CNET Networks Entertainment GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer | Metacritic | MP3.com | TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games Books TV
Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

xx Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
53 AGON: The Lost Sword Of Toledo
xx Arctic Stud Poker Run
78 Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition
85 AudioSurf
xx Avernum 5
xx Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
63 Bus Driver
xx Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
65 City Life 2008 Edition
67 Club, The
77 Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath
58 Conflict: Denied Ops
xx Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Come
xx Cry of the Infected
xx Dancing with the Stars
xx Devil May Cry 4
xx Diamonds in the Rough
xx Dracula: Origin
xx Dream Pinball 3D
xx EA Sports GameShow
75 Europa Universalis: Rome
71 Experiment, The
xx Fate of Hellas
xx Ford Racing Off Road
72 Frontlines: Fuel of War
xx Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor
xx Galactic Command Echo Squad SE
xx Golden Horde, The
xx Great War Nations: The Spartans
xx GRID
xx Happy Tree Friends False Alarm
58 Hard to be a God
xx Highlander
xx Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge
xx History Channel: Lost Worlds, The
xx Hope Springs Eternal
xx Hour of Victory
63 Imperium Romanum
xx Incredible Hulk, The
xx Iron Man
68 Jack Keane
xx King of Clubs
xx Kung Fu Panda
xx Left 4 Dead
xx Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne- The Kamael
77 Lost Crown: A Ghost-hunting Adventure, The
58 Lost Empire: Immortals
xx Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition
52 Lost: Via Domus
xx Magic: The Gathering Online III
xx Mass Effect
xx My Horse and Me
xx Napoleon's Campaigns
57 Ninja Reflex: Steamworks Edition
xx Noitu Love 2: Devolution
xx NOMBZ: Night of a Million Billion Zombies
60 Obscure: The Aftermath
72 Overclocked: A History of Violence
xx Panzer Command: Kharkov
xx PDC World Championship Darts 2008
70 Penny Arcade Adventures Epsiode One: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
77 Penumbra: Black Plague
xx Pet Vet 3D: Animal Hospital Down Under
77 Pirates of the Burning Sea
xx Powerboat GT
72 Rail Simulator
xx Requiem: Bloodymare
69 RHEM 3
68 Riddle of the Tomb
xx RPG Maker VX
61 Saga
79 Sam & Max Episode 203: Night of the Raving Dead
84 Sam & Max Episode 204: Chariots of the Dogs
85 Sam & Max Episode 205: What's New, Beelzebub?
75 Savage 2: A Tortured Soul
xx Settlers: Rise of an Empire - The Eastern Realm, The
36 Seven Kingdoms: Conquest
81 Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis
xx Ship Simulator 2008: New Horizons
xx Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific U-Boat Missions
xx SimCity Societies Destinations
xx Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens
73 Sims 2: FreeTime, The
xx Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff, The
73 Sims Castaway Stories, The
88 Sins of a Solar Empire
xx So Blonde
xx SpaceForce Captains
xx Spandex Force
60 Spiderwick Chronicles, The
xx Spore Creature Creator
41 Stranger
xx Strategic Command 2: Patton Drives East
xx Stronghold Crusader Extreme
63 Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory
xx Supreme Ruler 2020
79 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
xx Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
xx Top Trumps: Doctor Who
xx TrackMania Nations Forever
85 Trials 2: Second Edition
39 Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
xx Turok
xx UEFA Euro 2008
71 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm
65 Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Battle March
58 Warriors Orochi
74 Wonderful End of the World, The
xx XIII Century: Death or Glory

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Battlefield 2 pc Game Reviews
Battlefield 2
Critic Score
Metascore: 91 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.7 out of 10
based on 55 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 236 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, China, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 100 players in some of the largest online battles on the PC. Battlefield 2 features immense, richly detailed, destructible environments, from city streets to remote forests, in some of the most notorious hot spots around the world. Each map in Battlefield 2 adjusts in scale to support the number of players in the world, providing the ideal vehicle-to-player ratio and an optimized game play experience. Enhanced team play features allow players to enter the action on the front lines as part of a formal squad, or work behind the scenes in Commander Mode to direct the strategic assaults of their teammates. With in-game success, players increase their rank from recruit all the way to General and unlock awards, including new weapons, vehicle decals, medals, and more. Additionally, Battlefield 2 showcases an all-new game engine and physics system to bring the modern battlefield to life like never before. The new material penetration feature measures weapons' ability to fire through barriers based on their composition and players will need to know the difference between concealment and cover in order to survive. [Electronic Arts]

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts
DEVELOPER: Digital Illusions
GENRE(S): First-Person Shooter, Action
PLAYERS: 64
ESRB RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2005

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
GameSpy
Once you strap into an F/A-18 and rocket over the landscape, once you're crouched next to a tank trying valiantly to repair it while bullets ping off of the armor inches above your head, once you defend a waypoint and ask for new orders from your commander over the radio, all of those nitpicks about map balance or sniper power fade.
Read Full Review
100
Yahoo! Games
With incredible communication tools, top-notch visuals, and a fantastic balance of vehicles and classes, EA has won the battle and the war of online team-based shooters.
Read Full Review
100
Computer Gaming World
The neat thing is that none of it?the chain of command, the elitist bands of E-brothers, the Patton-approved battle plans?needs to matter, at least to the curious weekend commando looking to pop into a public server and simply shoot somebody.
Read Full Review
100
Times Online
The game is at its best when played online or across large networks, since real opponents can be ingenious and make better fidgety targets.
Read Full Review
100
Detroit Free Press
Want more statistics? You got 'em. More ways to contribute to your team (and rewards for doing so) for things like healing and supplies? Done. Better graphics? Much, much, much better. Same great zippy action as you move from tank to helicopter to foot? You bet.
Read Full Review
100
G4 TV
Each class changes the game so drastically that when you grow tired of slinging lead in the alleys, you can always go spec ops or engineer for a completely new experience. The depth and quality here is just staggering, and you won't find a better multiplayer shooter on the PC.
Read Full Review
97
Game Chronicles
Much like the real military, Battlefield 2 is not just a game, it?s a way of life.
Read Full Review
96
XGP Gaming
When people get together and play as a team, the game truly shines. Battlefield 2 is the ultimate package. You?ve got gorgeous visuals, excellent gameplay and superb sound.
Read Full Review
95
Loaded Inc
When it?s all said and done, Battlefield 2 is one of those games that justifies upgrading ones computer and splurging for the sometimes-pricey broadband connection. It?s a fulfilling experience through and through.
Read Full Review
95
Gamer's Hell
Easily the best online experience I?ve ever had. Even with a few shortcomings like a horrible in-game server browser and extremely long and boring load times, Battlefield 2 is still a step ahead of the rest.
Read Full Review
95
PGNx Media
An amazing game. Digital Illusions has done what many considered impossible: made a game better, and more fun than "Battlefield 1942."
Read Full Review
95
Da Gameboyz
DICE and EA have nailed it with Battlefield 2. I'm hooked, and you should be too.
Read Full Review
94
Computer and Video Games
Graphically it's stunning to behold, geographically vast to explore and whereas the first two games in the series were typified by the anarchic rushes for armour, BF2 promotes and rewards altruism and teamwork like no other.
Read Full Review
94
BonusStage
Simply put, if you can get past all the damn bugs in the online game, Battlefield 2 is hands-down the best PC game you?ll probably ever play in your life. Well, that?s at least until the next installment comes out.
Read Full Review
94
PC Gamer
It's finely tuned maps and balanced gameplay prove that you CAN improve on perfection. [Sept 2005, p.56]
94
Pelit (Finland)
An excellent modern-day multiplayer FPS. The game has an amazing atmosphere and the arcade-ish gameplay makes it fun to play. [Aug. 05]
93
Game Informer
A masterpiece. [Aug 2005, p.104]
93
GameSpot
A thrilling testament to how great PC gaming can be. It packs unmatched gameplay, impressive visuals, and endless replayability in one exquisite package. And it's, by far, the most fun that we've had with a PC game this year.
Read Full Review
92
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Battlefield 2 is a fantastic online shooter, and possibly one of the best we?ve played. The attention to detail, the features and the fantastically designed maps combine to make a brilliant game.
Read Full Review
92
Worth Playing
It's so well put together that the flaws that do stand out are minor, and while they do add up, they are generally forgotten about once you actually get into the game. It has definitely seized the top spot in its genre.
Read Full Review
92
GameZone
BF2 is one of the best FPS modern day wargames to date in my opinion. You gotta have it!
Read Full Review
91
PC Format
Exhilarating to the point of giddiness. This is a martial masterpiece. [Aug 2005, p.80]
Read Full Review
91
FiringSquad
Those looking for a completely new gameplay experience will be disappointed, as will those hoping for more realism. However, if you're looking for a faster, cleaner and more polished Battlefield, this is it. Digital Illusions didn't roll any dice on this one (pardon the pun), they stuck to the formula but fleshed it out and polished it up.
Read Full Review
90
Boomtown
A great round of applause then for DICE for making a game that improves the concept and gameplay as well as Battlefield 2 does it.
Read Full Review
90
EuroGamer
On a server packed full of humans, with a decent commander and motivated, organised squads it plays like an absolute dream. So hurrah for that.
Read Full Review
90
GamerFeed
The available maps are enormous, and the player is overwhelmed by the feel of modern warfare as jets race across the sky, choppers hover overhead, and tanks roll across the roads.
Read Full Review
90
eToychest
There are only two things that keep Battlefield 2 from online perfection. The first and most formidable of the two is the terrible browser used to navigate the game?s servers. It?s slow, inaccurate, and downright frustrating at times.
Read Full Review
90
ActionTrip
While Battlefield 2 doesn't make any huge leaps over its predecessor, it is a very, very good game, and the more you play it, the more you'll notice how good it is. DICE Sweden knows their stuff.
Read Full Review
90
PC Gameworld
If first person shooters are your bag, be sure to peel this banana and taste its sweet bounty.
Read Full Review
90
Edge Magazine
A much-needed statement of authority for PC - an online spectacle that eclipses the grand rhetoric volleyed back and forth between the manufacturers of tomorrow's super-powered consoles. A new level of multiplayer combat begins here and now, with shock and awe.
Read Full Review
90
Cheat Code Central
The animation is smooth and the sound effects are top shelf. Bullets whiz by, explosions echo in the valley and the screams of the enemy play like a sadistic symphony across the bloody fields. War has never been this much fun.
Read Full Review
90
Pelaaja (Finland)
Team-based combat has been attempted in many games before, but it?s never been as well pulled of as in Battlefield 2. If this game doesn?t create some great team-play action on public servers, then nothing will. [July 2005, p.70]
90
games(TM)
Battlefield 2 represents a far better understanding of what war actually entails; an effort to put the player in the heart of a battle where advancement is more strategic than just running around looking for a target. [Aug 2005, p.90]
90
Sydney Morning Herald
Playing with dozens of real-life comrades is exhilarating.
Read Full Review
90
PALGN
One of the strongest multiplayer shooters on the market. With classes that compliment each other, a brilliant squad system, and fast, furious gameplay, Battlefield 2 is about as much fun as online shooters get. An easy contender for game of the year.
Read Full Review
90
Play Magazine
There's a clear and steady stream of tactical flow across virtually every map, a rare feat in and of itself. [Aug 2005, p.66]
90
Thunderbolt
Team play innovations, graphical supremacy and the thundering roar of enemy jets combined with persistent stats all work together to really put you There. There being any one of the varied, immaculately crafted maps, each available in 16, 32 and 64 player sizes.
Read Full Review
90
WHAM! Gaming
A phenomenal game if it runs on your machine. While it is not exactly the dynamic battlefield that EA had hyped, it is one of the most enjoyable multiplayer first person shooters to come out in years.
Read Full Review
90
AceGamez
You've got love a game that can have you dodging bullets as you ride through an enemy base in a buggy, guns blazing one minute, then sneaking onto an enemy runway, blowing their aircraft to pieces and stealing one of their helicopters to escape the next. The variety is what makes Battlefield 2 the enjoyable game it is; the unpredictability means it rarely gets repetitive.
Read Full Review
90
Computer Games Magazine
Perhaps the single most thrilling instance of how far shooters have come. [Sept 2005, p.44]
90
Xequted
If you've got a powerful enough system, you simply must take advantage of it and buy Battlefield 2.
90
Games Radar
If your machine is up to it, you won?t find a better team game than Battlefield 2, period.
Read Full Review
89
Gamers' Temple
On the field of multiplayer shooter combat, Battlefield 2 conquers the competition with shock and awe.
Read Full Review
89
IGN
The thing to remember about Battlefield 2 is that it's exceptionally fun.
Read Full Review
88
Inside Gamer Online
An excellent step in the evolution of the series, featuring strong improvements to communication in action games while retaining the hectic nature of the combat so familiar to fans.
Read Full Review
88
Next Level Gaming
For those of you that like multiplayer games then you have a winner in Battlefield 2. If, however, you are a single player fan like myself then I?m sorry, but there are better FPS out there for you, including "Battlefield 1942."
Read Full Review
87
2404.org
If you have a clan or a group of friends that want to go fighting together, it is a great way to spend a couple of hours.
Read Full Review
87
Gaming Nexus
It?s one of the few games where I?ve had a ton of fun even when I m losing a match. I?ve had many cool experiences playing it and a lot of ?did I just see that? moments but all of that is crapped on by the bugs and quirks in the game.
Read Full Review
85
1UP
Battlefield 2 absolutely sets a new standard for multiplayer combat on a grand scale, but the final result is evolutionary, not revolutionary, so the the proposition is a little bit tricky.
Read Full Review
84
Game Over Online
The game is excellent, merely sabotaged by lack of polish and in some circumstances, by human behaviour. I wouldn?t punish Dice for being adventurous.
Read Full Review
83
Game Revolution
Now if only DICE can figure out how to address some of the issues that have plagued the Battlefield games since 1942, like bad single-player content and a pervasively noob-hostile atmosphere, we'd be in gaming heaven. As it stands, we're slightly below that.
Read Full Review
80
VideoGamesLife
Looks gorgeous and its gameplay is intense and ambitious. There are just enough new features to justify its massive hype, giving fans of the series many reasons to be excited. But it is not yet the finished article.
Read Full Review
80
3DAvenue
In all areas it has the credentials but the bugs all point towards another EA title that has been rushed out the door... Its squad based tactics are rewarding and the overall game does have the right fun factor to go along with the diverse gaming options.
Read Full Review
80
GamePro
While Battlefield 2 definitely shines as the most impressive in the series, the lack of advancement to gameplay may give it a shorter lifespan than the original.
Read Full Review
70
GameShark
Battlefield 2 is a game that can offer tremendous amounts of online fun, but the effort required to actually get there is almost a turn-off in itself at times.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 236 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mike N. gave it a5:
Played for about 2 years on various top o the line PCs. Good fun for a while but it has glaring balance issues and problems from release with bugs/glitches/bad code. Theres also problems with the hitboxes on models causing hits not to register. This means you can repeatedly knife someone in the face and they dont die... among other things. Support by EA has been so poor that they have had to actually withdraw their infrequent and badly needed patches, they made things worse in some respects. It has "issues" with some hardware combinations, as I personally discovered. I had to UNDERCLOCK some RAM on one PC ( PC was way above system requirements) as it couldn't handle the speed. It will probably work fine for you but dont surprised if your awesome gaming PC has lots of disconnects or crashes to desktop. This is the only program in years that I've seen reset any of my computers. Its a good game, it could have been the best multiplayer game ever but EA rushed it out in a beta stage and never bothered to finish it.

Lewis W. gave it a5:
Great fun at the start, however... After you have played it for a while you realise that its a bit shallow. The overpowered Vechiles take most of the fun of infantry combat away and oversized maps make it feel empty and also forces you to use vechiles to get anywhere in a reasanable time. The new commander feature is basically a guy that can fire artillery at spawn points before they can be captured. If you are a begineer to the series you will not find any help in controling the complicated aircraft and when you DO crash them into the ground you will be repeatedly called a newbie by everyone, this is just one of those games that attracts those types of people. Gamplay aside its not worth trying to get the game to work, EA are notorious for their bugs, crashs and freezes and this game is no exeption. If your a fan of the series this game will be fine, but as a newbie to the game, dont bother.

Elias O. gave it a7:
I've had alot of fun with this game.. :-) Love the squad action.

Salo M. gave it a10:
Really... Really fun... My cousin is a Counter Strike nut, when I showed the game to him... He was completely amazed... So as I the first time I played it... It has everything you could ask for a shooter and much, much more... Fancy Directx 9 graphics?, it has them... amazing surround sound?, you don't hear the bullets, you feel them... vehicle combat?, the answer is, what do you want to ride?, an helicopter?, a harrier?, a boat?, a buggy?, an army Hummer?... here in Mexico, I bought the game almost for free, it was about $15 dollars, it's in spanish, but you can change the language to english before installing it... it's simply amazing... the only backdraw, it's the loading time, so I would recommend to play it on a machine faster than 512 of RAM.

Oliver W. gave it a10:
I cannot find a better game (online multiplayer) than BF2. Every game is different, and with jets to infantry this is an immense production. Choose to be a lone wolf sniper or team up to revive fallen comrades - Brilliant. It takes years (literally) to be promoted to top general, so take care of that DVD!

Greg G. gave it a10:
Great game, it is probably still the best first person shooter out there. It doesn't require huge computer upgrades to play and as long as you have a fast internet connection and you know how to use a computer (Unlike Merritt L. or S.D.) then it will be one of the greatest gaming experiences of your life.

Honcho Ryan C. gave it a7:
A 7 this a good most of the time. before you six hours have gone by. While it works most of the there are problems. I went bought the nice big include all games bf2 complete edition for $40. Let say on the one dvd. It took well over an hour to install. The first time while it was patching itself, stopped froze had to restart. eventually worked, not my other okay computer for some reason. The first thing noticed I could not play euroforce, code did NOT work. Had to take itback. I only got a new cause I knew the geek squad at best buy. the works. Other than all the other dumb crap I'v been through such sum random crashes I can put up with. But what really got me mad was the stats tracker from ea stopped working right before I would have got some guns. Big pisser, That is what got me mad. let's just this there help support phone is a robot that was zero help at all. After the stats problem I have not played BF2 since.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | BOOKS | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

About CNET Networks | Jobs | Advertise | Partnerships                                Visit other CNET Networks sites:

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use