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X05: Battlefield 2: Modern Combat Details
Modern combat for a modern console.

by Erik Brudvig

October 3, 2005 - Battlefield 2 turned out to be a huge hit on the PC this summer, leaving many console gamers yearning for a taste of the frantic online FPS experience their PC loving cousins were enjoying. Although the game is not currently scheduled to be a launch title, the new information and screenshots released at X05 today show that the wait won't be a long one.

If you're looking for a run and gun Halo experience, you won't find it here. Battlefield 2: Modern Combat offers a battle playground where teamwork and tactical control of the field rule the game. By tactical control, we of course mean making the best use of the 30+ vehicles available.

Those familiar with Battlefield 2 on the PC know that it was designed with the multiplayer game in mind. The whole idea is to control more flag points than the other team to bleed them of reinforcements. Capturing a flag will allow your teammates to respawn there when they die as well as giving you quick access to the vehicles littered around the base. The first team to lose every flag or completely run out of reinforcements loses. The Battlefield world focuses more on realism than many FPS games, forcing players to vie for air superiority and to work in squads to overcome an enemy stronghold.

The console conversion looks to maintain all of the features that made the PC game so successful while streamlining it for those of us that prefer to play from the couch. The console version will give you the option of fighting for the US, the European Union, the Middle Eastern Coalition, or the Chinese in 24 player online battles. All of the normal Live features will make an appearance, including stat tracking, leader boards, and friends lists. Best of all, the game will have full clan support; a necessity for a game where teamwork is so imperative.

The biggest addition to Battlefield 2: Modern Combat is the fleshed out single player game. On the PC, Battlefield 2's single player campaign was essentially the exact same game as the multiplayer, but with bots as your teammates instead of humans. For Modern Combat, EA is promising a stand alone single player game that takes place in the deadly landscape of Kazakhstan.

The first Xbox 360 screenshots released at X05 will alleviate any fears that this game won't take advantage of the console's added power. Stay tuned for more information about this game as the launch date approaches.

Source: IGN