From the Vault — originally published April 19, 2010. Some links, videos or prices may be out of date.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a first person shooter by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The game is more tactical and thus slower paced than the Modern Warfare series. Battlefield Bad Company 2 has both single player and multiplayer modes though known most for its superb and robust multiplayer.
The online multiplayer mode pits players in huge sandbox maps. The game uses DICE’s Frostbite engine. The engine allows for the games signature tactical destruction. Buildings, trees, and other environmental elements can be destroyed to kill enemies or gain a tactical advantage over the opposition. The destruction in the multiplayer modes is a major mechanic that separates it from the competing games such as Modern Warfare 2. you can take down a building on enemies or to clear a line of sight to make enemies easier to spot and pick if defending a base for example.
Vehicular Warfare is a major component in both single player and Multiplayer modes. The single player game puts players in the driving seat and gunning out of tanks, boats, helicopters, planes, ATV’s, and more. This is also the case in the multiplayer modes and the inclusion of vehicles makes the multiplayer modes more dynamic and subsequently more fun by increasing the tactical nature of the game. For example multiple players on a squad/team can jump on a Black Hawk Helicopter while one player fly’s it over to an enemy base. Players on the helicopter can shoot at the other team and parachute out of the helicopter at will. Players can also directly control UAV’s. Vehicles and the total control of UAV’s are not possible in Modern Warfare 2.
In multiplayer there are 4 distinct character classes. You can try the the Recon, Assault, Engineer and Medic classes. Players can compete in various game modes, fighting together to unlock exclusive gadgets, team awards and achievements. Unlock gadgets such as the tracer dart which when used in conjunction with the RPG can have a devastating effect.
The graphics are great for the most part with varied environments that span from snow covered towns, to jungle camps, and desert cities. There are graphical glitches though and occasionally you will see guns appearing through walls and such.
The sound design is nice as well and the guns all sound right. There are accurate sounds as you navigate and crunch though the snow, push through leaves in the jungle, and ride boats to your next objective point. In the multiplayer conquest mode though there are horns that are overly loud and annoying and are activated when your team is about to loose the match. Hopefully this will be patched for consoles and the horn volume will be decreased lower as in the PC versions that have been patched already.
The bottom line is that Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a great game totally worth the full retail price. I have said before that I think that Battlefield Bad Company 2 is better than Modern Warfare 2 and I still think believe so. The single player campaign in Battlefield Bad Company 2 is decent but the multiplayer is where the game shines. If you are a fan of first-person shooters then you really need to try Battlefield Bad Company 2. Highly recommended. There is tons of great game here for your money.
