Electronic Arts has just let loose their PR army to tell the gaming world that the Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike booster pack is now available for download.

Emphasizing close-quarters combat, Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike drops gamers deep into a desperate conflict for control of Earth’s last scraps of inhabitable land following the onset of a cataclysmic new ice age.

The booster pack features three new maps - Port Bavaria, Bridge at Remagen and Liberation of Leipzig - as well as two new vehicle types: the EU's heavily armed IFV Goliath and the PAC's hovering light IFV Hachimoto.

"This is the additional content that Battlefield 2142 fans have been asking for," said Kristoffer Bergqvist, the booster pack's producer. "We’ve added deep new maps, weapons and vehicles to keep the action fresh and exciting on the Battlefield for months to come."

 

Ice-age FPS-meets-strategy game, Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike became an achievement to both Digital Illusions Computer Entertainment and Electronic Arts after a successful Battlefield 2142 installment. Firing Squad has Kristoffer Bergqvist, the producer behind the Northern Strike booster pack, to look back on BF2142 and foretell the path the title will take.

Despite critics pointing out that BF2142 was perfectly Battlefield 2 with a futuristic, "cold war" apocalypse setting, DICE and EA wanted to differentiate the two games from each other. Bergqvist believes that they hit that goal, he being more inclined to play BF2142 despite also loving BF2.

Infantry was sorely lacking in the Battlefield series, often being stomped on by the many vehicles available in the games. The plan for Northern Strike was to allow the infantry specific advantages, highlighting scenarios where infantry could easily traverse through. Vehicles on the other hand, would have to pass through set paths, creating opportunities for soldiers to ambush convoys.

With three new maps placed in gorgeous, icy urban ruins and two new vehicles, the Northern Strike expansion highlights a development to the Pan Asian Coalition and European Union's conflict around habitable territories. This time around, the PAC take advantage of the EU's strategic reinforcements to the south and strike the EU from the north - the Alps.

The game will sport ten unlockable things in the game, including a weapon that will be useful in weeding out hiding places for snipers.

Much has been said about Electronic Arts' Battlefield 2142, specifically its soon-to-be-released expansion/ boosterpack, Northern Strike. Now, if you've seen our latest report on the game's second trailer, you have probably seen the Goliath in action. Just in case you're in the dark about it, Goliath is one of the two new vehicles in Northern Strike. It is a walking fortress: with six guns, troop resupply capability, regenerating armor, and its own spawn point - there's no better metaphor for it.

Anyhow, the game's producer Kristoffer Bergqvist answers a couple of inquiries about the new IFV Goliath. He gave out some hints on how to annihilate the walking fortress:

The Goliath is a beast, and will take a coordinated assault to take out. The key to its survivability is the self repair system, which is powered by six repair cells mounted on the hull of the Goliath. These need to be taken out to reduce its repair ability. Once enough of the repair cells are taken out you have to concentrate your firepower on the Goliath. The trick is to damage it so fast that the repair system can’t keep up, so have a couple of squad mates help you out.

Of course, with a creation that powerful, any infantryman would feel safe when he is attacking with it. It gives solid protection against enemy fire and it lays down an incredible amount of covering fire for anyone nearby. Aside from that, this beast of a machine is able to re-arm friendly infantry in its proximity. Now, what more could you ask for?

Maybe some screens of the game? Well, we have some right here. Check it out, why don't cha.

More Battlefield 2142 screens after the jump!