Making its debut on Xbox LIVE
Arcade, Battlefield 1943 is the first title in the Battlefield to be exclusively
available via digital download. A decidedly no-frills experience, Battlefield
1943 takes players through a Pacific campaign composed of four (initially three) maps,
each one quite large and peppered with various vehicles. The game does a great
job of capturing the essence of what makes Battlefield so fun, namely team-based
frenetic multiplayer and huge maps to explore.
Unfortunately, Battlefield 1943
doesn’t offer any kind of single-player mode, and the online features are fairly
limited. Not only that, but the whole affair borrows mostly from Battlefield
1942, and thus feels very dated when compared to the likes of BF: Bad Company
and even Battlefield 2. Battlefield 1943 nails the basic elements that make the
series popular, but unfortunately delivers little else.
The gameplay in Battlefield 1943 is
par for the course when it comes to the series, which isn’t at all a bad thing.
Pitting players in team-based combat, two sides (the US Marines and the Imperial
Japanese Army) vie for control of spawn points throughout the map. When one side
captures and holds all of the spawn points at the same time (or their opponent’s
soldiers are exhausted), then they are declared the winner.
The basic Battlefield gameplay model
works very well here. The conquest mode pioneered in the franchise feels as fun
and frantic as ever, and the game’s three maps are quite big. A fourth one, Coral
Sea, will be unlocked once the player community scores a collective 43 million
kills. This new map complements the other three well by being an airplane-only
endeavor, adding a nice change of pace from the rest of the game. Additionally,
the game makes fine use of DICE’s Frostbite engine, allowing for a good portion
of the structures throughout the map to be destroyed (in some cases leveled) by
artillery fire.
The game does a fine job of nailing
what makes Battlefield so popular in the first place. The online play supports
high-player counts without lag in most games, and the controls feel very
comfortable. The maps are very large and make fine use of vehicles, and stand up
well to other Battlefield titles.
As fun as Battlefield 1943 can be,
you can’t help but be faced with an overall dearth of content. You only get
three
maps (soon to be four), three classes (Infantryman, Rifleman, and Scout), and one
game mode. And for this you’ll have to pony up 15 bucks. While the gameplay is
still as solid as it was when Battlefield 1942 launched over a decade ago,
Battlefield 1943 does little to show the progress the series has made in that
time.
Battlefield 1943 is a great looking
game, made all the more impressive by the fact that it’s an Xbox LIVE Arcade
title. The huge environments are very well detailed, and the character models
and guns are solidly rendered. The game also moves at a very solid clip, making
for a title that competes with any retail 360 game around, let alone the
majority of Xbox LIVE Arcade titles.
The sound is also pretty well done.
The music is a bit lacking, only showing up during the title screen and missing
from the general gameplay, but it sounds pretty good and possesses the same
epic, sweeping quality that fans would hope for, and the sound effects are crisp
and clear and sound great.
Battlefield 1943 offers no-frills
exciting online combat that fans of the series would hope for. Unfortunately,
the lack of content and anything new will make those fans have to think hard
before shelling out 15 bucks to pick it up.
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Gameplay: 8.0
Battlefield 1943 is a blast to play, and does a fine job of taking the basic
mechanics of the Battlefield franchise and capitalizing on them. Sadly, the game
is awfully low on content, with only one online mode, 3 maps, and 3 classes.
Graphics: 8.5
The large environments look great, as do the character models, making this
one of the best looking XBLA games around.
Sound: 8.0
Pretty basic stuff, minimal music, but the sound effects are sharp and sound
good.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 7.5
Even though the gameplay is still solid, it does little to show the progress
that the series has made over the years.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The game handles 24-player maps quite solidly, with minimal lag.
Overall: 8.0
Battlefield 1943 comes in on the pricey side for an Xbox LIVE Arcade title
at 15 bucks (12 Microsoft Points), and doesn’t offer much in the way of gameplay
improvements or any new content for the series. Still, the basic mechanics are
still very well done and the online play is solid.
