One of the bigger surprises to come from E3 this year was the announcement of Battlefield: Modern Combat for the PS2. A offshoot of the immensely popular Battlefield series, which has covered both WWII and more recently Vietnam, Modern Combat lets players use some of today's most hi-tech tools of war as they battle across massive environments with up to 24 of their friends online.
As in previous incarnations, EA is skirting sensitive political issues by not championing one country over another. The game takes place during a fictional conflict between the United States, China and a fictional coalition comprised of various countries from the Middle East. Each country will have its own particular weapons of war, giving each its own advantages and disadvantages on the battlefield. However, using the rock-paper-scissors gameplay found in the PC versions, no one country will have the ultimate advantage in combat.
Console gamers who may not keep up with the world of PC gaming may be left wondering just what the big deal is about Battlefield. It's just another war game, right? Wrong.
The magic of the Battlefield series is the sheer amount of freedom it allows player during a skirmish. You begin as a soldier on a field with a small army comprised of other players online. Sorry offline guys, this one is built for online play. As your army makes its way towards the enemy, you'll come across a myriad of weapons and vehicles that you can use during combat. Yeah, you heard me -- vehicles. You can crush all that oppose you from behind the cannon and treads of a tank, or take to the skies and reign down death from above in either a helicopter or jet. Modern Combat will feature over 70 state-of-the-art combat instruments, including heat-seeking missiles and laser-painted air-strikes. You'll also have over 30 vehicles to choose from, including jeeps, tanks and planes.
Even more impressive than the game's scope is that it will feature voice-chat and allow up to 24 players to participate in matches.
Console players can look forward to seeing what all the fuss is about soon.