Battlefield 1943 for PlayStation 3 - Preview

Battlefield 1943 Hands-On Preview

By Brian Leahy - Posted Jun 24, 2009

Battlefield 1943 is the upcoming PSN/XBLA/PC update of Battlefield 1942, sporting new graphics, destructible buildings (it uses the Frostbite engine, which powered BF: Bad Company), and a simplified class system. You'll be rocking three different classes in 1943: Rifleman, Infantry, and Scout with the abilities from the Engineer and Anti-Tank classes spreading among the remaining three. Medics and healing have been removed entirely in favor of a regenerating health system (think Call of Duty and Halo) and all players get unlimited ammo. Factions are also limited to the US Marine Corps and Japanese Imperial Army.

If you aren't familiar with the Battlefield gameplay model, you'll be tasked with capturing and holding strategic points of fairly large maps. Combat takes place on foot, in tanks and jeeps, and high in the sky in planes. Each class snags a different weapon loadout and a mix of all classes is recommended for effective teamwork. Also, if you aren't familiar with the Battlefield gameplay model at this point, but you’ve always been curious... this is the game for you.

So how do these changes actually affect the game? The biggest change is actually the health system. In previous games, you'd need skilled medic play to stay alive for extended periods of time. Now, you just need to hit some cover for a few seconds and have some skills in order to keep fighting. It certainly helps keep the action fast-paced, but removes a lot of the tension from an old-school health system. Similarly, the unlimited ammo system keeps the game moving, but removes the tension of expending all of your ammo. Squad spawning is a welcome addition and thankfully helps you get into the action faster. Note, your enjoyment of a round of Battlefield is almost directly proportionate to the amount of players in the game. BF 1943 will support up to 24 players and you'll want to join servers near that count.

You see, Battlefield 1943 makes me want to play the original PC game. Mostly because I played the Medic class and he's no where to be found. If you're new to the franchise or have only played Bad Company, you might want to check this one out. It's a great introduction to the classic Battlefield gameplay, but ultimately lacks the depth of the original game. It plays well and Wake Island looks great in the Frostbite engine. At its core, the gameplay is intact and should be a huge hit for the console audiences. If you're planning on snagging this for PC, you might want to track down your 1942 (or Battlefield 2) discs instead.