Battlefield 2: Euro Force Preview

Let's conduct a quick Reader Survey. Question 1: what is better than news of an expansion pack for your favourite multiplayer shooter, Battlefield 2? The answer, of course, is news of TWO expansion packs! In a move akin to the Xbox Live business model of releasing additional content for a modest fee to keep the game fresh, developer DICE and publisher EA will be releasing two "booster packs" over the next 10 weeks.

Battlefield 2: Euro Force

The first, Battlefield 2: Euro Force, will be released on Wednesday, 8th February and features an all-new European army and three new maps: "Operation Smoke Screen", "Taraba Quarry", and "Great Wall". Each Euro soldier will come packing a new primary weapon, bringing a total of seven new weapons to the game:

• HK53A3
  
• FAMAS
  
• SA80 L85A2
  
• SA80 L85A2 with UGL (AG-36)
  
• HK21
  
• Benelli M4
  
• P90
  
• L96A1

FAMAS: The FAMAS is a French made assault rifle. Its development began in the late 60’s and it is in wide usage within the French military today. It uses a bullpup layout with the magazine at the back of the gun, behind the trigger and fires standard 5.56mm NATO round. Its low damage is balanced by its high rate of fire.

P90: The P90 was developed specifically as a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) for vehicle crew members such as tank drivers. It was designed to replace the standard pistols and SMGs that were proving ineffective against enemy troops wearing body armour. The P90 has very good power for its size and uses an SS190 round. It features a polymer stock with downward ejection of spent cases.

Also of great interest is that Battlefield 2: Euro Force will introduce four new vehicles.


The ground-based assault motor pool is bolstered by the addition of the German Leopard 2A6 and the British Challenger 2 tanks. Both feature a mighty 120mm gun and are sure to pack a big punch. Fly-boys can look forward to taking to the skies in either the Eurocopter Tiger (Tiger HAP), as seen in the Bond film, Goldeneye, or the delta-winged Eurofighter (Typhoon T1) also known as the EF 2000.

Battlefield 2: Armoured Fury

The second booster pack is called Battlefield 2: Armored Fury and is due out seven week's later on Tuesday 28th March (mark these days in your diary!). As is suggested by its name, Armoured Fury will focus on large, mechanised battles which hark back to the El Alamein-style maps in Battlefield 1942.

Like Euro Force, Armoured Fury will feature three brand new maps: "Midnight Sun", "Operation Harvest" and "Operation Road Rage". It will also feature two new vehicle classes. The first, Attack Jets, need little introduction, but the second, Recon Helicopters, will allow players to spot nearby enemy units via their sophisticated on-board radar systems.

Battlefield 2: Euro Force and Battlefield 2: Armoured Fury will be made available exclusively for downloadable purchase via EA Downloader, just as Battlefield 2: Special Forces was before Christmas. If you're new to Downloader, just think of it like Valve's Steam - it keeps you up-to-date with the latest patches, trailers, and new game content.

Both packs will be priced according to your chosen territory:

• United States: US$9.99
  
• Europe: €9.99
  
• UK: £5.99

If you want to see the new vehicles and levels in action, march double-time to the next page.