Hut!  Attention!  Soldier, welcome to DICE's latest: Battlefield 1943.  This isn't just any virtual war that you can buy at a retail store--this is a full-fledged downloadable conflict.  The Battlefield series has grown quite popular over the years, and recently expanded to the consoles, but this is the first time that Xbox360 and PS3 owners have been able to purchase a full Battlefield game for fifteen Washingtons.  You'd think that a cheaper Battlefield might be a watered down conflict, but it really isn't.  With Battlefield 1943, you still get the mainstays of the series--oodles of vehicles, maps based on real world locales, and a variety of character classes.  Even the Frostbite Engine from Battlefield: Bad Company makes a repeat appearance.  With a combination of high production values and a low price point, Battlefield 1943 manages to impress without eating a hole in your wallet.

The first thing that will likely stand out to players of Battlefield 1943 is its impressive graphics. Battlefield 1943 is certainly a looker with its massive landscapes featuring an absurd level of environmental detail.  You'll find realistically re-created island maps featuring an abundance of beaches, rolling hills, and steep cliff sides.  There are also a variety of bases strewn about the game's three islands.  In these bases, you'll find bunkers, trenches, bridges, and ports; basically, anything you'd expect to find on a real battlefield.

These bases not only look realistic, but they're partially destructible.  Like Battlefield 1943's console predecessor, many objects can be destroyed by tank shells and explosives.  Are you trying to get a pesky sniper cowering in fear behind a window?  Simply aim a rocket his direction to make a crater-sized hole in the wall.  Do you hate Battlefield 1943's lush vegetation?  Simply mow it down with a tank.  Unfortunately, not every object in Battlefield is fully destructible, but that'd make for empty environments, so DICE probably made the right decision.  Destroying cover adds to the Battlefield experience, but even better are the variety of vehicles.

One of the main draws of the Battlefield series has always been its assortment of vehicles.  Any player can easily hop in a jeep, tank, anti-air turrets, machine gun turrets, boats, and even planes.  None of this is new to series fans, but newcomers will love all the available options.  Players who've grown accustomed to games like Halo will easily adapt to these vehicles.  To enter a vehicle, you simply have to press a button, and you're in.  The default perspective of each vehicle is often first-person, which might be a little jarring for console gamers, but you'll soon get used to it.  Even if you don't, there's always the option to switch to a third-person viewpoint.  I found the first-person view useful for aiming, as your cursor is much bigger.

Many of Battlefield's vehicles allow for multiple passengers, and squad members even have the option of spawning inside a teammate's vehicle.  Jeeps are useful for getting to destinations quickly, so it's handy to have the ability to load up with three people on the fly.  Tanks can also carry additional passengers, but they're a bit slower.  Luckily, their extra firepower makes up for their mediocre speed.  Like the previously mentioned vehicles, boats are easy to pilot, but you'll only use them for brief periods to travel between land masses.

Battlefield's most exciting vehicle is undoubtedly the plane.  Unfortunately, planes have a steep learning curve, so prepare to experience some turbulence during your initial flights.  It takes practice keeping your plane in the air, and you have to master the use of the rudder in order to be an effective pilot.  This is no Crimson Skies, so be prepared for some initial frustration.  Once you've mastered the use of the plane however, it's one of the most deadly weapons in the game.  You can use planes for bombing runs to wipe out enemy bases, and you can also gun down enemy dogfighters.  I recommend using the first-person perspective for dogfights, because it makes it much easier to determine your enemy's position.  If you find yourself getting shot down immediately after hopping in a plane, try out the game's training mode to get a handle on flying.

I've already detailed two of Battlefield 1943's most important elements: vehicular warfare and environmental destruction, so now it's time to turn to the game's three character classes.  Before each game and respawn, you'll have the option of choosing between three distinct character types.  The first of these character types, the Rifleman has the ability to pick off infantry from a distance.  If you find hordes of enemy troops on foot, you'll want to have a Rifleman handy to send your enemies home in a hearse.  The Rifleman comes equipped with a rifle as his name implies, but he also has the ability to turn it into a melee weapon and grenade launcher.  The rifle can be used as a bayonet simply by tapping a button, and he can also attach grenades to fire long distance explosive rounds.

The Rifleman is quite useful, but a standard Infantryman has his uses as well.  Infantry are useful for close quarters combat, fighting off tanks, and they can repair friendly vehicles.  They come equipped with a wrench for repairing purposes, and they can also wield rocket launchers, which can be quite devastating when used against vehicles.  Also, Infantry come equipped with a machine gun, which can be quite handy in close quarters combat.  Besides that, they only have one other ability--like Riflemen, they can chuck grenades.

The third and final class is the Scout.  Unlike Boy Scouts, Scouts can snipe enemies from afar and they're experts in demolitions.  Are those pesky tanks bothering you?  Simply lay some C4 and press the remote detonator when a metal behemoth rolls your way.  Are you a coward who likes to pick off enemies from afar?  That sniper rifle will come in handy.  Unfortunately, you can't zoom in as far as you can in some other FPS games, but this is 1943 after all.  If your foes get too close, you can pull out your puny pistol, or better yet, you can slice and dice with your knife.  Getting knife kills is quite satisfying, and is great for humiliating your enemies.

Anyway, enough with the details.  Is Battlefield 1943 fun?  If you haven't played many Battlefield titles, you'll probably find 1943 entertaining.  Joining games is quite simple, and you'll find yourself in the midst of a chaotic warzone in less than a minute.  You even have the option of hooking up with a squad of four, which is great for those who like to work as a team.  Twelve player teams are quite large, so it's useful to subdivide to carry out tasks.  Your goal in Battlefield's three arenas is to capture as many territories as possible, so it's important to work together if you want to succeed.  The Battlefield formula really hasn't changed much since its humble beginning on the PC, so those who are sick of the series won't find much new.  However, for those weaned on Halo or Call of Duty, you'll probably find something to like.  It takes a little longer to find opponents, as the maps are so massive, and the respawn times are a bit slow, but once you get a hang of the gameplay, it's a blast.  There's nothing like working with a team to capture a heavily contested area.  It's also fun going behind enemy lines and surprising a soldier with a knife attack to the jugular.

Unfortunately, who you're playing with can heavily affect your experience.  Whichever team gets the most points wins, so it's of the utmost importance to have allies who are able to kill opponents and capture checkpoints.  If you have players who are new, or like to mess around, it's difficult to win against skilled opponents.  Battlefield 1943 often doesn't match you up with players of similar skill levels, so it's sometimes difficult to find a balanced game.  This can be quite frustrating, but at least games are open, so you can quickly leave and find another available session.

Battlefield 1943 is an excellent team-based game for those who aren't familiar with the series.  Even Battlefield vets might find something to like here, but the gameplay does get repetitive after awhile.  Unfortunately, there are only three maps, which all cover the same geographic area, so if you're used to the variety you'd find in a game like Halo, Battlefield could feel a little bland.  Still, the maps are huge, and there are plenty of vehicles, bases, and opponents, so it's not like you'll run out of things to do.  Battlefield 1943 definitely feels like one of the best installments in the series with its destructible environments, plethora of vehicles, and minor enhancements.  For those looking for cheap multiplayer thrills with plenty of replay value, Battlefield 1943 is an excellent purchase.

Score: 8.5

Pros:

• Twenty-four player, team-based, online gameplay
• Vehicles are fun to pilot
• Destructible environments add a new layer of depth
• Balanced characters classes
• Sound effects that make you feel like you're in a warzone
• Dogfighting is a blast once you get the hang of it
• Stealth kills with a knife feel rewarding
• Massive, highly detailed maps
• Excellent visuals that rival those found in many retail games

Cons:

• Battlefield's ranking system often fails to match you up with players of similar ability levels
• It can be difficult to get teams to coordinate
• Only three maps (well, and one additional map that is strictly for dogfights)
• The tutorial fails to explain all important gameplay details
• Unlike games like Halo, your shots arc, so it's difficult to know where to aim your shots as a rookie
• Planes have a steep learning curve
• Not much new for Battlefield vets