Who ever said “War Is Good For Nothing” has never had the privilege of playing Bad Company 2
The boys are back in town for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but this time instead of searching for gold they are working hand-in-hand with the US army, trying to stop a madman and a super weapon. Sounds run of the mill? Think again.
BC2 opens with something of an odd move, throwing you back into WWII in a squad tasked with a secret mission to rescue an enemy defecting to the west. Of course it isn’t as simple as that and the infiltration of the enemy base goes south, requiring you to fight your way into the stronghold. This introduction mission allows you to come to grips with Battlefield’s slower and more deliberate control scheme as well as take in the scope of the games oncoming story, it really set’s up the game well. Fast forward to current day and you jump back into the shoes of Preston Marlowe of B-Company. Though it seems that now your platoon is a little more respected than in the previous game. After all accidentally or not, stopping an enemy of the US government is going to get you some kudos.
- Smile for the Camera
The campaign is around 15 hours long and spans 13 missions that will take you from the tropical jungles of South America to the snow covered mountain tops of Russia in a globetrotting extravaganza that not only varies the combat but also shows off DICE’s beautiful graphics and outstanding Frostbite engine.¬† Frostbite once again allows you to destroy as much of the playing environment as you want. Blowing up houses, demolishing walls for tactical advantages or just destroying trees and power lines for the hell of it, the game world is a playground of destruction.
Combat is largely the same as the original Bad Company however this time around the insta-health syringe has been done away with for the now common-place regenerative health system which, let’s face it, allows for a more streamlined experience. The script is once again solid, with the one liners and back and forth between teammates just as funny as the first game. DICE also manage to take a few light hearted shots at some competitors as well. However the story is more of a military theme this time around and does away with the Three Kings theme seen in the first game. It is by no means bad, but considering the ragtag bunch these guys were in the first game the sudden transformation into elite military unit is a little jarring. Nonetheless the campaign is a fun ride while it lasts, but the reason everyone comes to a Battlefield party isn’t for the single player, but of course the online.
- Look at all that Serenity… Love the Serenity.
Almost needless to say the multiplayer in BC2 is excellent. Offering both the Rush and Conquest gametypes. It delivers an explosive and ridiculously addictive multiplayer offering. Rush see’s you either attacking or defending M-Comm stations (which is a glorified name for crates). The attackers have a set ticket amount (team lives, around 75) while the defenders have unlimited. The attackers win by blowing up the stations at each part of the map. The map pushes back as the defenders retreat each time an area is captured by the attackers. The defenders win by killing all the attackers… Simple. Conquest is your normal King of the Hill type mode. Three or four flags are placed on the map and each team battles for them. When you have possession of more flags than your opposition their tickets drop faster. First team to eliminate the others ticket count wins.
The beauty of Battlefield is that while there are a large number of people (24 on the 360) on the map at a time you can be a part of a squad, which allows you to work with a smaller group of people to the entire team’s advantage. It also allows you to spawn on a teammate which is very useful for dropping back right into the action. The leveling system is similar to Modern Warfare 2. You get experience points for kills which in turn allows you to level up and unlock new weapons and gadgets for the four kits you can choose from. The kits are basic assault, engineer, recon and medic and each have a role to play in a battle. The online is very balanced and just fun to play and can easily hold it’s own against the big hitters of the genre.
- Check out my NERF Super Soaker
As an overall package Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is very polished. The graphics are fantastic as is the audio component. From shells dropping in front of you to the pitterpatter of far off assault rifle bursts the game does a fantastic job of setting the mood. BC2 is the entire package. Great looks, intelligent and funny as well as damn fun to play with. It’s going to take quite a bit to pry gamers away from Modern Warfare 2 but Bad Company 2 has exactly what it takes.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Game Detail Page
*Originally written by Ryan Fernance (aka Dimorphic)
