Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Developer: DICE Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PS3, PC, Xbox 360
Rating: Mature Release Date: 03.02.10
Digital Illusions CE (DICE) and Electronic Arts' hit franchise, Battlefield, has always been renowned for authentically recreating war in all its violent, expansive, chaotic glory. Dozens of gamers could duke it out for supremacy while fighting on foot, riding in a vehicle or tearing through the sky in a jet or helicopter. However, in 2008, DICE abruptly shifted their attention away from the PC and made Battlefield: Bad Company exclusively for home consoles.
The scale of the multiplayer matches were toned down a little, but in return, DICE beefed up the action and introduced a gorgeous graphics engine that featured fully destructible environments. Now, with the inevitable sequel, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, DICE looks to build upon the success of the original. The graphics are sharper and the single-player campaign is more robust, but perhaps most importantly of all, the series' unparalleled penchant for addicting and immersive multiplayer combat shines brighter than ever.
Bad Company 2's story mode has you following the same ragtag band of soldiers that gamers were acquainted with in the first Bad Company. They hop from one locale (from snowy mountains to exotic, tropical jungles) to the next, chasing down a doomsday weapon that could spell some seriously bad news for the United States.
The plot is nothing special, but this time around the members of your squad aren't quite as boisterous and obnoxious. They still have unique personalities that bounce off one another like a particularly deranged episode of the "The Three Stooges", but they're less caricatured and considerably more tolerable.
Of course, few play first-person shooters for an enthralling story. Fortunately for Bad Company 2, where it's lacking in narrative prowess it makes up for in action. You'll find new guns (ranging from rocket launchers to sniper rifles), shoot it out with foot soldiers, commandeer a tank, shoot a machine gun from a helicopter, pilot a UAV drone and more. There's tons of variety and absolutely no shortage of excitement and violence that the game throws your way.
As long as you learn to take cover and use the open terrain and empty buildings to maneuver around enemy positions, you shouldn't have much of an issue gunning down wave after wave of faceless bad guys. That's not to say you won't die. Enemies are pretty savvy about taking cover, launching rockets at you to destroy your hiding spots and even attempt to flank you.
If things do start getting a bit rough, your squad's AI is surprisingly intelligent. They'll take cover and return fire accurately, and since they don't actually die, you can count on their invaluable support in even the fiercest of firefights. Still, it would have been nice if three other gamers could hop in on the fun. Bad Company 2's story mode revolves around a squad, so it seems to only make sense that your buddies should be able to team up with you. Oh well. Maybe in the third one.
Then there's the multiplayer mode. Bad Company 2's foray into the world of fierce, competitive online combat is fairly similar to the first game. You're divided into two squads of 12 and are tasked with murdering one using guns, helicopters, tanks and more. "Rush" mode has one team racing to destroy marked boxes while the other team tries to defend it, and Conquest Mode has both teams vying to dominate strategic control points around the map. Also, Squad Rush and Squad Deathmatch modes allow smaller teams of four to fight it out against a rival team.
Maps are incredibly large and populated with trees, boulders, buildings and stationary turrets. How you choose to use the terrain to your advantage is entirely up to you, but be aware that practically everything can be destroyed. For instance, if you set yourself up in the attic of a two story building overlooking a courtyard, a single tank shell can blow the roof off and probably kill you. Also, if you happen to be standing in a building when the support beams are taken out, fully expect to be crushed to death beneath the debris.
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