This may be fairly old news to any of you hardcore Battlefield fans, but for those of you who haven't heard, the EAD.I.C.E. team behind Battlefield 1942™ and Battlefield 2™ has developed a new cartoon shooter: Battlefie ld Heroes. Set to be released for XP/Vista users this summer, Battlefield Heroes is EA's first title that's completely free to download and play. It will be funded through advertisements on the game's website and on the start menu of the game; no longer will we be bothered with obnoxious in-game ads! Every map will be ad-free. Battlefield Heroes does, however, introduce the idea of microtransactions. These "microtransactions" are miniature payments that allow the player to purchase custom clothing items and other accessories, such as eye patches, badges, hats, boots, helmets, goggles, belts, and gloves. But never fear! The items in no way give players an advantage on the Battlefield…they’re solely a cosmetic attempt to offer a unique, customizable appearance.

Contrary to previous Battlefield games, developers have decided to keep Battlefield Heroes at a third-person perspective in attempts to make the game playable by n00bs and 1337s alike. Apparently, third-person is friendlier for those who have never played previous Battlefront games because it is seemingly less intimidating than most first-person shooters. They also thought it would be kind of nice to be able to view your character and their customizations - seems like an effort to make the idea of those microtransactions a bit more appealing. Rumor has it that if FPS is in high demand, it will eventually be included as another option – but it’s not on the developers’ top priority list. In another gesture to make the game accessible to practically anyone, EA D.I.C.E. has included a match making system. The match making system allows you to play against others of similar experience; for example, a level 2 player could play in a level 1 server, but a level 1 player could not play in a level 2 server. If you’re at a higher level, you won’t have to worry about those “stupid n00bs” causing your team to lose by sequentially dying upon respawn. On the contrary, if you’re one of those “stupid n00bs”, this gives you the chance to ACTUALLY PLAY and level up, rather than sitting back and watching yourself Fail. Match making helps keep Battlefield Heroes at a gameplay intended less on skill and strategy, and more on the pure fun of playing.

A word of caution: make sure you don't rush through your registration! You'll have to swear allegiance to either the National Army or the Royal Army, and will not be allowed to change sides once you've made your selection. Each side offers the same three classes of characters. So far, the 12 customizable character aspects are; head, face, facial hair, helmet, jacket, boot, neck, chest, hand, waist, leg, and feet. You can choose to be a Commando, a Soldier, or a Gunner – all of which are equipped with a primary, secondary, and antitank weapon.

· The Commando

o Light class (quickest)

o Sneaky character

o Focus: surprise attacks from both long range and close quarter combat.

o Weapons: knife and sniper rifle.

§ These weapons DO NOT kill upon first contact – another of the game’s frustration decreasing factors.

· The Soldier

o Medium class

o Balanced fighter character

o Focus: leadership and healing abilities.

o Weapons: submachine gun and shotgun.

· The Gunner

o Heavy class (slowest)

o Big weapons character

o Focus: taking and dishing out lots of damage.

o Weapons: machine gun and bazooka (ideal for vehicle destruction).

    Although the Gunner’s bazooka is the optimal weapon choice for vehicle damage, every class is equipped with sticky mines. Players also have access to jeeps, tanks, and planes.

    The weapons and uniforms are inspired by WWII counterparts, but Battlefield Heroes is NOT set in WWII. We’re not even entirely sure if the gameplay takes place on Earth. Battlefield Heroes is a mix of team deathmatch and the classic Battlefield conquest mode. At the beginning of a round, each team gets 50 tickets (respawns) and two flags. Every time someone dies, their team loses a ticket. Spawn times are five seconds long, and the game’s “Intelligent Spawn System” places players close to the nearest battle – it allows for less waiting and more playing. Owning more flags than the opposing army will grant a multiplier. The goal of the round is to be the last team standing.

    Battlefield Heroes’ point system, “Metagame”, allows players to fight for a territorial position in each mach. Whenever an army gains land, it’s recorded as a win. At the end of the week, everything is added up and both armies are given money based on percentage and land conquered. Players have the option of whether or not they want to participate in the Metagame.

    The mission system feature of Battlefield Heroes allows players to choose an uncompleted badge. To unlock it, they have to successfully complete a mission. The player’s level increases as the game is played, as well as when they complete missions. Every time someone levels up, they achieve special abilities, such as;

· Bomb Bouquet ability

o Allows 15 grenades to be thrown at a time

· I Eat Grenades ability

o Throw back 7 grenades at once

· Stun Grenade ability

o Flings tanks into the air

· Life-Points Boost

· Incendiary Ammo

If you’re the type of person who really enjoys social networking, then you’ll be happy to know that Battlefield Heroes’ website provides each user with their own profile – each user can include links to their friends’ pages to compare progress. Developers also plan to make the site have “facebook style” features, such as status messages.

Make sure to keep an eye open for any beta opportunities! Battle Heroes will be running a closed beta starting May 6^th. The first phases will be invitation only, but in the upcoming weeks, the game’s official website will be posting information about where to sign up…make sure you jump at any opportunity you can to try it out!

*IN CASE YOU WERE CURIOUS*….the system requirements for this game have been dropped to much lower standards to provide more people with the opportunity to play.

System requirements:

· Windows XP/Vista

· 1 GHz CPU

· 256 MB RAM for XP (512 MB RAM for Vista)

· 1 GB hard disk space

· DirectX compatible 64 MB graphics card with Pixel Shader 2.0

· DirectX compatible sound card

· Internet connection: 256kbit Cable/DSL connection

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TRAILER ON THE BATTLEFIELD HEROES OFFICIAL WEBSITE!