Battlefield 2 (PC - In development)

By PETER ELEY


Just when we are getting used to Battlefield Vietnam, and switching combat zones from the European theatre of its predecessor, Battlefield 1942, Swedish company Digital Illusions has announced that a rebuilt version of the game, provisionally called Battlefield 2, is in development.

Digital says the new game will be significantly better in terms of graphics and gameplay, quite a promise given that 1942 and Vietnam are first-rate.

One of the main departures from those two games will be that Battlefield 2 takes place in a modern-day setting, and features three warring superpowers — China, the United States and the Middle Eastern Coalition.

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of the superpowers, armed with the latest modern weaponry, and will be able to take control of any of the games' more than 30 vehicles to engage in online conflicts with up to 100 players.

Enhanced team play features allow players to enter the action on the front lines as part of a formal squad, or work behind the scenes in Commander Mode to direct the strategic assaults of teammates.

As they say, points bring prizes, and as players increase their rank from recruit all the way to General they will unlock awards, including new weapons, vehicles and medals.

And if you think that wargames are just for spotty nerds with nothing better to do, read Gamespot.com's interview with the US Army's Dr Michael Macedonia, a military man who was in the Pentagon when al Qaeda crashed a passenger jet into it on September 11.

Macedonia reveals that the Pentagon uses computer games to train soldiers, and is adapting There, a PC game released last year, into a program that will be used to familiarise troops with urban combat before they are sent to battle zones.

EA Games

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