Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike review

Even though we all know this expansion pack was probably a point on a marketing manager's graph of "projections" and "profit yields" before Battlefield 2142 was even released, we have to admit that the quality of the content on hand is above cynical expectation - in fact, we'll come right out and say it: Northern Strike is a good expansion pack.

It's not great (let's not get carried away), and we hate seeing an excellent online shooter receive only these meager content boosts (whatever happened to the proper expansions of old?). However, with three new maps, two new vehicles and one new game mode, Northern Strike is recommended for anybody who plays Battlefield 2142 with some degree of regularity.

The maps are all snowbound, focusing on the frozen north of Europe. The Port Bavaria map, which features a series of Titan supply stations, and the Bridge at Remagen map, re-enacts the famous World War II battle only with futuristic tanks, are particularly excellent. The new vehicles are starkly dissimilar too, one a sprightly hover-buggy and the other a mobile fortress of an APC. The new game mode, Assault Lines, is a barely notable tweak of the current Conquest mode.