Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review

The recent trend in first person shooter games has been a heavy focus on multi-player and RPG like experience/reward systems. With a market that is quickly becoming saturated with "the next Modern Warfare," it's easy to write off many of these games a shovelware. But EA's Battlefield series is no Johnny Come-lately. Will Bad Company 2 stand out from the crowd or disappear into the mist of mediocre games?

Lets just get this out of the way. Yes, Bad Company 2 looks a bit like Modern Warfare 2. Yes, they both take place in a more modern setting compared to both franchises firm past in WWII games. Yes, there is a leveling system in place that rewards you with ranks and unlockables. But despite these differences, the two games stand miles apart.

A prime example is Bad Company's single player game. The story for BC2 is a much more light hearted approach. DICE doesn't beat you over the head with ham-handed attempts at drama or attempt to illicit some sort of knee jerk reaction to shock and awe. There is no walking through a crowded airport gunning down innocent people, there is no taking the role of a soon to be executed political leader. BC2 instead focuses on the return cast of military misfits that are not fit to serve. While not quite the "brofest" that Army of Two was, you will get plenty of these guys telling jokes, calling their helicopter pilot a hippie and half-hearted requests for you not to shoot them.

Another area where Battlefield steps out of the giant Modern Warfare shadow is in environments. BC2's environments are more or less completely destructible, it's just a matter of finding a weapon powerful enough to do the job. This will cause problems for people not used to such a game feature. I can recount many times where I thought I was taking cover in a secure building, only to find myself completely exposed after a rocket propelled grenade does a little impromptu redecorating.

The destructible environments become even more prominent when multi-players vehicles are added to the mix. It's not unusual for a player in a tank or a helicopter to completely bring down a building. Have a sniper hiding in the trees? Well all you need to do is use a mounted machine gun like a chainsaw and cut those suckers down. Fences, concrete walls and crates are no match for the more powerful weapons in the game. All this adds to making BC2 a fast paced action-fest where there's no time to stand still.

The vehicles add a incredibly fun and add another level of depth to the game. You can use helicopters to supply air calvary support, drive in a tank to completely level the battlefield or even hop on an ATV to quickly move into enemy territory. The vehicles also encourage more teamwork, as all the vehicles have multiple seats allowing for gunners and secondary weapon firing.

The leveling system is fun, but slightly frustrating. You often find yourself having weapons much weaker than your enemy, making it near impossible to kill anyone without getting the drop on them. You sometimes also find yourself lacking the tools or skills to be a productive member of your team. A prime example is the medic class. As a starting medic, you will have no healing devices of any sort which seems to be the item that would define "medic" as a class. But once you do start unlocking items, you will find the classes get more and more distinct. Sticking with the medic class, as you level up you will work your way up from health packs all the way to defib paddles which actually revive a fallen teammate.

In the end, Bad Company 2 has a fun single player and offers up a multi-player experience with large destructible maps and an engaging leveling system. If you like shooters and aren't afraid of multi-player, this game just might be the one you're looking for.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5