Online warfare- perfected
The game follows the usual battlefield formula- a conquest mode in which you choose from several different soldier classes, and fight it out with airplanes, tanks, infantry- anything that you'd see on an actual battlefield- not just the watered down soldier vs soldier deathmatches you'd see in many other online WWII games.
At the moment, there are only 3 playable maps (another is on its way), but the small amount of maps doesn't phase you at all, as the battles are so entertaining, and can evolve in an infinite amount of ways, thanks to superb balance. One map in particular starts each team out on an aircraft carrier, and has everyone scramble to take control of the island- getting there by landing craft. Every other aspect of the game stresses it's playability. Airplanes are easy to fly, all weapons are available from the get-go, no unlock system. The cheap price and availability of the game has already created a very large community playing the game that will ensure that there will always be plenty of full matches.
Battlefield 1943 looks amazing. The frostbite engine is here, and therefore, so is destructible terrain. Though, since this is WWII, and explosives are not yet as prevalent, "strategic destruction" is not as much an option. Rather, the frostbite engine is more apt to stress the awesome power of tanks and bombers. Bombshells from these air-raids leave huge craters that can be used as decent cover if you need to, and there are fuel depots around some maps around enemy tanks that you'll love to see go up in flames. The effect of explosions is very well done, as in the wake of a bombing run, you'll see sandbags, bricks, and trees fall down and fly everywhere. The air around you is alive with the sounds of warfare, as the weapons all sound great and make unique sounds. You can tell the instant an enemy starts shooting at you if he is using a sniper, rifle or machine gun. The scale of the battles are huge. After spawning on your team's aircraft carrier, you can actually look at the island and see the ensuing carnage. The effects of clouds of dust and smoke covering an area a bomb has just struck is visually amazing. Battlefield 1943- is the best pick-up and play online arcade game available on Xbox live arcade. For only 12000 MS points (15 bucks or 12 Euros), you shouldn't miss out on this experience.
I've taken off 1 point- as for an otherwise perfect experience, for some bugs and connection problems that have been happening, though the devs have already began to resolve these problems, and with the exception of a few games, online play is smooth and lag free, as it supports up to 24 player battles.
Battlefield 1943, just may be the best 15 dollars i've spent on a video game.