Battlefield 2

Game review by Aaron Lazenby, Common Sense Media
Battlefield 2 Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 14+

Online play promotes this game to 4-star general.

Windows 2005
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 9 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 27 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

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.

Community Reviews

Martha James
Martha James Adult
April 26, 2014
age 9+

Great Game! No Blood and Little Violence!

Great game! Ages 9+ are fine! They understand! No Blood! And Very Little Violence!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
Too much violence
B3noise
B3noise Adult
October 22, 2011
age 13+

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.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 9 parent reviews

What’s It About?

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?

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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?

Game Details

Our Editors Recommend

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