Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

[Russell G.]

The debate of BF2 as a SIM or Arcade (a FPS) will go on forever. But the people behind Dice is trying hard to put REALISM in the arcade (action) game. I know because I read the reviews before this game was out. (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/ba...w_6120651.html)

To quote gamespot reviews "Like its predecessors, it's a military first-person shooter that focuses on team play, with almost enough realism to be called a serious simulation and more than enough action to match any arcade game.", end quote.

Read that "serious simulation". So BF2 can be categorized as a simulation game or SIM for short.

America's Army was touted as a SIM online. BF2 was developed primarily for online gaming in mind and the environment, characters, weapons kits and assets, etc. are modeled not from fiction or imagination but from what are today. The game itself is a simulation of actual environments and hardwares and possible (fictional) scenarios of future conflicts (no action pack storyboard here like in arcade games). In short, a simulated game of possible future conflicts. And we have all the fun doing it! And by the way, if you are in a chopper or airplane, there's no way of arguing that it's not a flight sim. Heck, its even better than most flight sims I played!

For me, its both a simulation and FPS combined in cooperative style gameplay but it's not an arcade game alone. If I categorized it in a specific way, I would say, it would be a SIM. :evil:

What do you think? :)

[$kelet0r]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

The gameplay is arcade regardless of the setting - there are few if any military simulation aspects to the game

[davie18]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

I think it would be harsh to call bf2 an 'arcade'. Arcade games aren't realistic, they weren't made to be realistic. Bf2 is, and was made to be realistic, but I don't think it is a sim. I think it sits more toward a sim than arcade but I don't think it is either. It is a completley unique game.

[UK-Sniper]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

BF2 is not realistic. All it has is the slight realism that most non-simulation games have.

[$kelet0r]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

I think it would be harsh to call bf2 an 'arcade'. Arcade games aren't realistic, they weren't made to be realistic. Bf2 is, and was made to be realistic, but I don't think it is a sim. I think it sits more toward a sim than arcade but I don't think it is either. It is a completley unique game.

I disagree. A sim is a very well defined genre and BF2 does not let realism get in the way of good gameplay thus making it a non-sim
Similarly Counterstrike is a total arcade shooter - the only realism in it is the setting and weapons, nothing else. Things like movement, aiming, weapon damage are all completely artificial and only make a slight gesture towards real life combat

[mofo.au]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

I have been a Flight Sim guy since Stealth Fighter on the ol` commodore 64 , and dont really like FPS But Bf2 has blown my mind, love it....it is close to a sim but not quite! ( a Simcade) maybe??

[PBAsydney]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

Fly a plane in BF2, then play LO:MAC.

That speaks for itself: ARCADE.

[Sung_Do_Chuck]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

It's a sim with some arcade elements. :)

[=IMO=THJones]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

diehard uberl33t's will insist any game is just a game and therefore arcade, they have yet to understand the thrill of realism, usually its the military types such as myself that now past their days of doing it for real look for that thrill of combat in an online game using teamwork and military tactic's in a realistic manner. I have to say it's both depending on who is playing it, unfortunatly because both sides of the issue are so steadfast in their beliefs there is little room for compromise and the game has become segregated.

[Flares]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

Bf2 is an arcade game. Twitch gaming with a little strategy thrown in.

If you want infantry/squad simulation, get a copy of Operation Flashpoint and maybe add one of the FFUR mods. Want to fly, try Lock On:Flaming Cliffs, or for total sim, Falcon 4/Allied Force. Fancy yourself as a tanker, play M1 Tank Platoon 2. As for helicopters, try Apache Longbow 2, and when it's released, Lock On: Black Shark. BF2 is a good game, but it doesn't compare with any of the aforementioned products for simulation.

[imported_SnowControl]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

The gameplay is arcade regardless of the setting - there are few if any military simulation aspects to the game

Say again?

Think u got something wrong here. There are loads of military simulation aspects in the game. Lets start with the commander. That is very close to reality. Then you have the squad system, just like in the real life. The squad leader (or the platoon radioman) is constantly in touch with the commander. He then orders his squad on the battlefield. The commander also has the operative control over assets like artillery and supplydrops.

I agree that the game has some arcade style elements (like respaw, which is obviously impossible in real life). But we play games, folks! It is supposed to simulate certain effects of a military operations, not all of them.

War isn't fun, a game is.

[Ramirez]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

It's a FPS. Not an arcade or a sim.

[ShapeSh1fter]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

Haha, not a SIM for sure. Simply a FPS game aimed for teenies. Arcade would be a better overall description

[BlueBunny63]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

FPS Simcade

With an arcade-airplane/chopper module, to keep the 11 year olds feeling 1337.

[Gav]

Re: Is BF2 a SIM or ARCADE?

It can't be called a sim. It's dumbed down too much for that. I'm well aware that practicalities have made that necessary (no way it could be a tank sim, and a chopper sim, and a flight sim, and a..... all roled into one, I know that), but at the end of the day, it's all been toned down so that the game can run on half-reasonable-spec computers, and so that the gameplay is more fun than an outright simulation would be.

I agree that "arcade" seems a bit harsh a label - it's certainly no Quake 3 Arena or Counter Strike - but a realistic combat simulation? No way.

I liked mofo's suggestion of "simcade", actually. It sits between the two. An action-based shooter with semi-realistic elements included, in a real-world setting.