Review by Sinbomb

In the short but turbulent life of the 360 thus far some developers have opted to take the rather shameful route of porting older games with slight resolution upgrades and a fresh $60 price tag. While BF2:MC for 360 is one such incarnation, the team-based FPS holds up surprisingly well against the rest of pack in this latest offering from EA, but only if you are new to the series and a paying Xbox Live Gold member.

Gameplay
There are going to be some folks out there who flatly refuse to even consider Modern Combat simply because its not the same game found on the PC, but the 360 iteration redefines the series in critical ways to allow balance and accessibility for the console gamer. For Battlefield virgins, the basic premise is to recreate the chaos and excitement of a modern war zone, replete with tanks, jeeps, and helicopters.

The foremost component to any quality FPS is a smooth, responsive control system, and Modern Combat really shines in this department. In addition to providing intuitive analog movement and aiming, the player is granted the additional boons of stance variation, a reusable parachute to break long falls, and near-instantaneous weapon switching. Vehicles also play a large part in the game, and it should be noted that the controls for these are intelligently mapped as well. There are plenty of instances where you will find yourself looking about the room for a safe place to hurl the controller against the wall, but thankfully these grievances have nothing to do with the control scheme.

Whether playing single/multiplayer, you will have access to different soldier classes. Each job brings certain strengths and weaknesses to the table, and mastery of the game is dictated in large part by your ability to effectively utilize the appropriate soldier's talents in a timely manner. Present are the ubiquitous sniper, engineer (expert at repairing and damaging vehicles), assault (your basic grunt), spec ops (a more stealthy assault soldier), and support (a grenadier/medic fusion). Arguments can be made that the support soldier's medic skill is somewhat impractical, but overall the classes are balanced nicely against each other, guaranteeing online matches will never simply devolve into dull sniper wars.

For the times when superior firepower is a must, BF2:MC provides a myriad of vehicles equipped for massive destruction. Most, if not all, are capable of transporting multiple soldiers at once, increasing the potential for carnage and fun. While one person drives, another can mount the turret or grenade launcher and focus on laying down the hurt. This has been done in other games, most notably Halo, but the sheer breadth of vehicle selection make this a compelling gameplay feature for Modern Combat. A few odd design choices, such as indestructible barrels that stop tanks in their tracks, will undoubtedly be the cause of many an uttered expletive, but do not detract from the overall experience too greatly.

Single-player missions are purposeful and intense, with the difficulty ramping up progressively to impose a demanding/frustrating endgame. Enemy AI does a good job of making players feel inadequate at times, but friendly AI is altogether useless, often stampeding to their deaths like lemmings and lacking the ability to hit any target except the user. Also present is a challenge mode that is designed to hone your skills in certain areas, although most players will find it to be monotonous and uninspired. Multiplayer is run a bit different, but serves as the main draw of the title and is certainly where the most value is found.

Graphics
One of the main areas in which developer DICE chose to improve this version over the original Xbox one are the graphical upgrades. While textures are generally crisp and easy on the eyes, Modern Combat certainly does not showcase the power of the 360. Light bloom usage in the game seems overused and poorly implemented. Additional gripes can be made about the gamma settings on a few of the night missions resulting in some televisions being unable to display the proper contrast and therefore blanketing the game world in pitch darkness. Adjusting the TV settings will afford players enough light to play by, however this custom fix should not be necessary. On a more pleasant note the draw distances are impressive, with nary an instance of pop-in, and the framerate stays constant, even during intense firefights with lots of onscreen action.

Sound
Audio quality in the game is generally subpar, with unremarkable, generic sound effects filling out most of the title's aural repertoire. Infantry gun sounds are tinny and muted, as if the war is being fought among mice, with turrets providing the only real visceral punch. Also of note is the HQ radio voice in multiplayer, which will frequently interrupt the game to assault your ears via a sonic banshee shriek announcing a captured control point. It is so badly mastered, in fact, that you might find yourself muting the game in order to preserve your hearing. The only saving grace to be found is in the context-driven soundtrack, which swells in force and intensity during dramatic moments, adding a layer of emotional depth to the battles.

Multiplayer
Since its inception, the Battlefield franchise has been engineered from the ground up to emphasize multiplayer. With that said, you might want to look elsewhere for your fix if you are not a Live Gold member. So much of the Modern Combat experience is found online that the single player campaign seems more of an afterthought than anything else, albeit a modestly enjoyable one.

Multiplayer only offers two modes: Conquest and Capture the Flag, but it remains engaging over time despite the lack of game types. Most matches will be Conquest, pitting two teams against each other in an effort to capture and hold strategic control points spread across the map.

Online games are hosted over EA dedicated servers which may dissuade some, however there is little or no lag to be found even with the maximum 24 players. Worthy of mention is the robust matchmaking interface, full clan support including a messaging system, and a plethora of varied, expertly crafted maps. As this is how the Battlefield series built its reputation, its no surprise then that multiplayer is the most fleshed out aspect of the title.

One questionable design choice is the inclusion of a killcam, allowing you to pinpont the location of an enemy in order to deliver a counterattack after you respawn. Some players will deride this as a cheap and unrealistic feature that should have been omitted, however it serves the purpose of keeping matches fast-paced and intense.

Achievements
Players expecting the "do it in your sleep" easiness typical of EA games are in for a rude awakening. There are 46 total achievements, evenly split between online and offline modes. Most require you to demonstrate a high degree of proficiency with either a certain soldier class or vehicle. The remainder are simply milestones for a certain number of victories or completion of campaign storylines. Though EA limited online achievements to ranked games only, the determined boosters of the world will merely view this as a minor speed bump in their unholy quest for easy Gamerscore.

Lasting Appeal
There is an online-only BF2:MC demo available for download from Live Marketplace that can serve as a good demonstration of what to expect from the retail version. If you don't mind the pacing and arcadey feel, there is a lot of value to be had from the generous 16 multiplayer maps. The single player game, while decent, could have been given more attention in order to extend the overall longevity and appeal.

Final Score

• Emphasizes teamwork/clan support.
• Job classes and vehicles provide fresh alternative to stale FPS genre.

• Sound effects are either too soft or frighteningly loud.
• Single player mode is underdeveloped.
• Friendly AI was recruited from the short bus.

Note: A rating scale of 0 - 10 is used, with 10 being the highest a game can score while 0 is the absolute worst. Each category has a point value associated with it and a final score is displayed at the end of the review. The opinions expressed in this review are not necessarily the opinions held by the owners of www.achieve360points.com.