In fact, it's a little too challenging given how easy it is to die. Battles for strategic points are always fiercely contested and the abundance of skilful sharpshooters out there makes this a challenging experience. The appeal of its intense, plug-and-play multiplayer action is its greatest asset. You'll crash to the ground repeatedly before you pull off a successful aerial assault, but the end result is most rewarding. The handling of the vehicles is very realistic, particularly the authentically obstinate plane controls. There is some variety to be found within each soldier class, for instance, infantrymen pack grenades and rocket launchers to take out enemy vehicles, scouts plant surreptitious explosives and riflemen have range on their side. We're all familiar with the base capture system, and here you'll find it in its purest form. With so few options at hand, the game relies solely on the addictive nature of its gameplay to keep you hooked. Successful players level up over time and ascend in rank, but this doesn't unlock any additional features, with the increase in stature serving as its own reward. As well as earning trophies, players are handed bonuses for racking up a high number of kills with a certain weapon, or the skilful handling of a particular vehicle. The game offers a broad rewards system for adept marksmen. You may be part of a team, but you are still free to wander the battlefield at will. Joining up with a squad isn't as restrictive as it might sound. For instance, players will respawn alongside other members of their group, and are awarded bonuses for avenging the death of a fallen comrade. The option to form squads of four has its advantages.
There are some interesting additions this time around. Core gameplay also features the commandeering of vehicles, with fighter aircraft and tanks at hand for assaults on enemy bases, and small boats available to transport troops across stretches of water. Each packs a unique arsenal, requiring careful strategy to harness its strengths. Like its predecessor Battlefield Heroes, the game offers a choice between three classes of soldier - an infantryman, a rifleman and a scout. Limited options aside, 1943 does provide online gaming enthusiasts some incentive to enlist. There is also no lobby, which means that the match you participate in is also left entirely to fate. There are only three maps and the game doesn't even have the courtesy to let you chose which one you do battle on. If you're lucky enough to have 16 friends who all happen to own a current generation console along with a copy of the game, you can engage in a private battle, otherwise you'll have to dive into a quick match with a band of strangers. There is no single-player campaign and just two online multiplayer modes supporting up to 24 players.
Sceptics may say that developer DICE was always fighting a losing battle in its attempt to cram the Battlefield formula into a digital package, and it first glance it would appear that naysayers are right. All of the essential ingredients have been crammed into this download-only title, but anyone looking for more than that will be left disappointed. Set against war-torn backdrops in the Pacific, 1943 strives to capture the essence of its visceral predecessors and deliver an authentic frontline experience. Digitally distributed titles have come a long way since the early 2D shooters that debuted during Xbox Live's formative years, and EA's Battlefield 1943 is indicative of this.
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