Battlefield Heroes Open Beta, NDA Lifted, Commentary Abounds

Battlefield Heroes, free-to-play shooter extraordinaire, is now in open beta.

As of today, EA Digital Illusions CE has opened their newest game, Battlefield Heroes, for public play according to CinemaBlend Games. Users confirmed this morning on the Battlefield Heroes forums that a beta key is no longer needed to enter the free-to-play cartoon shooter.

Secondly, the NDA has been lifted, so I can finally talk about the game I've been playing casually for the last few months.

I'll start by saying its not my fathers Battlefield. For starters, its quasi web-based. Hit up their web page and hit the big old Play Now button. A browser plug-in download and installation later, the game downloads and from that point forward only the web page is of concern.

Heroes has its own unique style. The graphics are definitely cartoon inspired, but without this style, the game would be one giant "WTF dude"! Personally, I enjoy the cartoonist approach as I did with Team Fortress 2.

I also say "WTF dude!" because the game contains, as defaults, some of the craziest things Battlefield players have ever come up with. For example, wing riding on airplanes is automatic with no effort needed from the player. Character abilities include punching tanks and sending them flying through the sky and the showering of half a dozen grenades with the single stroke of a hot key.

There are three Hero classes at the core of the game:

Soldier - Classic Brett Favre. Never misses a game, is a son of a bitch to take down, and throws as many OH MY GOD touchdowns as interceptions.

Commando - Classic rogue from any game ever created. Knives, sniper rifle, and stealth. Do the math.

Gunner - Classic Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Predator days. Hold that trigger down until it goes click, click, click, and nothing exists within a hundred paces.

I have love for this game, but under that love is a little bit of hate. However, that will have to wait until my next post.