A little over a week ago EA released it’s free to play game Battlefield Heroes to almost no fanfare (at least on EA’s part). But for a free to play game the overall experience is surprisingly deep and fun.
A quick look at the game and you might think that the cartoonish styling is a rip off of Team Fortress 2. But that’s not really accurate at all. It’s not a Team Fortress 2 clone by any means.
I won’t delve too much into the back story of the game because it’s a silly premise and it has no impact on the game whatsoever. You can head to the official website for all of the zany details if you are an information junkie.
First off, launching the game is a breeze. After a little downloading the first time you log-in there will be nothing standing between you and the game other than signing onto the website. No apps whatsoever. And when you do connect you can customize your character, pick a class, do a little outfitting and your off and running. If you want to keep the game free that is. EA also allows you to buy points towards upgraded weapons and more custom clothing, if you’re into that.
It takes very little time at all to find a server, and when you do there are very few issues to speak of for the most part. I’ve been playing it at least once a day since it’s release and have only been disconnected due to a connection problem only twice. Not bad. And once you are connected the games are moderated quite well. Idle players will be kicked as well as those who are doing things they shouldn’t be doing (i.e. possibly cheating).
The gameplay is stylish and fun. Nothing in this game is taken seriously. Which is a change for the Battlefield series. But that doesn’t mean the experience is any worse for it. The quick and easy sign on and server connection process makes this game extremely easy to just start up and play whenever you feel like it. And when you’re done, you’re done. Disconnecting is hassle free as well.
If you’re looking for headshot kills this probably isn’t the game for you. In fact the only way to kill enemies immediately is to run them over with a vehicle. Period. All other weapons take a few rounds to take your foes down. Which is great when they are shooting at you, not so great when you are shooting at them. And if you do find yourself looking down the business end of a machine gun it’s OK. Spawn times are quick. At the longest around six seconds and sometimes even half that.
Vehicles handle pretty well. From Jeeps, tanks and even planes. All have quick and responsive controls.
After a quick learning curve flying the planes with the mouse isn’t complicated at all. For some extra fire power two of your teammates can ever park their butts on the wings. And if you’re skilled enough you can even hit and kill enemies on strafing runs. I’ve done it a few times. Maverick is my hero, what do you expect?!
The tank is fun to take for a spin. Pretty peppy for it’s size, although it does lack some accuracy and fire power. But they are still extremely effective if used correctly.
Jeeps are also fast. Making them great for vehicle ambushes. Chasing foes and running them down when they least expect it. Other than that they are just a faster way to get from point A to point B.
Like other Battlefield titles the game is all about capturing flags on the map and holding them. The more flags you capture and keep, the quicker the other team loses. It makes for faced paced matches and can lead to great back and forth battles.
Now it’s time to get into the game’s few snags.
First, there is no in-game voice chat. Everything has to be typed. It would be nice to have an easier way to communicate with other players.
Second, the playing field isn’t always that level. I often found myself in fire fights with people who were the same rank as me, but had spent a ridiculous amount of money on weapon upgrades. Overall the servers do a great job at match-making and grouping players together by skill level, but from time to time you’ll come up against someone who way out classes you.
Finally, when it comes to match-making there is no way to set any preferences. If you’re into maps that don’t have vehicles too bad. You get what you get. Same rules apply to those who like to play the maps that are vehicle intensive. There’s just no way to set preferred maps. You can bookmark your favorite servers but that still doesn’t mean you’ll get what you’re looking for.
Other than those few negative points the overall experience is terrific. Remember this game is FREE. For a no cost game the above gripes aren’t all that bad. It’s quick to get started and fun to play. A very easy game to just jump in and jump out of.
Most fans of the Battlefield franchise will appreciate the game and I think EA will find that a lot of people who haven’t tried the franchise before will take this game for a spin. Some hardcore players might shy away from this game because of it’s silliness and arcade feel, but they’ll be missing out. Sucks for them.
Oh and just a word of caution: Watch out for the theme song. Listen to it too many times and you’ll find yourself whistling along!
OVERALL SCORE: 8/10
