Battlefield 1943 Review [360]

17 Jul 2009 at 10:30:20 by Andy Alderson
Systems used to review this title: (360)

When journos and fans alike wax lyrical about the Battlefield series, one phrase repeatedly crops up: “the Battlefield Moment.” In essence, it’s that moment of exaggerated, joyous action which has defined the series to date. It’s that moment when, amidst the chaos of the battlefield, a single unbelievable event occurs that prompts you to stare at the screen for a moment with a grin on your face, wishing there was some kind of replay function. Of all the online shooters on the market, none inspire so many in-game anecdotes as Battlefield.

My first Battlefield 1943 Moment came within ten minutes of starting the game. Wake Island (one of the best multiplayer maps ever created and a home from home for me) is the setting and I’m crouched down next to the bunker flag to the West of the airfield. With no team-mates around, I decide it’s probably safer to capture the flag from the relative security of the bunker. As I approach the door I hear the battle cry of a Japanese soldier and see a grenade drop right at my feet. Through a combination of knee-jerk reaction and blind luck, I just about escape the grenade’s death radius and spot the blighter who threw it.

A couple of rifle rounds to the chest end him quickly and, feeling pretty badass, I turn back towards the flag, reloading in the process. It’s then that I see the enemy sniper charging towards me, with his sword drawn and vengeance in his eyes. As my health is still regenerating, and I’m in the middle of a reload, I resign myself to the inevitable outcome and reach for my respawn cigarette. I’m interrupted by the shriek of an incoming aircraft and a friendly Corsair swoops over my head and smashes into the flagpole, obliterating the sniper in the process. A noble, selfless gesture from the pilot, or a misjudged aerial manoeuvre? Either way, I’m not complaining as the Stars and Stripes is raised and the capture point is taken. My victory, however, is short-lived. An enemy jeep suddenly leaps over the hill and, despite my best efforts at avoidance, lands squarely on my head. My luck, it seems, has run out.

These are the moments that make the Battlefield games so compelling. Its seamless combination of vehicle and infantry combat has kept online gamers enthralled since 2002’s Battlefield 1942 and fans of the series will be glad to know that Battlefield 1943 is a bit like a Greatest Hits version of the game. DICE has cleverly pillaged its back catalogue for the most engaging gameplay elements and included them in Battlefield 1942. We have some of the best maps from 1942 (Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima) and the squad system from Battlefield 2, all wrapped up in Bad Company’s destruction-heavy Frostbite engine.  The result, it turns out, is fantastic.

Of course, that’s not to say that PC purists won’t criticise DICE and EA for dumbing down the formula. I should know, I was one of them. I figured that the decision to cut the number of playable classes to three would turn the game into Battlefield-Lite. I was wrong. In 1943 you can choose to play as an Infantryman, Scout, or a Rifleman and DICE has balanced them perfectly. The Scout, for instance, can snipe effectively from distance but is an easy target for close-range infantry. Should he encounter a vehicle, he can dispose of them with explosives, assuming he can get close enough to plant them. The Rifleman is great at medium to long range with his semi-automatic rifle, but will have to haul ass if a vehicle comes into range. The Infantryman is a close-quarters specialist, equipped with a sub-machine gun and can also fend off vehicles with his bazooka.  While some will see the class list as limited, it gives Battlefield 1943 a greater degree of immediacy than any other game in the series. DICE’s intention in 1943 is clear: with three classes, unlimited ammo and regenerative health, this is a game in which action is the focus. And there’s an awful lot of action.

Despite server size being capped at 24 players, games in 1943 never feel sparsely-populated. In fact, it’s definitely one of the more chaotic online games you’ll find on consoles. With sniper rounds pinging around you, grenades going off, bombs dropping from the sky and tanks blowing the walls out of buildings, it’s hard not to get caught up in the sheer excitement of the battlefield. And this is where the Frostbite engine really comes into its own. At the start of a match, the maps look pretty and sedate but before long buildings will crumble and fires will burn. DICE’s battlefield is a hell of a lot of fun.

That’s not say there aren’t things I miss about the older games. The absence of a medic class is understandable from a balancing standpoint, but it would have been nice to score extra points by reviving downed teammates. The Infantryman is the only class who can pick up points in a similar way, by repairing vehicles with his wrench. More maps would also be welcomed – while the four currently on offer (the air-combat-only Coral Sea has recently been unlocked) are fantastically-realised, we’d like to see more new maps and also more of the classics, although presumably the game’s Pacific subtitle means it’s unlikely we’ll see Market Garden and others via DLC. However, it’s hard to give DICE too much stick when you look at the game’s 1200 point price tag.

Battlefield 1943 is undoubtedly a fantastic achievement.  While Modern Combat and Bad Company laid the foundations for the series to work on consoles, 1943 feels like the first console outing to truly capture the appeal of the PC game. The variety of gameplay on offer, the intelligent rock-paper-scissors balancing and the unrelenting action of the game all add up to a triumphant combination of simplicity and depth. I suggest you enlist as soon as possible and create some of your own Battlefield Moments. 

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