Battlefield 2 details emerge

Following yesterday's announcement of Battlefield 2 (working title), which took the form of a Swedish-language press release on Digital Illusions' Web site, Electronic Arts has today released new information on the game. Scheduled for release in spring 2005 and powered by an all-new game engine, Battlefield 2 is set in the modern era and will allow players to employ many of the most technologically advanced vehicles and weapons systems currently available. The new engine incorporates a realistic material penetration feature, measuring each weapon's ability to fire through different materials and forcing players to distinguish between concealment and cover.

The environments in Battlefield 2 will include everything from remote forests to city streets, and, intriguingly, every map in the game will adjust in scale according to the number of players in the world--ensuring a perfect vehicle-to-player ratio at all times. It's a feature that makes a lot of sense, given that the game has the potential to support more than 100 players simultaneously and that there could be more than 30 different types of vehicle in use during a battle.

In team-based online battles, players will have the option to either join a squad on the front lines or to work behind the scenes in commander mode--issuing instructions to their teammates. With in-game success, players will be able to increase their rank from recruit up to general, unlocking additional weapons, medals, vehicle decals, and the like en route.

We'll bring you more information on Battlefield 2 as soon as it becomes available.