EA’s Battlefield 2 has been an online tour-de-force since it was first released last year, providing gamers with huge and intense multiplayer battles and a wide array of modern weapons. Also, aside from the Special Forces expansion pack, the game’s creators have taken a rather unorthodox method of creating new content for the game in that they have released booster packs for it that are available for purchase online through EA’s download service. Battlefield 2: Armored Fury is the most recent of such booster packs. While not a full-fledged expansion pack of the game, Armored Fury offers up a few new maps and vehicles. At only $9.99 through the download service, Armored Fury is a great value for fans of the game.

Whereas the original Battlefield 2 game and its previous installations have managed to keep the fight on foreign soil, the battle hits home in Armored Fury, as it brings the MEC (Middle Eastern Coalition) and Chinese forces onto American shores. The new maps (there are three) take place along the east coast and in Alaska, as the Chinese are attempting to take control of the oil fields along the Alaskan coast.

The new maps are nicely blended, featuring a good amount of vehicular combat and on-foot fighting. Tank battles grow to prominence in Armored Fury, making for a lot of explosions and intense action. Not to say that those who fight on foot are necessarily up a creek, as there are plenty of opportune positions that will give them the upper hand.

The booster pack features some new vehicles as well. The main new vehicles come in the form of new aircraft, like the A10 Warthog for the US forces, Q-5 Fantan for the Chinese and the SU-39 Frogfoot for the MEC. These aircraft fly slower than the other jets in the game and carry heavier weaponry, but the downside of that is that they are easier to pick off in the sky by ground troops.

The other new vehicle set in Armored Fury is a scout helicopter for each faction. These move a lot faster than standard helicopters and are good for taking down light-armor ground units. Also, they have a special radar sweep ability that allows you to identify all enemies within a certain radius and will reveal them not only to you, but also to all the players on your team, which is a nice teamwork element.

With some nice added content and balanced gameplay, Armored Fury is a nice booster pack for an already terrific game. Plus, at just 10 bucks, the price is certainly right for fans looking to add more substance.

Gameplay: 8.5
Armored Fury adds some cool new maps and vehicles to the Battlefield 2 mix. The new vehicles are evened out to keep things from being too cheap, and the levels allow for on-foot fighters to have some control. The only real problem with the additions to Armored Fury is that there aren’t more of them.

Graphics: 8.5
The graphics have been left unchanged from the original game, which is fine as the game looked pretty good.

Sound: 9.0
Another category that was left largely untouched, Battlefield 2 still has a stellar sound production.

Difficulty: Medium

Multiplayer: 8.5
The epic-scale firefights present in Battlefield 2 are still intact, and the new vehicles are well balanced, making it an even experience however you choose to play.

Concept: 8.0
While it isn’t quite as fleshed out as a full-fledged expansion pack, the booster pack still offers some quality upgrades at a nice price.

Overall: 8.5
Fans of Battlefield 2 would do well to check this one out, since it’s a great deal for the price.