Battlefield 1943 for the Xbox 360 Arcade

Battlefield 1943 contains no single player, but their multiplayer more than makes up for that. The game comes with three maps, along with an additional one achieved when the kill count of 43 million was reached. There are three player classes in Battlefield 1943, (Rifleman,Infantry, and Scout) that have a limited amount of weapons. Each class is equally balanced, and counteract with the different vehicles in the game. Battlefield 1943 features a maximum number of 24 players, the highest I have seen so far. It never seems too crowded as the various maps are extremely large with some with open plains, and others with many hills.

There are also two gametypes in Battlefield 1943 that are equally enjoying. Conquest, which starts with enemy teams spawning on aircraft carriers, and thus begins a mad dash towards the control points marked by flags. These can be reached by rather authentic looking boats or airplanes. The basic idea is to control more flags than the enemy. Both teams start out with a "health" bar and decrease when the team has less control points. When both teams have the same amount of flags controlled, no "health" is lost. The various vehicles in Battlefield 1943 include cars, airplanes, tanks, and boats. None of them feel too overpowered as a well aimed rocket launcher can take them down. The other gametype is called Air Superiority with players spawning next to planes. The goal of Air Superiority is to kill the enemy planes with your piloting skills. This turns out to be a hectic frenzy of a fight which is a blast to play with friends.

Battlefield 1943 features the Frostbite engine used in Battlefield Bad Company and it uses it well. Just like Bad Company, destruction of buildings is welcome, however it is a bit harder to destroy. Air raids that are available at only certain times of the game utilize this as planes drop bombs that destroy anything in their path, including players.

Battlefield 1943 has a cartoonish graphic style that suits the gameplay. There are lush forests and water effects that look fantastic while walking around. As the game wasn't made for a retail disc, it does not contain that much detail in certain places. This isn't that noticeable as you will be too busy fending off enemies and looking for cover. There are some glitches in Battlefield 1943 however, that occur sometimes during gameplay. Black marks sometime appear on the screen that last for a few seconds. This can be discouraging while flying or when you are in an intense battle. This seems to only occur in certain places so hopefully this can be fixed in a later update. Other than that, the graphics are great for its style and adds to the feel of the game.

Battlefield 1943 does not have a single player campaign, making it less appealing for those wanting to play this offline. Battlefield 1943 was made to be played online however, and it's addictive multiplayer keeps players more interested than a game with an unpolished system. The game can sometimes get boring while walking around looking for enemies. If you reach this point where you get too frustrated, it is also a sign for a break from playing games. Playing Battlefield 1943 in short bursts can prolong its overall playtime as you can get straight into the action with its fast matchmaking system. When comparing with a full retail game, it matches up pretty well in the multiplayer aspect and can keep you engaged and interested for longer than most games.