Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review
By Gaetano Prestia
There definitely hasn’t been a shortage of online-focused FPS this generation. We’ve seen the likes of Halo 3, COD4, Killzone 2 and MAG, all of which offer considerably different experiences from one another. And then there is Battlefield: Bad Company 2, a game that offers an exceptional well-rounded and memorable online experience, blended together with a wonderfully constructed and deep single-player campaign. The game takes you to gorgeous and exotic locations, and thankfully, these are places you’re going to want to visit time and time again.
If one thing stands out with Bad Company 2, it’s that it feels more like a genuine virtual battlefield than any of the previous heavyweights. Buildings and walls crumble around you, explosions go off in the distance, and enemy soldiers flank you and attack you from behind thick cover to ensure you don’t take them out too easily. Even tackling Bad Company 2 on its easiest difficulty dictates a bit of patience, and thanks to D.I.C.E.’s magnificent Frostbite engine, blowing things up makes for an integral part of the experience.
The online multiplayer is undoubtedly where most of this title’s depth lies, although the campaign offers plenty of challenging and tactic-focused objectives. Unfortunately, you can’t head into the campaign with a friend, which is a major disappointment. This is somewhat rectified though, considering the four main characters in Sarge, Marlowe, Sweetwater, and Haggard are controlled so well by the game’s AI that it’s almost as good as actually playing with a mate.
Bad Company 2’s impressive technical design is evident trough its lush and gorgeous tropical environments, detailed structures and wonderful fire and water effects. The Frostbite engine actually makes for a far more engaging and enjoyable experience, as it actually opens up more options for destruction and success within a particular area. If enemy soldiers are flanking you, you can simply shoot through their thin wooden cover, just as you would be able to on an actual battlefield. The presentation runs hand-in-hand with the actual gameplay, and it’s important to note this, especially when playing on the highest difficulty.
It’s one thing to make a destructible world, but to actually make it integral to success is one thing D.I.C.E. must be commended for. It’s just that the game is so inviting when it comes to destruction, that you can’t help but just blow up buildings you know don’t even have enemies in them. It actually also makes things easier. If you spot a group of enemies hanging around a building, there’s no point in taking one down with bullets, because then the others are just going to quickly move into cover. Instead, switch over to your grenade launch and collapse the building around them. Simple. Oh, and fun! Destruction isn’t just there: it’s an integral aspect of the battlefield, and you’re inclined to use it.
The presentation isn’t perfect, but it’s still a substantial improvement on the first game. Textures are still blurry, but nowhere near as bad as they were in the predecessor, and there is the occasional screen tear and clipping issue that can halter the gameplay and dictate a restart. Also, the actual depth of destructibility makes for some awkward looking ruins, with materials left hanging in weird positions. The important thing is that none of these are game breakers in the bigger scheme of things. The overall package is quite superb, and it really is one of the better looking titles this gen.
The single-player campaign also offers an interesting and at-times emotional narrative. The four characters are memorable in their own way, and while they each fit within a typical American stereotype, some of their banter actually makes for intelligent and realistic talking points. Humour is a massive part of the story, no doubt, but the depth of the characters actually has a sense of morality and condition. When you hear Haggard talking about football, you can’t help but laugh, but then suddenly the characters are talking about death and war without breaking character. It’s something that just isn’t typically seen in a game in the genre, and the potential connection between the gamer and the characters adds a whole new level to the overall experience.
Furthermore, their actual positioning in the battlefield makes playing the game a breeze. The friendly AI works really well, and while they’ll be following your footsteps most of the time, they each move off in their own direction and take out enemies in their own fashion. Even though there is no friendly fire, it’s not an issue anyway, because the other three never get in your way. Their presence makes getting through the game on the highest difficulty a little less stressful, as they make helpful pointers and direct you when you’ve taken out of all the enemies in the area. And because you’re with them for the whole ride, by the end of it, you actually genuinely feel like you’ve had an experience with them. The fact you can remember their names and their purpose (and that these aspects actually make the single-player more enjoyable) indicates how important it is to have a strong story, even if the overall focus is the multiplayer.
While the single-player campaign is one of the best we’ve seen in a FPS for a while, the multiplayer is where most of Bad Company 2’s excitement lies. There are several different game modes to head in to, where up to 24 players can compete in large, engaging maps. There is Rush, which has one team infiltrating enemy territory to take down two noted targets. The great thing about this mode is that it actually expands during the combat; if the attacking team is able to take control of the targets, new targets open up in newly opened parts of the map. So instead of the targets simply moving throughout the map, whole new areas of the map are opened, making the battlefield as opened to one team as it is to the other. Squad Deathmatch has four squads of four players going up against each other in engaging, explosive battles across large maps. It’s a slightly different take on the more traditional Team Deathmatch, adding a bit more competition to the battlefield through the four different squads. There’s then Conquest, which has two teams fighting one another for three control targets.
The gorgeous environments in the single-player campaign are thankfully carried over into the multiplayer. The maps are very well designed, making for engaging and well-spaced combat that dictates precision and battlefield tactics. The maps are very well varied in design, which is great, and the destructive elements of the environments make the battles even more engaging and exciting.
The technical design of this game actually has an affect on how you play the game, as the sounds of combat can help you determine who is where and what is on your back. If you can here the bellowing blow of a tank in the distance, you can sneak up and do your thing without anyone noticing. Hear that crackling “swipe” in the distance? It’s probably a sniper a few miles away. The depth of the maps and sheer size of the environments actually make for horrifyingly realistic combat, and you’ve almost always got to be on your toes for the more advanced gamers that genuinely know how to take advance of the environment.
There’s a simple unlocking and upgrading system, with points earned during matches used to gain new weapons and specializations. There are some unique attributes, which can only be used with specific classes, but most are flexible and can really help in creating several different classes for different instances. There are four classes, and you gain points for kills and supporting teammates. Medals are gained through skills used on the battlefield, much like how Titles are earned in Modern Warfare 2.
The overall online experience is very exciting and engaging, and while the maps are a little larger than your typical FPS and offer more on the load out front, as well as vehicles, the battlefields are intense and explosive. It’s an online experience that dictates precision and tactics, and gamers who felt more at home with MAG than they did with Modern Warfare 2 might find Bad Company 2 more to their liking; it’s one of the better online offerings this generation.
The Final Verdict
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 offers a destructive and fun single-player and online experience. Blowing stuff up is great fun, especially when the environments look as great as they do. The multiplayer is engaging and deep, and the sound and visual design add to the combat.
Gameplay
9.0
Great shooting mechanics, with an enjoyable and lengthy single-player. But the real action lies in multiplayer. Blowing stuff up isn’t just fun, it’s integral to your success in the game.
Graphics
9.0
Impressive art designs.
Stunning locations and plenty of detail. A few technical issues here and there, but nothing major.
Sound
10
Superb sound effects and wonderful voice acting make for great and humorous banter throughout the single-player.
Value
9.5
A lengthy single-player, as well as a multiplayer that you can play for months.
Overall
9.3
A score between 9.0 and 9.4 means that game offers a very good gaming experience. There may be some minor issues with gameplay and value.