The Battlefield series is famous for many reasons whether it be the tight knit online community, open explorable maps or destructible environments. No matter what you want from your Battlefield experience, Bad Company 2 will deliver.
Rather than a simple First Person Shooter (FPS) I like to consider the Battlefield series a Warfare Simulator alongside the titanic Modern Warfare series. The warfare simulator and MMORPG genres are leading the way in the global online gaming phenomenon. Now I don’t mean to be getting all philosophical on you guys but this is where the big bucks lie and the likes of COD and BF will constantly be evolving to stay on top.
Bad Company 2 revisits the same goofy interracial “B” Company, as they uncover a mysterious weapon known only as ‘Project Aurora’. You lead the unsupported mission of gathering Intel and… I’m going to stop there, I don’t want to ruin the plot now! What I can say is, fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen, this is one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Be prepared for some of the most breathtaking scenery, ridiculous missions and death deifying scenarios ever imagined.
In terms of game play, Bad Company 2 brings nothing new to the table, it plays like every other FPS currently on the market so if you’re after the next breakthrough in game play you won’t find it here. In fact I found some fundamental features have been dropped, such as the prone position, cover mechanics and the ability to control the positioning of your fellow teammates. I feel at times these features could have been implemented into general game play although didn’t find this hindered my overall experience. Bad Company 2, unlike MW2, brings vehicular combat into every scenario, with the open sandbox environments vehicles utilizing an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) can really give you the upper hand.
In terms of graphics, however, Bad Company 2 will amaze you; surreal landscapes and life-like combat are just the tip of the iceberg. Bad Company 2 runs on the Frostbite 1.5 graphic engine, the same as 1943 and features “Destruction 2.0″ which enables the ability to destroy not just walls but whole buildings. This is not a new feature to the Battlefield franchise but yet again this stunning component brings a new level of realism to the FPS genre. Environmental kills come into play and this may frustrate some, but this is a step forward to the ultimate Warfare Simulator.
Campaign mode isn’t the reason to rush out and spend your hard earned dosh, in fact it will only take you 6-8 hours to knock it on the head. Battlefield is an online experience. I feel like I’m saying this more and more but Xbox Live has exploded onto the gaming scene and it ain’t being replaced anytime soon, which gives games like Battlefield a gigantic longevity. If your tossing up between MW2 or BF BC2 it really winds down to personal preference, both have the hardcore online community and ridiculously realistic graphics.
BC2 will take you on an adrenaline packed journey, whether it’s worth blowing your paycheck on is ironically ‘dicey’ as it is just another pea in the pod of the genre. Yes, Bad Company will give you everything you want from a FPS, and if you’re into the competitive online community it is a must have. If FPS’s aren’t on the top of your list, perhaps pick up a copy 2nd hand. Either way it’s definitely worth a play.
words by Tom Keily
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.