BF2142 - PC

[Sandwich]

BF2142 - PC

Introduction
EA's latest game in the Battlefield series, it's set in the future, the world is freezing over, good guys fight bad guys.

Gameplay
Ok, now a lot of you guys that play BF2 are sceptical about this, suggesting that it's the same game as BF2 or that it's not as fun as BF2. These are all ill-informed lies, I'm afraid.

Firstly, although the game is on the BF engine, EA has made it so displaced from BF2 that everything feels fresh and new. This isn't the difference between WW2 and Vietnam (which was quite similar), this is the difference between modern combat and far far in the future, which opens up a whole range of gameplay dynamics that help make the game different.

The upgrades are one fun part of the game, it kind of feels like the feeling you get in an RPG when you're working towards a new level so you can get the skill you've been craving. And it doesn't even take that long to get promoted so you're first 4 promotions within 2 hours of play if you try.

the gameplay itself is similar to BF2, but there's plenty that you won't recognise and I can say conclusively from play BF2 last night that BF2142 is so much more pleasing.

Sights and Sounds
Visually, the colours in BF2142 (a mix of blues, greys and whites) are psychologically more pleasing than BF2 (oranges, black, greys) and the graphics seem to be marginally better in 2142, i haven't actually noticed any anti-aliasing yet.

Sounds are great, exactly what you'd expect future warfare to sound like, just like warfare today, except more high pitched.

Stuff that sucks
There are some bugs but most of them are the same bugs as you'd find in BF2, and with only 1 patch so far, it's pretty fucking impressive.

Conclusion
Great game, it will take over BF2 for sure, just as long as when you play it you don't actively seek the bad parts, you have to take an optimistic approach, or you're probably just a cupcake.

Score :

[Grimmie]

Stuff that sucks
Running reeeaalllyy fucking slowlyyyy.
And being able to sprint for a nanosecond.

[Fear]

Stuff that sucks

• The game gives a too great an advantage to players with unlocks making lower ranking players far too easy to kill (or too easy to not be killed by them). The advanced sniper rifle is a good example of this.
• The maps seem to be too large for infantry to move about in. Needs more jeeps.

[mrbobbins]

Ok, now a lot of you guys that play BF2 are sceptical about this, suggesting that it's the same game as BF2 or that it's not as fun as BF2. These are all ill-informed lies, I'm afraid.

the gameplay itself is similar to BF2

There are some bugs but most of them are the same bugs as you'd find in BF2

So it is the same then.

[spoodie]

Nice review and pretty accurate. Many people have dismissed this game without giving it a chance, unfairly I think. Yes, it's similar to BF2 and no, it's not perfect. Personally I think it's good game that's different enough to BF2 to make it worth playing, especially when playing with 5punkers.

I know a lot of people have their hopes on Quake Wars being the successor to BF2 but until it's released we wont know if it's any good. Also I suspect QW will demand a significantly higher PC spec than BF2/2142 does. In the meantime I'll enjoy 2142 and BF2, depending on who is playing.

[Joose]

So it is the same then.

No, different is the same. It can be proved with set theory.

[Dog Pants]

different is the same

War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength

[Lateralus]

War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength

LOL

[mrbobbins]

War is peace
Freedom is slavery
Ignorance is strength

Strength leads to...

Suffering!

[pixie pie]

Sounds are great, exactly what you'd expect future warfare to sound like, just like warfare today, except more high pitched.

This made me giggle.

[Roman Totale]

No, different is the same. It can be proved with set theory.

I rather see it as a chart

[Chickenz]

Stuff that sucks

• The game gives a too great an advantage to players with unlocks making lower ranking players far too easy to kill (or too easy to not be killed by them). The advanced sniper rifle is a good example of this.
• The maps seem to be too large for infantry to move about in. Needs more jeeps.

just like bf2 then

i agree

[Sandwich]

fear is completely wrong on both accounts ofcourse, few of the upgrades give you better ways to kill people, they just offer you alternative methods to acheive the goal. 4 hours of playing fairly well should get you a full set of upgrades and a new weapon so theres really nothing to cry about.

As for the maps being too large for infantry..well it's not, not any more so than BF2. fall of berlin for instance is alot like karkland, except it's better. There is a map i can't remember the name of with a long way from the base to the first silo, but if you're stupid enough to run all the way, you probably shouldn't play.

it's true that you can't sprint for as long as BF2, although you can unequip heavy armour to make it alot longer. It's a strategy thing, longer running or better armour, both have their respective merits.

[Chickenz]

fear is completely wrong on both accounts ofcourse, few of the upgrades give you better ways to kill people, they just offer you alternative methods to acheive the goal. 4 hours of playing fairly well should get you a full set of upgrades and a new weapon so theres really nothing to cry about.

As for the maps being too large for infantry..well it's not, not any more so than BF2. fall of berlin for instance is alot like karkland, except it's better. There is a map i can't remember the name of with a long way from the base to the first silo, but if you're stupid enough to run all the way, you probably shouldn't play.

it's true that you can't sprint for as long as BF2, although you can unequip heavy armour to make it alot longer. It's a strategy thing, longer running or better armour, both have their respective merits.

ARMOUR EVERYTIME

[Sandwich]

well, i always play recon so it's speed for me, always useful running behind enemy lines with my cloak on.

oh and

With all this said, we would like to announce patch 1.05 for Battlefield 2142. The patch includes more than 25 fixes which will improve every player’s experience on the Battlefield.

The following fixes will be included, along with many others:

* Titan will no longer be able to move once its shields are down, so that lag within the titan should be significantly reduced and revive inside the titan shouldn’t be a problem any more

* Changes in EA master server communication to greatly reduce disconnects

* Players are now able to receive the Titan Survival Pin

* All players will see the same missile silo location numbers in Titan Mode

this will fix so many of titan modes problems :D

[Duke of Ted]

Nice review there sandwich. I think more people need to give this a chance, it really is a fun game.
The low sprint distance can be annoying at first. But 2 of the unlocks lengthen your sprint distance and sprint re-charge speed, so when you have heavy amour unequipped, you'll find yourself sprinting further than you ever did on bf2.

The only thing i find annoying is the weedyness of the walkers. The heavy machine guns dont seem to do any damage to amoured vehicles and the emp/rockets just fly off in random directions. So at long range combat they're kind of shit.

[Joose]

You see, all these specifics about sprinting and map sizes and the like are utterly irrelivant for me. I *know* that the part of Beef2 that I didnt like will still be in there, as it is a fundamental part of the battlefield games: Co-operating with your team-mates. Any game on the interwebs that rely on random strangers *not* being cunts will fail for me, as experiments clearly show that most of the rest of the population of the internet are annoying childish tossers. So I know that most games of Beef (in any iteration) will be spoilt by people doing things like hogging the best vehicles, punishing me for them running in front of my rapidly moving vehicle, etc etc.

I know playing with a large group of 5punkers would resolve this, but im not buying a game that I can *only* get enjoyment from on an irregular basis. Especially not when theres a fairly big debate on whether I would enjoy it even then.

So no, BF2142 fails, for me.

[spoodie]

well, i always play recon so it's speed for me, always useful running behind enemy lines with my cloak on.

oh and

With all this said, we would like to announce patch 1.05 for Battlefield 2142. The patch includes more than 25 fixes which will improve every player’s experience on the Battlefield.

The following fixes will be included, along with many others:

* Titan will no longer be able to move once its shields are down, so that lag within the titan should be significantly reduced and revive inside the titan shouldn’t be a problem any more

* Changes in EA master server communication to greatly reduce disconnects

* Players are now able to receive the Titan Survival Pin

* All players will see the same missile silo location numbers in Titan Mode

this will fix so many of titan modes problems :D

I made a new thread in the beef forum for the patch info.

[Dog Pants]

Played my first game tonight at last. I didn't notice the sprint thing particularly, but the maps are big and transport isn't that easy to come by so I spent a fair bit of my time running between capture points. It was as big as the demo map and a similar consistency, but the next map (that I didn't play, Berlin I think) looked smaller and more urban - similar to Karkand. It looks like all the Titan maps are large, so maybe it's not the best game mode for a lone-wolf. I would say, for all those who played the demo and didn't like it, imagine getting your only impression of BEEF from Operation Smoke Screen (for those who've played EF, I can't think of a better comparison from vanilla BEEF).

The vehicles are quite nice though from what I've played. I especially like the dropships at the moment - they fire you at the ground in a pod, which you can steer towards enemy troops.

[spoodie]

I especially like the dropships at the moment - they fire you at the ground in a pod, which you can steer towards enemy troops.

I launched myself from an APC up to a titan and managed to land on an enemy who was out on the landing pad, very satisfying.

Glad you liked it.