpose (if you're crazy enough). I had a lot of success with a driver, a guy on the mounted MG and the passenger with a SA-7.
* Classes: There are only 4 classes to each side as opposed to the 6 in bf1942. Each of those classes have two 'kits' though, so in a sense there's a total of 16 classes. In general it seems like each class has a number of different options, so if one tactic isn't working, you're equipped to tackle another. In most of my games, people gravitated towards the m60/law soldier class which is a clear "killer for all seasons" uber class. The NVA anti-air class by comparison is virtually useless at anything other than unloading SAMs at planes. Engy's can now dismantle enemy vehicles while occupied, which is pretty devastating.
* Mobile Spawns: DICE fooled around with these a little in SWoWWII with the plane/mobile spawn. Here you've got a boat that fulfills the same type of role, but you have fancier methods available. One is to have a chopper airlift this crate to wherever it likes. The NVA can 'dig up' a spawn and then replant it else where. They all seem like pale imitations of Planetsides mobile spawn. And in general, the choppers CAN airlift other vehicles, but it’s pretty dangerous. I saw more than my share of Patton tanks dropped from 800 feet by over reacting newbs (myself included!). Choppers aren’t easy to fly, don’t get me wrong, as the collective modeling is a little twitchy.
* Destroyable Structures: Adding a little C&C Renegade to the mix, you can now destroy control towers at certain locations to shut down vehicle spawning. On a few maps the NVA can spawn at these un-capturable airfields. Get any anti-armor weapon over to it and start slugging away at the tower. Not really a destroyable structure, but there are ambush spots on various maps. One I got caught in was a bunch of tree trunks with spikes rolling down a hill (it automatically resets after a period of time).
* Maps: Neat overall though there are only 14. Flaming Dart and Game Warden were probably my two favorites. The first is a partially successful attempt at doing modern air combat in a first person shooter. The other is a rambling, delta of waterways.
* Stability/Bugs: Well, not too many problems but not great. Performance was uniformly below what I experienced in bf1942 or UT2004 but that may have more to do with slim pickings on servers than the code. I locked up twice and dumped to desktop once in my play sessions yesterday.
Final Comments: B-. Neat, incremental additions crammed into an aging engine on a compressed time table. I predict I'll be playing it for a few weeks, but nothing akin to my addiction to the original product.