So far, no one has noticed the Battlewalker tucked away in a nondescript corner, but eventually a PAC soldier spots it and summons a few squad mates. It’s a T-39 Bogatyr, the model used by PAC, but their hushed discussion indicates they don’t understand why it’s sitting there. I had hoped my interviewee would shoo them away when he arrived, but apparently I’ve been stood up. It’s time to take matters into my own hands.

I power up the two-legged vehicle, its bone-rattling THRUM scattering the soldiers. Someone screams for assistance as I cut down two soldiers with the T-39’s pair of auto-cannons. I eliminate him, along with the rest of his companions, but a new group rounds a nearby corner. Two of them carry the Sudnick VP, which fires a powerful rocket.

Bird’s Eye View. Surveying the action in Titan mode.

I angle a pair of levers in the opposite direction and the Battlewalker lurches into a trot, its clawed feet crunching the rubble. Through the window, I watch a rocket scream overhead and explode in what’s left of a nearby building. The next one hits its mark and the T-39 staggers slightly. It stays upright, but a pair of muffled thumps confirm my worst fear: a pair of EMP grenades detonate on the street below.

Four Ways to Play

The grenades’ electromagnetic waves disable the walker, rendering my controls useless. Another rocket slams into my vehicle from behind. I could probably get through this in one piece, since the EMPs’ effect will wear off in several seconds, but this was obviously a coordinated effort: another T-39 approaches from the front, its guns blazing.

Defensive Position. A Battlewalker runs toward the battle.

I decide not to wait for the inevitable guided EMP missiles to finish the job. I jump out and dash for cover, bullets kicking up little clouds of dust all around me. I make it to the cover of a building and race up the stairs, my legs tightening from exhaustion and my pace slowing as I reach the top. From the roof, I watch a pair of PAC soldiers jump in the abandoned T-39. I could easily take them out with my SCAR-11 assault rifle, but there’s no point drawing unwanted attention.

The enemy seems content with chasing me away, but my new vantage point reveals why they’ve given up: six UD-12 Shepherds fly toward the location. Each EU troop transport ship carries five soldiers, in addition to a pair of pilots. When they get close enough, launch pods rain down on the area, EU soldiers popping out as they land. They and the PAC troops engage in a fierce firefight, but those T-39s are just a block away and closing fast.

In Your Sights. An assault rifle won’t do much against a Battlewalker, but you can try.

As I watch, I can see the four different soldier classes in action on each side. Assault troops provide the grunt work, dishing out close- and medium-range rifle bursts and healing teammates. Recon guys hang back, using hidden positions to pick off opposing soldiers with their sniper rifles.

Note: This game is no longer available from the publisher. However, you may still be able to find it at your favorite retail store.

EU engineers fire rockets from their Mitchell AV-18s when the T-39s show up, while PAC engineers work as fast as they can to repair the damaged vehicles. Support troops hand out ammunition when needed and lay down suppressing fire while squad mates reload their weapons.

Battlefield 1942 Evolved

Gameplay is similar to Battlefield 1942. Each side starts with a supply of tickets that depletes as their soldiers die, or when the opposition captures their control points. The first team whose tickets reach zero loses the contest. In an assault match, one side is the attacker and starts with no control points, while a head-on match opens as both teams hold some control points, with others available for capture.

I’ll Take These Odds. Better find some cover, or hope you get lucky.

Battlefield 2142, however, throws in a new game mode: Titan. Available only when you head online for multi-player mayhem involving up to 64 gamers, Titan gives each side a massive flying warship that the opposition must destroy. A commander controls each Titan, unleashing deadly attacks on ground troops and vehicles and maneuvering the massive ship around the battlefield, trying to avoid the missiles that will take down its shields. Once a Titan’s shields have been depleted, the opposition can board it, fighting their way to the central reactor core and ultimately destroying it.

As you gain experience points during battles between EU and PAC, you attain military ranks (over 40 in all) that unlock better weapons, grenades, mines, and more than 40 other items. Those high-tech toys let you customize your soldier class, giving you an edge against the opposition. Battle-hardened players get to lead squads, giving them access to other important unlockable items, and they can even apply to be commanders, who survey the entire map and call in EMP strikes, order supply drops, and more.

Incoming! A recon soldier readies his sniper rifle.

In my corner of the Battlefield 2142 world, PAC forces have pushed back the EU attackers, heavily fortifying their positions in the process. My ability to sprint fully recharged, I once more make a mad dash through a hail of bullets, leaping aboard a Shepherd just before it takes off. As the aircraft soars over the ruined city, I can see the devastation wrought by this war. The conflict will be a long one, but I’ll return to the fray once more.

If you liked this game, check out:

• America’s Army: Special Forces
• Battlefield 1942
• Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII
• Call of Duty: United Offensive
• Close Combat: First to Fight
• Delta Force: Black Hawk Down
• Medal of Honor: Breakthrough
• Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell