Battlefield 2 (confusingly the third game in the series) is a first-person shooter set in a fictional conflict between superpowers in Asia and the Middle East. The game focuses on squad tactics and team play rather than solo action. 21st-century weapons and vehicles are carefully simulated to give the game a realistic feel. Although the multiplayer servers mainly shut down in 2014 there are enough unofficial alternatives available that it's still possible to find a game.

Signing up for battle

If you've played other games in the Battlefield series the core gameplay of Battlefield 2 will be familiar to you: two teams battle over a modern map with the dual objectives of capturing control points and killing enemy characters. Each death reduces the opposing team's number of spawn tickets (essentially 'lives') while capturing control points prevents the enemy from spawning in those areas. Use up all the other team's tickets capture all the control points or be left with the most when the timer runs out and you've won. A variety of different classes are available as are a range of vehicles and weapons.

The battle continues

If you like your shooters tactical more concerned with area control than individual glory Battlefield 2 is well worth checking out. It's aged a little as any ultramodern game does but there's still a lot there.