Battlefield 2: Modern Combat is split into two modes, a single-player offline campaign and an online multiplayer. Of the two, multiplayer is really where the fun is with the series. Multiplayer games allow for up to 24 players per game, though it only supports two match types. Conquest has you and your small army capturing and protecting hotspots scattered around a large map. These matches are more about control and teamwork as you really won't get too far by trying to go solo. Capture the Flag should by now be familiar to nearly every gamer as it has been a staple of multiplayer games for awhile now.
So you're probably asking yourself just what makes Battlefield such a unique experience. The big drawing factor with the series is the number of vehicles that you can take control of during matches in order to accomplish your goals. Modern Combat offers a wide selection of modern military vehicles that cover land, sea and air. Even better, multiple players can man some vehicles, so one can drive while the other shoots. If you need to, you can even call in air support via player-controlled helicopters, which, not surprisingly, are the first thing nearly every player on the map seems to go for first. In addition to a selection of vehicles, five troop types are also available, each with a specialty. Assault troopers are your main fighting grunts, while snipers are for long range tactics and Spec Ops are for those who want to go alone behind enemy lines. Support soldiers are for, as their name suggests, support while Engineers are around to help repair vehicles.
On the single-player side of things, you take the role of both NATO and Chinese forces in a near-future conflict in Kazakhstan. Unrest in the region spurs the U.N. to send a U.S.-led peacekeeping force in order to gain stability. Of course, this show of force by NATO makes the Chinese government a bit nervous, causing them to also send in their own forces in order to maintain control over certain interests in the area. During the game's 20-mission campaign, you'll switch between the two factions and see both sides of the conflict. While the missions themselves really aren't something to get excited about, the campaign structure itself is. As you swap sides, you'll also get to see media broadcasts detailing what has been going on in the conflict. Of course, both sides have their propaganda machines running at full steam, so it is entertaining to see how each details the missions you've just played.
The biggest problem with single-player campaign is that they tend to feel too much like multiplayer games instead of their own entities. There's no sense of control during matches since enemy troops will spawn in the most random of places; even in rooms you just cleared. While it can be argued that the single-player game isn't much more than practice for multiplayer, it still would have been nice if these considerations would have been taken into account as they really blow the atmosphere generated by the between-level news reports.
Other items, such as a ranking-rewards system and the quicker pacing of action, contribute to the game feeling like more of an arcade game than the PC version. Little things like multipliers for killing multiple enemies and other bonuses take away from the "team" aspect that makes Battlefield so enjoyable. Instead, it feels more like a one-person conflict, so players who enjoy going Rambo might get a little more enjoyment out of the experience.
