Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10195 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Released on: 2006-06-16
• Platform: Windows XP

Customer Reviews

Answer to your query to amazon
Deluxe edition is the base game 'Battlefield 2' and the expansion pack 'Elite forces' together on one disk. I hope that answered your question. :)

Lock and load, and lets rock!!
First of all to clarify, BF2 deluxe is BF2 and the special forces expansion pack in one.

Now first of all the bad bits - this is an EA game so before you finally get to play you WILL need to download various patches (one of which is 586mb) to be able to play online. Thats just the way it goes with EA, half develop a game and then patch it up to playable standards.

So the game itself - where to start. Obviously this is a follow on to the massively successful BF1942 /BF vietnam series, only now it is set in the modern warfield and pits the USA and coalition forces against china and the MEC (middle easter coalition). However in comparison to BF1942/vietnam this game is just so much more advanced and developed you will find it hard to go back to BF1942 after playing it.

Now please note - this game is an online game only! Yes there is a single player mode (with greatly enhanced AI compared to BF1942) - but it there only for you to get in some practice with the different weapons and vehicles and to get a feel for the maps. There is nothing more likely to get you kicked from a server than flying a blackhawk full of team mates straight into the sea because you did not practice flying offline. Do not buy this game if you are looking for a great campaign story line, and cut scene vids (although the intro movie IS awesome).

To begin with you now have 7 basic kits to start with - Special forces, sniper, assault, support, medic, engineer and anti tank. Each kit has its own unique weapons and strengths and weaknesses. However thanks to an online ranking system you can now also unlock extra weapon sets for each class. The real key to this game is the whole tactical element that has been introduced by EA - points are not only gained by killing the opponent but also by flag capture/defense, healing comrades or repairing vehicles.

You can now play in squads and squads can communicate via the inbuilt voip. Forming a squad is easy and the key to your team winning the game. In a balanced 4 man squad with a medic for healing and a support soldier for ammo supply, you can literally pwn on most maps if the opposing team are all playing as individuals. This game is almost designed for clans.

The final strategic element is the commander mode - if your team does not have a commander and the opposing team does then you WILL lose. A commander must be voted for by the players and this gives the commander the ability to call in supplies, vehicle drops and devestating artillery strikes. The commander also has acccess to satalite scans and UAV drones for pinpointing the enemy. A commander can only talk to squad leaders, and only squad leaders can talk to the commander. The squad leader is tasked with relaying the commanders orders to his men and then seeing that the task is carried out.

As for the vehicles there is very little differances between the actual opposing teams vehicles - the mec attack helicopter is pretty much the same as the US apache longbow apart from the cockpit display. Same with tanks and apcs. Nothing really gives an advantage over the other team so it comes down to skill and quick reactions, and having a good support squad (ie an engineer to repair your vehicle).

So the problems with BF2? Well yes there are still cheats online, and too many players miss the team work tactical element like taking an apc and leaving their teammates behind), and yes flying helicopters and jet fighter bombers is a VERY hard skill to master with the mouse (well worth it tho). However the many patches EA have releasesed have dealt with glitches/exploits and bunnyhoppers (you cant jump and fire your gun now), and the sounds and visuals are stunning and not as machine heavy as people say.

Now that it comes with the special forces expansion pack (more kits, new vehicles, more maps and also grappling guns and rope ladders, if you like any form of online game play then this is an absolute must, there is still nothing quite like it.

The ultimate online player
This game, for me, was perhaps the most intense online gaming experience I have ever played in. It is the ultimate in fast moving online game play and ten times better than its predecessor Battlefield 1942 and its sequel Battlefield 2142. With many online multiplayer maps it hosts a range of scenary, from street fighting in the depths of the middle east to airbourne play over the industrial areas of China and south-east Asia. The game itself is full of action and you will notice this from the word go. Tens of men from both sides fight in recognisible uniform and in the most hectic firefights of any game. The game itself is very unique in the way that you can choose from a range of weapons and unlock new ones (and promotions such as seargent etc.)by increasing your points by killing the enemy, repairing vehichles, resussitation and artillery strikes. This is THE best online experience you will play in but be warned this game is honestly more addicitive than smoking so i'd advise you to blue tak a clock to your monitor.