During Episode 51 of The Somethingcast, which was recorded a few days ago, we talked about the Battlefield series, where it was going, and where we wanted it to go. In the end, we talked about how great it would be to revisit the series’ origins in World War II and remake 1942 with the knowledge they have gained during the creation of the past few Battlefield titles. The next day, Battlefield 1943 was announced as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. I guess they took our advice.

I spent a large chunk of my life running around Wake Island in Battlefield 1942. Playing 1943, I felt right at home, easily finding my way around the Xbox 360 controller and noticing how similar the layout is to Battlefield: Bad Company’s. It’s not exactly the same, I noted, throwing a grenade at my feet while trying to change weapons, but it’s similar. The similarities don’t stop there – 1943 shares an engine with Bad Company, which allows for highly destructible environments. The game’s producer, Gordon Van Dyke, said that there have been enhancements made which allow for buildings to be completely leveled. For fans of Bad Company, this means that hiding in a building is even more dangerous than it was before. For fans of 1942, it means that trees and signs are no longer the bane of automobiles.



Now on to the stuff that wasn’t as good: in an effort to alieviate the complication of having a medic and engineer, they were simply removed. Players now have unlimited ammunition and respawn quickly, and instead of having five or six classes, there are three: the scout, the soldier, and the anti-tank. I’m skeptical on whether or not cutting down on the amount of classes in the game will turn out to be a positive, but DICE feels fairly certain that they made the right call. Also on the cutting block are the game’s maps. As opposed to the dozen or so that usually ship with a Battlefield title, 1943 will only have three. Luckily, they are three of the most popular Battlefield 1942 maps, so I don’t think anyone will complain.

At the show, the game’s producer, Gordon Van Dyke, said that the game would be priced in line with the Xbox Live Arcade’s premium games at $15, which seems about perfect. It might not look to be the amazing next-generation of the Battlefield series, but I don’t think DICE has any intent to fool you into thinking it is. It’s an arcade game, even when compared to the rest of the series, and is more comparable to the upcoming Battlefield: Heroes than it is Battlefield 2142 in terms of what it is trying to achieve.  We’ll have more footage and an interview with Gordon later next week, so be sure to check back for more Battlefield news than you will know what to do with.

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