Last I checked, Booster was the over-sized lizard creature from Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Flounder from Animal House. Eh? ... What ... Oh - never mind!

Anyway, things used to be simple - there were games and then there were sequels. But then in 1990 someone came up with the bright idea of expansion packs, giving less than a full sequel for a lower price in a shorter turnaround time. Then once online gaming started becoming popular with Doom-style Deathmatch battles, companies started putting out 'bonus packs' and 'map packs', usually free content that typically comprised extra maps for shooters. Those were the main methods that companies used for adding content to existing games until a couple of years ago. Then came DLC and Microtransactions. DLC is 'downloadable content' and Microtransastions are small charges for very small content. A very popular example is the Horse Armor for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, which gave gamers everywhere the much-desired ability to pay a couple of dollars (or Euros) to add armor to their steed in-game.

The Battlefield games have taken a different approach in recent years - Booster Packs. These are small content packs that add maps, weapons and vehicles while also often make alterations to character classes and skills. While there is some decent technical content - nice enough maps, new vehicles and so on - it is the fundamental changes in the way people play the game that make this bonus pack essential to anyone interested in playing, regardless of the inherent value of the additions. It is not that there is nothing of value, nor is everything that is included substandard or frivolous, it is just that the included items will not really change anything, while the structure of player rewards and roles has a major impact on the gameplay.

The basis of Battlefield 2142 is that there is a new ice age coming and massive battles between the remaining power blocks have broken out, as the world attempts to settle in North Africa. The new maps in Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike take you to the 'coldest of the cold' and offer some really exciting gameplay variations on the existing game. There is a take on the Bridge of Remagen, which aside from being a key point in World War II history is also just a great choke-point strategic battle. There is also a nice street-to-street battle map called the Liberation of Leipzig, and one that combines pretty much every variation of classic Battlefield tactics called Port Bavaria. These maps are varied and well designed, making for a refreshing change of pace for players who have been battling on the original maps for months.

There is also a new game mode based on the standard Conquest mode, called Assault Lines. This is available only on the new maps and in this mode the PAC faction is always on the defensive side and they get a special control point that can only be captured once all others have been captured. This sets up some amazing (or frustrating, depending on your perspective) battles for control, with tons of small group strategies and tactics coming in to play in the best of the battles. I have typically been cynical about calling something so similar to an existing mode 'new', but it is always amazing what a small tweak to an existing mode can add in terms of freshness and challenge.

The final technical addition is a pair of new vehicles - the hovering light IFV Hachimoto is available to the PAC and the massive heavy IFV Goliath is available to the EU. The Hachimoto is fast and fairly powerful, but quite difficult to control - best leave this one to experienced vehicle-jockeys. The Goliath is an amazing vehicle, like a turtle with a titanium shell and a rocket launcher strapped to its back! It is terribly slow, but the armor regenerates and it has multiple weapon turrets, making it a powerhouse that is hard to take down.

Of course, I have saved the biggest changes for last. I hadn't played Battlefield 2142 much since my original review of the game and I was very surprised at how it has changed! I had heard - and dismissed - talk of it being the FPS equivalent of World of Warcraft. That seemed silly based on what I had originally seen - sure, there were specialists, but people were trying out different classes, doing some assault, some support, some vehicle and so on. Not so anymore - especially with the new rewards and unlocks on each of the skill trees. Being a low-level generalist is getting your squad nowhere fast (as I quickly learned!) so you need to quickly figure out where your skills add the most value and spend time working on advancing in that area, level grinding, plain and simple. It is well worth it too - getting an unlock that allows you to remain invisible or project a false presence on enemy indicators for example is invaluable if you are attempting stealth or sniping.

Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike is priced low enough that if you are playing the original with any regularity then there is simply no reason not to buy it. Even if you never touch the new maps or vehicles or game modes (which you will), the skill advancements and extra items for each specialization alone are a tremendous reward that is available for the standard game modes and maps. What this doesn't do is address any core technical issues with the game - if you are unhappy with the game engine, the load times or the occasional glitches then there is nothing here to help you. You'll have to wait for the next new entry in the Battlefield series for that.

Reviewed by Michael Anderson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).