Battlefield 1943
Review
Good old-fashioned fun
by Blackened Beans
reviewed on X360
Vehicles
It wouldn’t be a Battlefield game without lots of vehicles to drive, and 1943 delivers. The game offers boats, planes, tanks and jeeps to drive around the island, and all of them have their ups and downs. Boats are used for traveling to the island at the start of a game and are relatively slow in speed, but they have turrets on the back for additional players to use. Planes are extremely difficult to fly at first, but they also have turrets on their wings and bombs they can drop. Once you get the hang of the plane controls, dogfights are one of the game’s best features. Tanks are slow and inaccurate, but also incredibly strong when used correctly. They also have a turret on the top that an additional player can use to destroy foes as the other player drives. It is a little strange that the turret on top is actually more of a threat than the tank itself, but it is fun to use nonetheless. Jeeps are fast and allow three players to ride in them, with one that drives, one that rides in a passenger seat and one that mans the turret in the back.
Maps
The three maps are all similar in style, with lots of trees and small forests, as well as bunkers and beaches, but they are all laid out quite differently. One of them focuses around trenches and sniper towers, hills, with lots of bumps and holes that make it difficult to drive. Another is your basic forest island with lots of small towns and dirt roads. These differences mean you will have to change your strategy if you want to survive. You could run straight into the action on one map, but on another keep low and walk slowly to avoid sniper fire. It adds a lot of variety to the game, especially considering there are only three maps. But then again, with so many different ways to play, you are clearly doing something wrong if you get sick of these maps.
The one game mode revolves around capturing flags (or capture points) stationed around the map. The team with the most at the end of the game is the winner. But if you are the kind of person who just wants to shoot stuff, then fear not, for the game rewards you in a hefty way for killing enemies and destroying vehicles, with tons of points given to players for just about anything they do, or anything they assist in. Capturing flags isn’t as easy as it sounds. In addition to capturing these points, you also have to defend them, and in doing so you will earn points, as well as stamps that show your in-game achievements. You can also earn experience from killing and capturing flags, which allows you to level up, but unfortunately, ranks are just for prestige and don’t actually unlock anything. That doesn’t make the game any less fun to play, and boy, is this game fun to play.
Graphics and sound
Graphically this is one of the best looking downloadable titles ever made. The level of detail is amazing, with fantastic water effects, vivid colors and excellent lighting. These are retail-quality graphics for only fifteen dollars. There are some graphical hitches, such as clipping, screen-tearing, and an occasional glitch in which you fall through the ground after dying. Fortunately, none of these glitches actually affect the gameplay, and they are forgivable due to the fact that the game runs smoothly throughout, no matter how hectic the situation is. In addition to the great graphics, 1943 also boasts a great musical score – though it is a little underused – and realistic sound effects. The only voice acting you will hear in the game is from the tutorial, but it sounds great too. The sounds of the battlefield are quite impressive, and entirely believable.
Fun
For fifteen dollars, you are not getting an insane amount of content, but you are getting an insane amount of fun. Battlefield 1943 doesn’t revolutionize shooters, but it is a prime example of a downloadable game done right, and a fantastic multiplayer game in its own right. The level of polish is astonishing, and the gameplay offers tons of variety between the different classes and vehicles. If you are willing to experiment you will soon forget about the lack of content and just enjoy what the game has to offer: fantastic production values, intense action, and a whole lot of good old-fashion fun. Plus, it is $45 less than a retail game.
9.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
