Battlefield Heroes - Free war? I'll have a piece!

As many of you know, Battlefield Heroes will be entering the online space of free-to-play games later this year. What some of you may not know is what the game will do differently from other Battlefield games and why it's worth looking forward to. Let me begin by pointing out some of the game's best features, then giving a more thorough rundown on each of them:

• Match-making
• Customizable soldiers
• Character stat-tracking
• Metagame
• Great performance

Match-making
In the Battlefield games prior to Heroes, players were forced to find servers based on ping times and number of players rather than skill level. This will be changed by the new match-making system found in Heroes, which allows players to be tossed into games being played by folks who match closely with his/her skill level. This is great for a number of reasons: 1) The game will be made more accessible by newbies. 2) There will be no terrible teammates (for the most part) or lopsided matches 3) Opponents will remain challenging, regardless of the server the player connects to.

Customizable soldiers
Most of us have already watched the trailers showing soldiers running around with eye-patches and peg legs, but the customization goes further than that. Weapons and abilities may also be purchased and added to the arsenal of soldiers, making each one unique from the next. Gestures can even be added, meaning one player will likely have different types of in-game gestures (playful/communication animations) than the next.

Character stat-tracking
When you create your own soldier (or "hero") and send him out to battle, each kill will add to your experience points and allow you to earn new abilities and better assist your team. As players level up, expect to see impressive team strategies unfold as some will be healing whereas others will be attacking and others may even be defending through their unique special powers. Adding to this strategical depth is the fact that each player class (Commando, Soldier, and Gunner) features its own abilities.

Metagame
As if the stat-tracking and in-game strategical depth wasn't enough, Battlefield Heroes will also feature a points-based "metagame" which pits the two opposing factions - the National and Royal armies - against one another for supremacy on a world map. As each army has success and wins battles, it will give out bonuses to its players based on the progress made. Although the metagame is set to be an optional component, I think that even casual players will enjoy the added depth gives to the fictional war they'll be waging on their computers.

Great performance
Last but certainly not least: Battlefield Heroes will be a great performer on a wide range of computers. Because it is powered by the same engine behind Battlefield 2142, Battlefield Heroes' will not cause older computers to be over-burdened with any of its engine features. Whereas some of Team Fortress 2's special visual features are tough on PC's of the past, Battlefield Heroes is being specifically designed to appeal to gamers who may be on tight budgets or own not-so-great "gaming" computers. In short: As long as you can run Battlefield 2142 - a several-year old game that most can easily play today - you should have no problem running Heroes and enjoying its sleek, cartoonish visual style.



As an added note, at the time of this article, the kind folks behind the development of Battlefield Heroes are hosting signups for the upcoming Open Beta. Go HERE to register for your chance to play this neat little game before everybody else does!