Battlefield 2 Special Forces - 2005, Developed by DICE
Rated T for Teen

I spent more than a few hours (days is probably more appropriate) this summer playing DICE's popular shooter, Battlefield 2. Featuring expansive online play and gorgeous graphics, it was the bee's knees of military action. Now you can go elite with the expansion, Special Forces.

The expansion brings a lot to the Battlefield experience. Most notable of the additions is a plethora of new special forces gear, including smoke grenades, flash-bangs, and night vision goggles. The later of these come in quite handy in the selection of new maps--many of them taking place in the dark of night. There's also a few new weapons to play around with. Nothing too drastic or unbalancing to the gameplay, but it does bring some new life into the game.

The above mentioned maps are a mixed bunch. Nearly half are night-time raids (or at least have darkened areas) and all are mostly focused on infantry battles. There are a few new vehicles to be used (a Hind helicopter and just a plain old pick-up truck, among them), but most tactics involve using grappling hooks to flank the enemy.

I'd say that the biggest change made to the game is the pacing. In the original Battlefield 2, the size and scope of the maps created a more frenzied atmosphere. In Special Forces, however, things slow down considerably. For instance, when playing as an elite member of a spec-ops team, I don't feel as expendable. Every time I'm fragged (even though I know I will respawn in a few seconds), I feel a bit of personal loss. You're not just a faceless soldier, you're the best of the best. What this came down to for me was choosing to hold back more and not take the risks that made the original so fun.

Additionally, it wasn't just the gear that got expanded. The ridiculous loading times have been beefed up, too. Truly, the time it takes to load after you change your video settings is inexcusable. I'm talking nearly 10 minutes depending on your rig. By the time I actually got into the game, I didn't even want to play it.

In summation, Special Forces is a flawed expansion that brings a bit of variety to the Battlefield 2 experience. But at only $29.99 MSRP, it wont break the bank.

Rating: 3/5

~Khyron 2005