The comparisons to "Modern Warfare 2" are inevitable, and "Bad Company 2" more than holds its own.
When you think of militaristic online first-person shooters set in the not-so-distant future, chances are one title immediately comes to mind -- Infinity Ward's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." And with good reason.
"Modern Warfare 2" garnered several Game of the Year awards and has remained one of the most-played games on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network since its release in late 2009. But a new year has brought forth a new challenge to throne long held by Activision's "Modern Warfare" franchise. With it's unique spin on online multiplayer gameplay and an improved single-player campaign, "Battlefield: Bad Company 2" is most definitely a worthy challenger.
Created by developer DICE, "Bad Company 2" brings a more team-oriented approach to the online arena, rewarding players for working as a unit and making things extremely difficult for those who prefer to play as the lone wolf. Just about every facet of "Bad Company 2's" online component is built around the notion of team-based play, including several squad-vs.-squad modes that sit alongside the traditional "Battlefield" modes like Rush and Conquest. And while you're not forced to join a squad or communicate with your teammates, you do receive experience bonuses for working together to attack or defend objectives, and you can respawn directly on a squadmate instead of being dropped back at your base. It's extremely gratifying when you and your squadmates turn back an enemy assault or sneak behind the front lines to secure an objective.
You can select one of four different classes -- assault, medic, recon and engineer -- and experience points are handed out for just about every action you take, whether it's healing your squadmates or spotting enemies in the distance. As you progress, you'll unlock additional weapons and gadgets exclusive to your class. Understanding and playing to the strengths of each class is key to not only your survival, but the success of your team. At the end of the day, online play in "Bad Company 2" is most rewarding when everyone puts the success of the team ahead of their own personal stats. This "team first" way of thinking is one of the biggest differences between "Bad Company 2" and "Modern Warfare 2." And it's a welcome change.
Of course, there are several other things that set the two games' online multiplayer apart -- "Bad Company 2" features vehicles like tanks and attack helicopters, an amazing selection of diverse maps and fully destructible environments made possible by DICE's Frostbite engine. (Can't get into a building to reach an objective? No problem, just blow the building up!) Assuming EA can get its server issues smoothed out to handle the massive amounts of people attempting to play, "Bad Company 2" is undoubtedly ready to challenge "Modern Warfare 2" for online supremacy.
The fact that "Bad Company 2" delivers the goods online isn't too surprising considering the successul history of the "Battlefield" franchise. But was surprising was how much the single-player portion of the game had improved since the original "Bad Company" launched a few years ago.
You are again in control of the soldiers of B Company, who this time find themselves in South America trying to stop an all-out war between the U.S. and Russia. The story is more grounded this time around, but "Bad Company 2" retains the humor that was a highlight of the original. The environments are stunning as you move from lush jungles to dusty streets to snow-covered mountains, and serve as a fitting backdrop for the spectacular set-pieces and scripted moments that keep the campaign moving at a nice pace.
While the levels are still huge, the gameplay is much more linear this time around, which also adds to the game's improved pacing. A few changes have been made to the core gameplay, as well, like ditching health packs in favor of constantly regenerating health and cranking up the enemy A.I. Gamers will flock to "Bad Company 2" for the multiplayer, but it's nice to know there's a solid single-player offering here, as well.
When you think of militaristic online first-person shooters set in the not-so-distant future, chances are one title immediately comes to mind -- Infinity Ward's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." And with good reason.
"Modern Warfare 2" garnered several Game of the Year awards and has remained one of the most-played games on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network since its release in late 2009. But a new year has brought forth a new challenge to throne long held by Activision's "Modern Warfare" franchise. With it's unique spin on online multiplayer gameplay and an improved single-player campaign, "Battlefield: Bad Company 2" is most definitely a worthy challenger.
Created by developer DICE, "Bad Company 2" brings a more team-oriented approach to the online arena, rewarding players for working as a unit and making things extremely difficult for those who prefer to play as the lone wolf. Just about every facet of "Bad Company 2's" online component is built around the notion of team-based play, including several squad-vs.-squad modes that sit alongside the traditional "Battlefield" modes like Rush and Conquest. And while you're not forced to join a squad or communicate with your teammates, you do receive experience bonuses for working together to attack or defend objectives, and you can respawn directly on a squadmate instead of being dropped back at your base. It's extremely gratifying when you and your squadmates turn back an enemy assault or sneak behind the front lines to secure an objective.
You can select one of four different classes -- assault, medic, recon and engineer -- and experience points are handed out for just about every action you take, whether it's healing your squadmates or spotting enemies in the distance. As you progress, you'll unlock additional weapons and gadgets exclusive to your class. Understanding and playing to the strengths of each class is key to not only your survival, but the success of your team. At the end of the day, online play in "Bad Company 2" is most rewarding when everyone puts the success of the team ahead of their own personal stats. This "team first" way of thinking is one of the biggest differences between "Bad Company 2" and "Modern Warfare 2." And it's a welcome change.
Of course, there are several other things that set the two games' online multiplayer apart -- "Bad Company 2" features vehicles like tanks and attack helicopters, an amazing selection of diverse maps and fully destructible environments made possible by DICE's Frostbite engine. (Can't get into a building to reach an objective? No problem, just blow the building up!) Assuming EA can get its server issues smoothed out to handle the massive amounts of people attempting to play, "Bad Company 2" is undoubtedly ready to challenge "Modern Warfare 2" for online supremacy.
The fact that "Bad Company 2" delivers the goods online isn't too surprising considering the successul history of the "Battlefield" franchise. But was surprising was how much the single-player portion of the game had improved since the original "Bad Company" launched a few years ago.
You are again in control of the soldiers of B Company, who this time find themselves in South America trying to stop an all-out war between the U.S. and Russia. The story is more grounded this time around, but "Bad Company 2" retains the humor that was a highlight of the original. The environments are stunning as you move from lush jungles to dusty streets to snow-covered mountains, and serve as a fitting backdrop for the spectacular set-pieces and scripted moments that keep the campaign moving at a nice pace.
While the levels are still huge, the gameplay is much more linear this time around, which also adds to the game's improved pacing. A few changes have been made to the core gameplay, as well, like ditching health packs in favor of constantly regenerating health and cranking up the enemy A.I. Gamers will flock to "Bad Company 2" for the multiplayer, but it's nice to know there's a solid single-player offering here, as well.
I've already touched on how fantastic "Bad Company 2" looks, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the game's breathtaking sound. This game pushes my surround sound system to its limits, making excellent use of directional audio. Whether it was hearing bullets whiz by my head or listening to gunfire in the distance grow louder as I approached, no other game has given me the feeling of being in an actual warzone like "Bad Company 2."
The comparisons to "Modern Warfare 2" are inevitable, and "Bad Company 2" more than holds its own against the "CoD" juggernaut. With its addictive multiplayer gaming and an exciting single-player offering, "Bad Company 2" should be in every FPS fans' collection.
"Battlefield: Bad Company 2"
Developer: DICE
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($59.99)
Rating: M for mature
Score: 9.2/10
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