What is it? - The fourth game of battlefield's legendary series base on future war environment of 2142.

Game profile - Award winning future war simulation.

The good about it - plenty of mods provided by EA.

The bad about it - little extra-ordinary game experience.

I rate it - 6.5/10



Battlefield series by Electronic Arts is one of the played and beloved games by todays gamers. After great success of Battlefield 2, EA

The basics of Battlefield gameplay is that there are two huge teams running around a huge map in order to try to retain control over 5 specific places (flags). To achieve this objective, each player can choose from a variety of specialist functions, and each team has a number of vehicles at their disposal.

Previous Battlefield games revolved around the Conquest gameplay mode, which in 2142 remains unchanged insofar as I can tell. Although there are a few variations, the general theme is that each team starts with a limited number of times it's players can respawn, and holding more than half of the flags steadily depletes your enemy's number (as does killing them). I immediately disliked it, and still only enjoy a select few maps in this mode.

It takes some time to learn to minimise the highly frustrating deaths that can seem outside your control, "favourites" being spawning in an air transport a second before it plummets into the ground, stepping out a vehicle just as it moves an inch more, being blasted to smithereens while failing miserably to free your tank from some minor foliage, walking into the overpowered yet miniscule sentry guns, or the sudden appearance of "respawning in 10" with no apparent cause even in the console. If you can control the initial desire to scrub your PC of the bastard game and gleefully torture the disk with a lighter and penknife, there is a lot of enjoyment to be had.




























































With the large number of objectives and people to complete them, games can turn into a scrabble of a skirmish, which can leave the player feeling a little aimless. It is quite a contrast when you get a good game going, with the well designed squad system dividing players into small, effective teams - teamplay is heavily rewarded in BF2142, both via results and via the artificial points system. Clans from other games, typically limited to a pool of 8 players at most, scoff at the huge clan armies that exist in Battlefield. Clanning in Battlefield is often more public-server focused however - it rapidly becomes clear that any loose affiliation of players will more regularly be able to find a solid squad to join. A good squad makes the difference from a game that can be quite fun and a game that is a lot of fun.

The slip of paper previously mentioned refers to the monitoring of ingame advertising, a subject which deserves an article in itself. I'm not ecstatic about adverts within games, and it is difficult to imagine them being thematic, given it's supposed to be the year 2142 during an ice age and everybody at war. The adverts haven't been activated yet but there are a significant number of billboards that look likely positioning, my impression is they will detract somewhat from the theme but otherwise not get in the way. Server hosts must have awfully sore backsides by now, they pay for all the hardware, bandwidth and maintenance (not to mention the EA Rank tax) that is utterly crucial to the game and yet who is getting paid from the advertising being displayed to players on their servers? Consumers should be wondering why they are being bombarded with marketing and yet receiving no price discount.

Copyright protection is further evidence of the focus on revenue. CDKeys are required for installation, and online authentication, so it is excessive to require that the DVD be in the drive for online play. How much does all this copyright protection cost anyway?

Battlefield 2142 gameplay is fun and interesting, despite it's flaws. Take any review site that breaks scores down into categories and I'd have to give it a good 7 or 8 out of 10 for each, it deserves it for graphics, sound, gameplay - all the usual categories. It's a multitude of other things that drags it down, has you sighing when you should be grinning. Granted, some of these issues are the fixable kind, but if comments from BF2 players are anything to go by I'm only so optimistic, despite the promise. One can't help wondering if this would have been a really great .

Ths is good buy for now.

Half-life 2

What is it? - Half-Life was one of the most groundbreaking and industry-changing games of all time. This is part 2 of Half-Life.

Game profile - worlds largest gaming community.

The good about it - amazing gameplay both in singleplayer and multiplayer.

The bad about it - a bit costly but it worth.



Half-Life was one of the most groundbreaking and industry-changing games of all time. Countless shooters since have followed the successful title’s lead and build games more involved in and around a storyline as well as adding elements to suck you further into the environment.

As such, Half-Life 2 was one of the most highly anticipated titles ever. Given the problems surrounding its release, the game was even more sought-after than ever. Now it’s finally here and it most certainly doesn’t disappoint. While not nearly as innovative as its predecessor, it builds on the original’s foundation and brings you a truly incredible gameplay experience.

You again play as Gordon Freeman, the physicist turned galactic-warrior in his quest to liberate humanity. This time, the world has been taken over by some alien power called the Combine. A few humans are setup as rulers over what’s left of humanity in order to help maintain rule. A few of Gordon’s old friends and enemies have returned to join the battle, but you won’t have much time to reminisce.

If you’re confused by the bottle-tossing comment, you have obviously not heard a lot about the game. Almost everything in the environment can be manipulated. You can pick things up and throw them or use them at will. Heavier items can be picked up and used with the use of a gravity gun which you pick up at some point throughout the game. In the beginning of the game, before the action begins, you’re sequestered in a place called City 17. There are human guards all around and you’re constantly being spoken to by the “leadership” of the new world via telepromts and screens which are all over the place. It’s a kind of futuristic, camp for human renegades and the atmosphere which it creates and the tone it sets for the rest of the game are spectacular.


























































In the first couple of minutes, there are a couple of moments which really demonstrate how great this game is. First, you are forced through a hallway on the way to City 17. As you’ve been pushed around by lightning stick toting guards, you finally come to a hallway with a door which is guarded by yet another guard. As you approach, the guard whips out his lightning stick, flips a soda pop can off the top of a garbage can and says, “Pick that up.” Awesome. The interaction with the world and the game scripting is incredible. As you pick up the pop can, he tells you to throw it away. Some people may have tossed it in the trash, but the majority of us rebels tossed the can at the guard. He then activates his lighting stick and chases after you. Hillarious. Usually this sets off a can and bottle tossing rampage which continues for several minutes for new users.

A second moment is when you are running through some tunnels after the action kicks in. basically, the entire city is searching for you and you are running like crazy to get away. Helicopters blaze in and hover round and about. If you have surround sound speakers, you will be blown away at this point. The sounds of the helicopters from above echoing through the hallways is amazing. Truly an experience which in and of itself, is worth the price of admission.

These are only a couple of examples of the great gameplay that awaits you in Half-Life 2. The game plays so fluidly and the action is so non-stop that it is a must have for Christmas, if not before.

Battlefield 2

What is it? - Its a third game in battlefield series and it is even more fantastic then others.

Game profile - over 100 awards winner.

The good about it - extreme realistic modern war.

The bad about it - no focus on singleplayer mode.

I rate it - 9/10





Battlefield 2 is actually the third game in the Battlefield series and takes the game to a whole new level. Although the premise of the game is exactly the same as in the previous two titles EA and Digital Illusions have added squad based game-play, modern weaponry and also given the graphics and computer AI a huge boost resulting in the best PC FPS to hit the stores since Halflife2.

Battlefield 2 has only one mode of game-play which sounds like it could be a problem but when you see how good the game-play mode is you will have no complaints. The game-play is a map conquest with two teams starting with 8, 16 or 32 players each and a set amount of spawn tickets. When you die, as long as your team has spawn tickets available, you can re-spawn as many times as you like. When the battle begins, the battlefield has an equal amount of spawn points per team. The aim of the game is to capture the opponents spawn points (represented by flags) and take control of the battlefield. If the battlefield is completely ruled by one team then the opposing team cannot re-spawn. The other eventuality is if one team runs out of tickets. When you join the battle you choose a soldier type like assault, Special Forces, medic, engineer etc and this choice gives you set weapons and facilities which will dictate your role in the battle. You can change your kit mid-battle by picking up the kit of any dead soldier this instantly gives you their weaponry. Medics need to be reviving casualties on the battle field and generally topping up their squads health. Engineers need to do the same but with machines such as tank, cars etc.

Due to the new squad based game-play you can now group together a handy little pack of players who can look out for each other and stop people having to spawn back at base away from the action. Each squad can up its chance of survival by having a good balance of skills to hand. If your squad has a medic or two, an engineer, some infantry and a sniper for cover plus a decent commander then you have a very good chance of being able to advance through the enemies' lines with great effect, especially if your squad sticks together and uses the available communications and vehicles well.

























































Battlefield 2 has all the modes of communication you could ask for. The keyboard and mouse order system works very well but it the voice over IP system that you will want to use. There is nothing like yelling or taking orders from fellow team mates such as “cover me” or “lets wait here” or “go, go, go”! To help your communications the voice system has been designed around the squads. So instead of having everyone talking at once you can only hear commands from your squad.

The control you have over your player in battle and over vehicles and weapons still has a very similar feel to the previous battlefield titles. This can be described as fairly sloppy and unrealistic. This is not where the advancements have been. I am a Counter Strike player which is also an online team based FPS but there is not really any other point of comparison between the two titles. Counter Strike is about precession where Battlefield two is about experiencing the vastness of a raging war.

Battlefield has some of the best audio I have ever heard in a game. This is the most authentic battle opera ever. You can spawn right in the middle of the action with air strikes going off, helicopters being shot out of the sky, bullets whizzing everywhere and cries of the injured all around. Or you can spawn well away from the action where all you can here is the distant rumble of battle, trucks and tanks leaving your base, wind blowing through the trees and even the subtlety a fly buzzing about your head.

If you played either of the previous titles then you will know what to expect. I cannot stress how good the advancements are so the best thing to do is find out for yourself. If you are new to Battlefield but like the sound of what you are hearing then you will not be disappointed. Battlefield is the closest you will get to the experience of war and the fact that you can now develop a clan within the Battlefield world takes the possibilities to an unquantifiable new high.

This is real modern war simulation.

Counter Strike:Source

What is it? - Counter Strike:Source is mod for Half-Life 2. but also available separately from half-Life 2.

Game profile - It is among few most played game on internet.

The good about it - massive online community.

The bad about it - no singleplayer mode playable.

I rate it - 9/10


Originally, the game was a grassroots mod project, forged upon the original Half-Life. From these humble beginnings, it quickly became the most popular online shooter ever. Two of the game's principal designers went on to join the ranks of Half-Life designer Valve and have helped update Counter-Strike to make use of Half-Life 2's famous Source graphics engine.

Counter Strike: Source is, essentially, a visually-stunning port of the original: all the classic maps with the exact same game play. There are a variety of realistic weapons you can buy at the beginning of the round. Weapons fire with the touch of imprecision that reality mandates. And you only have one life, with no re-spawns. After one breezy round when the victorious team has been decided, another round starts up.

The game looks more beautiful than ever, with structures that feel weighty and solid and little visual touches throughout. The flash-bangs look fantastic. First, there's a blurry distortion as the screen melts into two blurred out of focus shots that slowly blend back together. The ringing and blindness! Rag doll physics now govern the death animations, so watch for keen and gruesome deaths. Great stuff.

The online network filter works excellently; finding a good, smooth running game is easier than ever. While HL2's Havoc physics have been integrated into CS:S, the game does not utilize them in the key gameplay. Cover cannot be destroyed. Nor will you be able to chuck boxes and guns at your opponents. You can crouch, but unlike most military games, you can not go prone. Admittedly, with the fast pace of the game, there is little reason for that option besides sniping. Prone would probably be too much of an advantage and alter the game's balance too drastically. Also, some of the newer but mostly inconsequential additions to the game from recent upgrades aren't here, like blast shields.

It's hard to argue against free. Counter Strike: Source is included with both retail boxes of Half-Life 2 and any version of the Steam-purchased Halflife 2. If I had to pay for this as a separate product, I'd be miffed. Perhaps later, there will be a complete reinvention and overhaul; but as a free upgrade for one of the greatest online games ever created, it's definitely worthwhile.

A fantastic game for you.

Call of Duty 2

What is it? - after the great success of Call of Duty, Activision introduced the this great game base on same WWII Story with more exiting features.

Game profile - the next part of call of duty which won over 80 game of the year awards.

The good about it - this great game reminds you the taste of world war 2.

The bad about it - multiplayer is so much same to earlier version of the game (call of duty).

I rate it - 8.6/10

WWII games have been saturating the market lately so standing out is becoming increasingly difficult. I mean, how many times can storm the beaches at Normandy or hold the line at Stalingrad? Well, at least one more time as Call of Duty 2 captures that realistic edge that brought success to its predecessor. Although it doesn’t have the edge that Brothers in Arms had with the raw language and more graphic war scenes, but you will get a strong sense of how it must have been.

To give a quick overview, Call of Duty 2 is broken up into three different battles, Normandy where you storm the beach as Americans, Stalingrad where the Russians hold their city, and North Africa where the British fight across the desert. Where many other WWII games often miss the mark is capturing the accuracy of these battles. Often you can end up firing at men who just stand and shoot or walk at you firing. Having a reasonably intelligent enemy makes a huge difference especially in a FPS and you’ve definitely got that here. They’ll hide behind cover and fire when appropriate, swarm when they have the advantage, and throw grenades to flush you out and push you back.

Keep in mind however that this is still your basic FPS game. Don’t expect must different in gameplay then the original but I wouldn’t expect many to take issue with it. It still works well and the control system is effective. Probably my one big complaint is the lack of a health indication. Basically you can tell when you getting hit and when you near death but not much else. Part of this may be due to the way you are healed which happens quickly and automatically. So you’re in a fight for instance, take a few hits and move on. Probably by the time you run into the next enemy, you’ll be mostly healed, especially if you catch you breath for a few seconds. That may sound like the game is too easy and in some ways it can be, but have to fear, you’ll find yourself restarting from the last checkpoint many times.



























































As you can imagine, since Call of Duty 2 is coming out on the Xbox 360 as well, the graphics are impressive. Although you won’t witness them in their glory without a high end video card, there aren’t any corners cut here. Detailed textures, weather effects, realistic explosions all put together a solid performance. The only issue I had was some slow down issues when too much was going on. In addition, the audio was spot-on with realistic war effects from gun fire to soldier chatter.

You will have plenty of options to set according to your hardware.

F.E.A.R.

What is it - The game that will let down to the ground if you are not rock strong hearted.

Game profile - this game pull consoles more behind then PC.

The good about it - great singleplayer and multiplayer.

The bad about it - need much GPU potential to run properly.

I rate it - 9/10




This game has lot of things to show off. A lot of the appeal is down to the game’s much-hyped ‘bullet time’ feature. F.E.A.R. regularly hits you with unbeatable odds, and the only way to survive is to take control of time. You hit the key, the screen blurs, colours lighten and suddenly you’re in the middle of the most beautifully choreographed action scene in PC gaming history. A leap into the fray, turn, fire. Watch the bullets streak past and the spent cartridges fly out. Hit the ground, pivot, shoot again. Perfect headshot. Another faceless trooper tumbles to the ground. A shot flies out from the rear. Spin, aim, fire another burst. With a whoosh, time settles back to normal speed, and you’re (hopefully) surrounded by corpses. It’s a genuinely brilliant trick.

And F.E.A.R. uses it again and again and again. You can do sections of the game without ever touching the slowmo key, but on a decent difficulty level the game practically grabs you by the collar and demands you to. It’s not just the numbers of your enemy, it’s their intelligence. These guys will make use of cover, race to outflank you, band together to surround you, and find alternate routes in order to surprise you. They won’t go down easy, and they’re happy to riddle you with suppressive file. Outside of online games, I’ve never found opponents who make combat such an exhilarating, challenging experience. The ordinary troops – a bunch of armoured clones – are bad enough, but once the game starts throwing in the heavy troops and ultra-fast, camouflaged cyber-ninjas, it takes nerves of steel not to run home crying to mummy.

First, let’s talk about the environments. Aren’t we all getting tired of the same industrial complexes, the same walkways, the same service tunnels, ventilator shafts, crates and ladders. Well, F.E.A.R. wheels out all the familiar clichés in its first third, then hits you with another series of office block clichés in its second. It’s realistic. It looks beautiful, but there is nothing here to take your breath away – nothing that you haven’t seen before.

Also, while the levels are well designed and the scary bits provide their share of standout moments, this isn’t a game full of stunning set pieces. Don’t get me wrong – it’s packed to the gills with great gunfights, but after a while they all start merging into one. And as for the enemies….simply put, there aren’t enough of them, and once you’ve taken down the umpteenth squad of clones, you begin to get tired and wish for something else. The ninjas and the heavy dudes are great, but we really needed a little more variety.

Fear, thrill, blood and potential these are most suitable words for this game.