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'Battlefield 2' has the best combat short of enlistingBy Marc Saltzman  Soldier classes in "Battlefield 2" include Sniper, Assault, Special Ops and Anti-Tank units, to name a few. RELATED
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSLook in the dictionary under "intense," and you could justifiably see a screenshot of Electronic Arts' "Battlefield 2," a gripping, war-based 3-D shooter that drops you and your teammates into the middle of a worldwide conflict. While not flawless, the game is so exhilarating and addictive it should include a crowbar in the box so your friends and family can pry you away from your computer screen. Despite having a "2" in its name, "Battlefield 2" is actually the third game in the award-winning series that began with the World War II epic, "Battlefield 1942" (2002) and its two expansion packs, followed by last year's "Battlefield: Vietnam." The new title, however, takes place in the near future with the latest, most technologically advanced weaponry and vehicles. Players must choose to fight on the side of the United States, China or the fictional Middle East Coalition, each side with its own attributes and arsenal. Similar to its predecessor, "Battlefield 2" is first and foremost a multiplayer game -- via the Internet or local area network (LAN) -- that supports 16, 32 or 64 players on a single map. However, "Battlefield 2" also includes a single-player campaign that uses artificial intelligence to let you fight with and against computer-controlled characters so you can practice tactics before going online to tackle human opponents. Selectable soldier classes include Sniper, Assault, Special Ops and Anti-Tank units, to name a few. Imagine running through the world's most intense urban and rural hot spots with bullets and grenades whizzing by your head and F-16s and helicopters soaring through the sky. You can parachute into enemy territory, swim or pilot boats between islands or call in an airstrike to destroy an opponent's radar tower. With the game's real-time VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) feature, you may find yourself yelling into your headset at your teammate to find better cover or to pick you up in a Jeep. And a new mode allows players to become the commander of an army so you can give orders to your troops to attack, defend or destroy. And there's a payoff for playing well over the Net: "Battlefield 2" includes a new online character ranking system and unlockable rewards, such as medals, new weapons and more. While it can take a while to choose a login name and password that haven't been used already, the online lobby sports a clean interface that supports stat tracking, chat rooms, buddy lists and the ability to create organized "clans" to take on other talented teams. Another small beef is that many of the dozen or so urban and rural maps look too similar, but you can expect the online community to start creating its own battlefields and sharing them via Electronic Arts' Web site. Fans of peaceful and more "constructive" computer games, such as "RollerCoaster Tycoon" or "The Sims," need not enlist to play "Battlefield 2." But should you want to step into the boots of modern-day soldier to test your skill against the world's best armies, it doesn't get much better than this. 
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