The spiritual sequel to the multiplayer classic Battlefield 1942 has been highly anticipated for a number of reasons. For one, it’s a download only title — a first for a Battlefield game (not counting Battlefield Heroes) — and also, it’s the first time the Battlefield franchise goes back to WW2, this time with the much improved Frostbite engine, which showcased its strength in the excellent Battlefield Bad Company released last year.

Battlefield 1943, being a download only title, is not expected to weigh in like a full game — it doesn’t, but it’s also priced accordingly: $15 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (a PC version will be released laster this summer, most likely at the same price level). Unlike 1942, BF 1943 is set only in the Pacific Theater, with three maps, Iwo Jima, Guadacanal, and the classic: Wake Island. Players fight it out as one of two teams; United States Marine Corps or the Imperial Japanese Navy.

While the game supports up to 24 players, we would have liked to see more players fight it out — 64 players has been standard on the PC, and we know that consoles are capable of having more than 24. However, don’t expect to be bored on the large maps with only 11 teammates and 12 foes — because of the squad and respawn systems, there’s usually always some action going on, and one doesn’t have to look far away in order to find an enemy to fight.

One thing we found lacking, and this is despite it being a cut down version with only three maps, is the fact that there are only three playable classes — infantryman, rifleman and scout — down from 8 classes in Battlefield 2 (arguably the best Battlefield ever made). We would have liked more variety, more classes and more weapons, especially the Medic class, which is now gone and not needed because a player’s health regenerates (much like in Halo and Call of Duty). It’s a step in the bad direction for the Battlefield franchise, and we hope that this system doesn’t carry on in future Battlefield games, especially the highly anticipated Battlefield 3.

Technically and artistically, the game shines. The Frostbite engine renders great visuals, offers fully destructible environments, and there is a real feel of WW2, the explosions, the visuals, and especially the audio, are all top notch. While playing, we didn’t experience any lag or server issues and we had no trouble finding a full server to play on.

Overall, Battlefield 1943 offers a lot of fun and action, and sets the standard for downloadable games in its price class. While hardcore Battlefield fans (especially those coming from Battlefield 2), might be turned off by only three maps and three classes, it’s still worth checking out, especially since it’s only $15.

Good:
Good value for money, lots of fun to be had.
Great production values.
Great visuals and sound.
Runs smooth throughout.

Bad:
Still only 24 players.
Could use more classes and more variety.
Hardcore Battlefield fans might be find it disappointing.
Only one multiplayer mode.

Overall score: 8/10