EA attempts to cater to those with lesser equipment and skill level with this third person shooter that gives new meaning to the phrase "cartoon violence."
______________________________________________
June 25, 2009
Platforms: PC Exclusive
Developer: DICE Sweden (Digital Illusions)
Genre: Online Shooter
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Rating: T for Tobacco References and Violence
MSRP: Free
______________________________________________
More and more publishers are releasing free-to-play games into today's market. It makes since with the economies status but honestly, how can one fairly judge these types of games when it is essentially being given to them as a gift. Electronic Art's Battlefield Heroes is no different. It is a scaled down version of the typical "Battlefield" format that we have come to know and love. I got the chance to play in Closed Beta and have since been playing to this day so I'll try and do the best I can at reviewing it.
______________________________________________
On paper, the game may not seem like much. If you've ever played a title in the BF series, you're used to lots of classes, weapons, and vehicles. With "Heroes", your getting sort of the light version of that but it's all good. When one starts the game, the first indicator that it is a purely jovial game is the soundtrack. The guys in Ventrilo wouldn't stop singing the tune even weeks after we'd been playing. Once you're in game, the maps are bright, colorful, and relatively simple making them easy to navigate. The physics used in the game fits right in to as one is able to fly 50 feet in the air and safely return to Earth with very little or no damage.
A player has one of two sides to choose from, the Royals and the Nationals. Clearly this is a shout out to British (Royals) and German (Nationals) forces in World War II. Unlike other BF titles though, once you pick a side you're stuck there for life, or you could just make another character. Don't worry though, there is practically no difference in the sides when it comes to game play advantages. The vehicles for both sides function similarly, except for their visual appearance, and the classes and abilities are the same for both sides as well.
The first class is the gunner. This class is one tough sucker and normally I'd find myself getting taken down by them constantly. In addition to the damage they inflict, they can also take a good deal of damage in return. It is really the only class that can take down armor effectively (thanks to the always trusty bazooka) and it has a few tricks up its sleeves once the player truly figures the class out.
Then you have your sly, quick footed commando. One of the coolest things about this class is the ability to go invisible for a period of time and use your knife to slice your opponents into bits. The commando can also carry a Sniper Rifle which is extremely effective. The farther away your target is, the more damage you'll end up dealing. Overall, its effective at both close and long range but you will not want to be caught in the middle as you really have nothing on your side that helps you out other then your speed (it's the fastest of the three classes). It's a solid class and great for humiliating your friends when you stab them in the back (trust me, it happens).
Lastly, you have your jack-of-all-trades, the solider. He can pretty much do it all and is essential in any firefight thanks to the fact that he can administer large health boosts to any teammates fighting around him. He is a little underpowered compared to the other classes, but honestly he was my favorite while I played. It took about a week to truly be effective with this class though, but once you've figured it out, nothing can really stop you (except for those pesky tanks).
Personally, the only reason I play the BF titles is for the vehicles. They're always popular and overall just fun (as well as effective) to use. Naturally, there will always be guys storming off to win the fight by themselves, leaving you standing there spamming "I need a ride" or better yet, peppering their vehicle with bullets (which did I mention you never run out of). You have your standard jeep with the ability to carry two passengers and as always it came in handy when taking spawn points or just causing mayhem in general. The tank is ridiculously fast but it's not as effective against infantry as one would think and if three or four infantry coordinate on you, consider yourself dead. Mainly, it's all about the plane. I personally had trouble flying it and others said it was hard to get used to but once you get the hang of it, it's a blast. The dogfights were awesome and attacks on ground forces never get old. The best part is you can carry a passenger on each wing who can provide extra firepower as well as parachute into enemy spawns and take them. So while there is only three vehicles, the small maps, hectic game play, and pure fun makes it just the right amount.
Along with your three class system, there are hero points and valor points which one can use to unlock abilities, purchase weapons, and even some new threads. One nice thing to the leveling system in the game is the fact that you don't have to play for hours on end just to level. The EXP adds up fast and at times I was shocked I'd leveled so quickly. The best part about the system though is the fact that you can get refunds and trade out abilities or weapons. Say you purchase something and then can't use it to save your life, you can happily trade it in for something you can use, like fire bullets. Valor points are earned when one behaves bravely and completes specific objectives in the midst of battle. These can be spent on health packs and vehicle repair kits as well as weapons. Unfortunately, the weapon system requires you to constantly buy and re-buy your stuff or you'll be stuck with the default (which isn't that bad). The missions vary and you can only have three going during a round, so choose wisely. Also, if you want to add a new mission on, you have to completely logout and then log back in which can be kind of a drag.
Alas, EA has to make some money off this title so for all the CS whores out there, don't fret, Heroes has their own cash shop for you to waste your riches on. Your real world money will be magically transformed into battlefunds if you chose to use the cash shop. Thankfully, no edge can be gained by those wealthier players and practically all CS items up to this point consist of clothing or EXP boosters (as far as I know).
I had virtually no connection issues or lag when it came to playing and EA always seemed to find a near full server to drop me into and it generally was with people at or around my level which is fairly convenient. Unfortunately, playing with friends is tough and hosting your own server can't be done unless you rent one from EA. Maybe in the future, EA will give more control to the player but as for now, it stands like this.
Graphically, the game is fairly pleasing. Some say its a TF2 rip-off (I've never played TF2 so i wouldn't know) but frankly it seems like Nickelodeon or Disney designed everything and it works fairly well. Amid the terrible state of the world, its nice to be able to escape with some cartoon violence and the color and design aren't gritty like every other shooter out there which makes it unique.
Lastly, when it comes to the sound department, it's what you'd expect from a game like this. The honks and explosions are silly and the characters sayings even sillier and at times you almost expect everyone to break out into a pillow fight. It all fits though, and watch out for that theme, like I said before, it ridiculously catchy and you'll find yourself singing every time you play.
______________________________________________
Final Remarks:
It's free kids. I definitely recommend this title and the bang for the buck here is astonishing. Personally, my Source team has been playing this for about three months now and I don;t know if will ever go back (I'm sure we will but for the sake of the review lets say we wont). You won't be disappointed by what you get and hopefully content will be added down the road (I'm sure it will). Frankly, I own every BF title and EA has really done a good job here. There is no complexity, you can jump right in and play, and it all works very well together and shows just how solid this platform is. It fits both hardcore and casual gamers alike so grab a couple of friends and go play for an afternoon, I guarantee it'll suck you in. And even if it doesn't it's not like you paid anything.
______________________________________________
Presentation: 9/10
The game is ridiculously fresh and it's free.
Graphics and Audio: 9/10
Unique graphics that are hard to dislike, a catchy theme, and sound effects that fit but don't distract give it the whole package.
Gameplay: 10/10
I know this is pushing it, but once you get the hang of things, its hard to stop.
Replay Value: 8/10
The game is still young, so content is hopefully on its way and like all shooters, fraging never gets old.
______________________________________________
Overall: 9/10
It's without a doubt worth it.
Comments and criticism is welcome as this is my first guide.
[Review] Battlefield Heroes -
07-26-2009, 02:39 PM
Guess I could do one for 'splosion man.
Hybrid Mode
