The SAS can finally sign up for tours of duty in Special Forces, the latest add-on for the superior PC version of Battlefield 2. Hereford’s crack squad is one of six covert military outfits that can now be played, alongside the equally elite American Navy SEALS, Russian Spetznats and MEC Special Forces. You can also play as rebel or insurgent groups.

Each of the special forces teams features its own clutch of unique technologically advanced gizmos and weapons, ranging from zip lines to drop swiftly and silently into the heart of any action, to grappling hooks that allow units to reach platforms and rooftops. Flash bang grenades are great for stunning the enemy, while neatly lobbed tear-gas canisters will deliver instant cover, chaos and confusion to the fight.

Low-light vision allows night- time missions to become much more involving. Ten new vehicles have also been added, such as Apache Longbow helicopters, jet skis and Desert Raiders — which are 6x6 all-terrain reconnaissance, surveillance and fast-attack vehicles that offer little armour protection but are especially nippy.

The online gaming facility can still host up to 64 players in a single sitting, the graphics remain as gorgeous as ever and the sound effects are as impressive as always. Load times can be sluggish, but the results always manage to be worth the extra wait. The addition of being able to shout orders to virtual colleagues with a USB headset remains something of a mixed blessing. When all the players speak the same language it is a boon when organising action on the battlefield, but when pidgin English vies for attention alongside fluid French, Italian and, say, Norwegian, confusion reigns.

This close to Christmas, Special Forces is probably for the game’s most loyal fans only — the folk who have played it so much that they are already desperate for new features to layer upon their already intense online experiences.

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