Review: Battlefield 1943

It makes me feel rather old knowing that Battlefield 1942 is nearly seven years old, because it feels like just yesterday when I was playing it for hours and hours. Since 2002, Digital Illusions and Electronic Arts have released many Battlefield titles but did not release a true successor to 1942. Each installment really changed gameplay and mechanics from the original title, and only now do we see a return to the WWII-era after delving into Vietnam-era, the modern day, and the future. Battlefield 1943 isn’t a full-blown sequel - it lacks a lot of variety having only three classes and four maps - but DICE has taken the best of the Battlefield series and released a fun and affordable package on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

Battlefield 1943 is a first-person shooter set in the Pacific Theater of World War II, featuring only one game mode, three classes and four maps. At first glance, it may appear that DICE has been lazy, but the game really helps focus on quickly getting into a match and easily fighting your enemies. You play as an American or Japanese soldier fighting alongside teammates to drive your opposing side’s ticket meter down to zero by killing your enemies and capturing the five strategic points on a map. The ticket meter is a visual representation of a team’s ability to gain reinforcements, or basically the ability for its members to respawn. Players will fight for these points because holding more territories decreases the enemies’ ticket meter faster. Each of these locations act as respawn areas for the controlling team, so it’s highly important to maintain the majority, if not all, of these points.

The game features three main maps (more on the fourth later): Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Wake Island. Each features some individuality in its design such as Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi emphasizing control of the higher ground and Wake Island’s one road layout making it difficult for vehicles to reach the opposite end of the island, but all feel very similar in its gameplay. Destructible environments allows for a bit of variety as it prevents players from hiding in the buildings for too long; a round or two from a tank or rocket launcher will easily clear anyone camping in them. The size of the maps are just appropriately sized too. Although some may consider the limit of twenty-four players per match to be restricting, a full-house match is just right without ever feeling overcrowded or underpopulated, on any of the three maps. In fact, the maximum of twelve players on a side will prevent a side from dominating the whole map at once and will allow a side to easily make a comeback.

None of the three classes seems overused or underutilized, and most players will probably switch frequently among the three. Each has its own strength, with riflemen excelling at medium range, scouts dominating at long range, and infantry clearing anything close range. Unlimited ammo keeps the mayhem going, and a secondary weapon will allow you to take out an enemy if your primary is unsuitable for the current situation. Players can also pickup the weapons of fallen comrades and opponents, allowing them to change their class in the midst of battle. And if these weapons aren’t enough, there are tanks, jeeps, anti-air guns, and airplanes to wreck more havoc. Overall, the controls are excellent and responsive both on-foot and in vehicles, although maneuvering airplanes will take a bit of learning and practice.

For a downloadable title, Battlefield 1943‘s presentation is phenomenal. It’s obvious there was great attention to detail, and the Frostbite engine is put to great use here with its lighting effects and destructible environments. The textures aren’t the highest of resolutions and there are noticeable clipping issues with vehicles and structures, but with the constant action, there’s nothing to really worry about. The menus aren’t complicated, and all the important information is given automatically while you’re waiting to respawn or when the match ends. The in-game radar immediately shows capture points that are experiencing firefights and airplanes that may be flying about. At the end of a match, a summary of the match is played through an old, radio-like news bulletin that really puts you in the setting. The only complaint is with the vehicle audio; the sound of tanks or jeeps would sometimes randomly stop playing and awkwardly restart even as I’m traveling straight ahead.

Battlefield 1943 offers an achievement/trophy system as other 360 and PS3 titles, but it also adds a point system that increases your player rank. As usual, the trophies and achievements don’t do much to enhance your gameplay experience, and the player rank does nothing but show how experienced you are. The interesting use of stat collection was the unlocking of the fourth map, Coral Sea. DICE required players to reach a community total of 43 million kills on their respective platforms, a feat that players of both the 360 and PS3 have reached within nine days of release. Coral Sea is a map focusing on aerial dogfights and features only airplanes for combat.

For a $15 USD game, some flaws are to be expected. I was only able to get voice chat partially working, and when this is a game in which team cooperation could be a major factor in a victory, that’s disappointing. The small number of classes, maps, and game modes may feel limiting later, although it’s perfectly excusable for the game’s cost. Graphical glitches are here and there, and some buildings aren’t exactly destructible, showing inconsistency in the maps’ designs. The largest problem may be connecting. When first attempting to play Battlefield 1943, I ran into similar issues regarding my EA account and my PSN username connecting. This problem was experienced by both 360 and PS3 owners, and server connectivity errors only added to the frustration of many gamers in the first few days. For an online-only game, it’s confusing how DICE and EA had such a rocky launch. Some are still having trouble connecting to servers, but it seems that EA and DICE have been prompt at assisting anyone encountering issues. When actually in a match, however, I didn’t notice any lag or network problems.

Network problems aside, there’s nothing quite like taking death after death, only to have your team rise in victory at the end in a surprising turnaround. Matches in Battlefield 1943 are always unpredictable, and you never quite know if your team will assuredly win or lose. The game’s always fun for the wacky moments you’ll have, and its limits won’t bother you too much when you consider the amount you paid for it. It still pales in comparison to full-feature shooters such Modern Warfare and Killzone 2 with their many game modes, weapons, and maps, but if DICE continues to support it well with new maps and possibly even new classes and game modes, Battlefield 1943 will provide the best value in a game for quite some time.

Doin’ It RIGHT: - The game is, for lack of a better word, fun. - It’s really easy to jump into a game and get into the action. - Most bang-for-your-buck for an XBLA/PSN title.	Doin’ It RONG: - Connection issues, whether it’s your first time or another visit. - You may feel bored after a while with only one game mode, three classes, and four maps. - Voice chat support is wonky, at least on the PS3.
FINAL SCORE: 9 / 10