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Battlefield 2 for the PC has been on shelves for a few months now. Even though the maps are enthralling, the vehicles cool, and the weapons are a hit, players may be getting the feeling of staleness in their online game play, especially those who spend countless hours online with the title. Well fear not Battlefield 2 vets, as EA has answered your call with the first in what I’m sure is a long line of expansion packs. Battlefield 2: Special Forces deliver plenty of new features for you to enjoy, but still fails to fix issues that plagued the full version of the game. Visually, Battlefield looks as splendid as it always has, with rich detailed environments, a long range of view, and realistic effects such as dust in the desert, accurately designed architecture, and a consistent frame rate. Of course, this all depends on how well your PC performs as well. If you run the original Battlefield 2 fine and dandy, Special Forces will run the same, but if you had issues, don’t expect these to be fixed as this is still the original just with some added goodies. Which brings me to the load times on the maps, which still have not been addressed. Even with a gigabyte of RAM, it still takes forever to load a map, which is a bit trying if your play time is limited. The new night features offer some new visual flair, but switching night vision off and on can be annoying at times, especially in the thick of battle.
What is new in this package is a slew of new maps… well eight, but they are very large and well designed. With the draw of each new map being infantry battles, some may be turned off since it does not offer as many jets and tanks as the original. What you do get are some very cool additions such as ATVs and Jet Skis. With the right amount of strategy, both of which may be the deciding points in many battles. Upgraded weaponry is also a big plus, and BF2: SF delivers here as well. Even though they feel more like modified versions of previous weapons, who wouldn’t want an assault rifle with a grenade launcher attached to it. In addition, many carbines now offer scope ability. Or most importantly, how would you like to add a new RPG to your arsenal… I thought so. Other new gadgets include zip cords and tear gas grenades to shake things up a bit. Additionally, since infantry is the main focus of this expansion, you’ll also need to monitor your groups more efficiently. If you aren’t well versed in the art of squad leading and organization, you may find this expansion a bit too much for you. With a few technical issues aside, if you are a fan of Battlefield 2, you will still want to grab this expansion; if only for the new weapons, vehicles, and stuff to do. If the original didn’t do it for you then there really isn’t enough here to turn you onto the series. Still, this expansion is a well-needed boost to an already exciting action title.
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