Game Details
Price
  • $39.95
Available on
Genre
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Battlefield 2 (Windows)

common sense media says

Online play promotes this game to 4-star general.


parents & educators say
  • 27% say violence is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while countless players die repeated (bloodless) deaths in this war game, BATTLEFIELD 2 also features highly developed cooperative play via online multiplayer support. Parents are likely to see their kids communicate and strategize with other players to hatch elaborate assaults on enemy positions. Straightforward attacks rarely work -- only coordinated, creative team play will result in victory. Of course, online play may encourage taunting, bullying, and hard feelings among opponents and teammates alike.

Educational value: Heavily emphasizes tactical problem solving and cooperative game play. Demands creative thinking and thoughtful planning.
Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence: Bloodless, but tank attack, machine-gun fire, helicopter assault, landmine explosion, and knife slashes.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Battlefield 2

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about how Battlefield 2's online play is similar to the schoolyard game "Capture the Flag." How can such a simple concept blossom into one of the most popular multiplayer video games around? Does the addition of violence undermine the innocent appeal of a big, cooperative game? What do both games have in common that make them so much fun?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Part of the same series that includes Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield Vietnam, BATTLEFIELD 2 centers on conflicts in modern-day hot zones, offering RPGs, submachine guns and high-powered sniper rifles as the tools of war.

Players control different classes of soldiers (assault, special ops, and sniper, for example) who use unique combinations of gear to accomplish mission objectives. In a single-player game, that means players protect a building from snipers or defend an oil platform from paratroopers. In an online game, that means an exciting, chaotic game of capture the flag. To make even a modest showing, players will have to find ways to cooperate with their teammates.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
At first glance, Battlefield 2 has many of the features of a middling war-themed first-person shooter: marginal storytelling, passable graphics, and often-tedious missions. Playing the single-player missions might lead you to question why this was one of the summer's hottest PC releases. But online, Battlefield 2 explodes to the front of the pack.

It's in these multiplayer blowouts that the brilliance of Battlefield 2 becomes more obvious. Combat zones feature a high level of interactivity -- players commandeer tanks, boats, helicopters, and pickup trucks. Map design is ingenious, boasting an impressive array of hiding places, fortifications, and obstacles. Players who spend any time playing online will quickly discover that cooperation and creativity are the keys to success. And while Battlefield 2 is saturated in the violence of modern warfare, the lack of blood does something to offset the carnage, and any game that emphasizes ingenuity over gratuitous gore certainly has value for kids of the right age group.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Windows
Not available online
Genre: First Person Shooter
Developer: Electronic Arts
Released on: November 29, 2005
Price: 39.95
ESRB Rating: T

This review was written by Aaron Lazenby
 
 

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What parents & educators say

12
Based on 11 parent & educator reviews:
  • 27% say violence is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

B3noise
adult
 
About Online
I notice a-lot of people talk about how the online can be really bad because of the people who play it, that's quite the opposite almost all of the people I have played with on the game are respectful and nice. That's something I can not say for the Call Of Duty games... when I use to play it I had a friend added who literally was high every time I played with him, and I mean everytime. The community on Call of Duty are full of foul mouthed little brats who weren't raised correctly and aren't even old enough to play the game. Even the adults I played with were disrespectful. But enough about Call of Duty we are on a different subject. The people that I currently play with are great people who are always fun to play with. We use strategy in our game which almost always leads us to a victory. I have played with these people for over 6 months now and I have only had one issue with one of them and it only happened once. One of the other nice things about BF2 is the fact that even if you end up with a disrespectful person you usually only have to deal with them for a game or two because there are only 4 people per squad so you're not listening to your entire team saying foul words and other things like that. Also it doesn't promote bullying or anything like that because you never and I mean never talk to the enemy team so you won't see you're child telling the other people they suck or that there losers. I'm also quite sure you're children were raised good considering the fact you take the time to visit these websites usually means you're a good parent.

flarez77
teen, 16 years old
 
No blood in the game at all and its not too violent

evilthingey
teen, 16 years old
 
great tactical shooter
Battlefield 2 is not like the first two battlefield games. 1. it requires more tactical planning. 2*bat is squad on squad not team on team. 3 it takes place in the near future and one faction (MEC) does not exist. Sometimes ammo runs out and ai s use shock paddles or combat knives in fast paced, hand to hand combat. freindly fire is common. medics often sacrafice themselves to save a player in a firefight. this game is solid teamwork and one cacnt go up agains a high tech army alone... a good purchase

saumaun
adult
 
Great game when you think your child is mature enough
Battlefield 2 is probably the most realistic game out there. Realistic in the sense of the weapons and vehicles and ranking system, not violence. The great thing is that you will never see any gore or flying body parts in this game. Language online results in bans in %95 of the servers, so there wont be a problem there. There is no reference to drugs or sexual activity, so you are also clear there. It is a first person shooter without the things you don't want your kids to see. I play it myself and have come to enjoy it a lot. I give my kids a lot of freedom and let them decide themselves if they think they are mature enough for things. But if I see that they are doing things they are not supposed to, they begin to lose privileges. I think kids as early as 10 can play this if you believe your child can handle it. I would monitor them while they play, but it is always good to catch them early and teach them what they did wrong and how to avoid that situation in the future.

ski123
adult
 
bloodless war game that is fun at first, but can get boring and repetitive. The real fun begins if you play it online. Without online play, you are better off buying a different war game such as "Call of Duty 2"

 
This is an ok game for most ages. There is not much violence but when there is it is bloodless. I say it is ok for ages 11 and up

Templar_Frost
teen, 13 years old
 
Its fine for everybody
Sure it has alot of guns and explosions, (airstrikes are pretty cool) but has NO blood, decapitation, sex, drugs, or swearing either, only the occasional d*mn. Oh, and im talking about the pc-only version, Battlefield 2, theres also the console version, Battlefield 2 Modern Combat.

Indy00127
kid, 11 years old
 
Great Game
This game is focused on violence and shooting. There is no dismemberment or blood, but when you shoot or knife someone a puff of sand-like stuff comes out, and the body goes ragdoll. There is mainly no cursing, but occasionally, a character will say, "D*** it, Sorry".

fair reviewer
teen, 14 years old
 
violent but appropriate
This game is great! Parents, if your kid wants a war game, get him this. They only cuss twice and thats d@mn and b@st@rd. The violence is pretty bad though cuz you can knife people and on certain missions you try to escape a helicopter and justbefore you get there you die. also, if you shoot bodies with a powerful weapon ( ex. shotgun, rocket launcher, etc. ) they will fly. Also the online suppossed strategic thing about this game is gone. Ive played through the campaign and its somewhat good because you can view the war that your in fron different angles. Lots of propaganda beetween missions, but this game is fine if your kid wants a call of duty or battlefield game. This game is on xbox, xbox 360, ps2, and pc.

Hedgieguy11
parent of 13 year old
 
Fine on pc, worry about console voice chat.
No voice chat on pc so no concerns there. A bit violent, but you need to know they exaggerate alot. A bit eudacational, because it talks a little about what is going on in the war. If its on pc its ol for 11+, consoles, iffy 13+. Trust me I played both.

poopasnoopa
teen, 16 years old
 
A good game for people struggling with teamwork.
This game is actually very good. It is still violent though, like many first person shooters. The detailed AI responds to your messages very quickly, immersing yourself into the real battlefield. Their isn't much swearing, and teamwork is involved.

sk8r boy
kid, 10 years old
 
Iffy for 9+
It's a good game. There is some violence and mild swearing. There's also a litte red mark on the screen when you die. But it's not the every day M rated war games you see. This game is less violent and occasional swearing but it's ok.

CaptIronHawk
teen, 16 years old
 
Great War Game with many mods that enhance the game and allow endless gameplay options
This game is a relatively high quality war game but lacks in several areas. This game has no singleplayer story mode like the CoD games and the computer controlled players on singleplayer/co-op missions are as dumb as dirt and use the same route to a base repeatedly even though you flatten them repeatedly with a car or tank. The snipers will never hit you in singleplayer which makes them utterly useless. There are several mods for this game that add World War II(Forgotton Hope 2), Realistic Logistics(Project Reality), Vietnam(Eve of Destruction), Construction Abilities(Sandbox), and enhanced bot intelligence(AIX and Nations At War). Parents should be careful with the mods as some include profuse language(FH2 has s@#$, EoD has d#$% and s#$%, etc.) and most mods add blood(all the previously mentioned ones do).

megagamer44
teen, 17 years old
 
Ok as a gamer i love it alot there is one cussword in it and its d---it but mostly good bloodles is great the foes wail as they die problably not good for kids under 9 but 10 and above great if you dont care about violence and one word

thecarson2248
parent of 14 year old
 
NO BLOOD!!!!!! great game for 12+

smartdad42
parent of 15 year old
 
perfect for 13 and up
this game is perfect for 13 and up this web site is a little to harsh on games i got my son a war game and this website said people who are 18 should play it and it was T all that was in it was violence my advice is compare the games your kid has and the game or games your looking at. this game is not that violent it's easy to play it teaches strategy and team work now if your kid wants to play online i highly recommend a 15 year old play online other wise i say it's perfect for a 13 year old and up

fermatx
adult
 
Spoiling the bloody fun, in the name good, again.
The PC version of this game is great. Amazing, some might say, is it wasn't for the bad hitreg (hit registration). It is easy to pick up, has a nice learning curve, and you might find yourself learning a thing or two about Europeans while playing online. But, the Battlefield series has a tradition of being moddable. This is a good and bad thing. The good thing, is that, if your kid has half a brain, he can create custom maps and kits (loadouts of weapons) in the mod editor (it's insanely easy). Also, some nice people have created two NON-COMBAT mods for BF2, Sandbox (which allows your kid to build creations out of bridges and stuff) and Battleracer (which turns BF2 into a racing game). On the flip side, the bad thing is that some mods may contain unacceptable content, which manifests itself in the form of blood coming out of soldiers when you hit them. This may be acceptable for some people, but it might be unacceptable for others. If you have the console version, you have a worse game, but no mod worries. Have Fun!

shaun8pickles
teen, 16 years old
 
Good and bad
No blood here parents! The deaths are horriffic or anything. Yes you blow the crap out of anythin' plant one on a person and run into a crowd of people!

c0mm0nsense
parent of and 14 , 16 , 20 year old
 
Totally harmless game. 12+ at the most
Really not as bad as it looks at first. My advice to other parents is to let your kids rent it first and you will realize it isn't bad at all.

pghlmt
teen, 17 years old
 
Great game. Good for any high school student and older!!!
This game is not bad at all. It does not have any blood and gore at all.

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