DaveBeFree's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review
In a market flooded with shooters of all kinds, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 deserves your attention. It doesn't do anything out of the ordinary, or boast of advancements in narrative or technology, but Battlefield: Bad Company 2 succeeds at being an impressive collection of fine-tuned mechanics and fun and satisfying gameplay. If your looking for excellence in the shooting genre, you will certainly find what you need in this package. If you're looking for something different, well, go get Bioshock and it's sequel.
I feel like my impression of B:BC2 is going to sound similar to what those who heralded Modern Warfare 2 expressed last year. For me, B:BC2 is everything I want in a modern FPS. It has a short action filled campaign, a fully realized and deep multi-player, and a variety of balanced weapons and vehicles. Never have I seen so many different mechanics seamlessly welded together, in order to create a cohesive and novel gameplay experience. It's a game that succeeds where other games have failed, through the developers willingness to fine tune the final product thoroughly and patiently. Thus, it provides an excellent gameplay experience, that is hard to get bored of, and filled with novel excitements.
I apologize, but it almost feels pointless to talk about the single-player, as it is plagued by the same issues as any modern shooter. The plot is unremarkable, the dialog corny, and the voice work passable. Everything in the narrative simply pushes the action forward, arriving at some interesting, yet unexciting, set-pieces. Fortunately, the game looks and sounds excellent and is quite varied. The game presents itself as a sandbox for fun, rather then a military simulation. You'll hear a lot less "hurrahs" from the soldiers and a lot more "fucks." The attitude of the soldiers makes the game that much more fun, and a welcome departure from the self-serious nature of your average military game.You'll travel to all sorts of locals, allowing for your crew (Bad Company, as they're known) to blow up diverse parts of the world. Also, your crew may not be memorable, but at least they're likable, offering plenty of humor and non-sequiturs along the way. On the bad side, killing AI off-line or blowing up buildings isn't as fun as the before mentioned multi-player. There simply isn't much compelling you to take your time and enjoy yourself in the campaign, especially considering the action continues at a breakneck speed.
Multi-player, as mentioned, is where your going to want to spend your time. It has a fully developed level system, separated into four different classes. Each class serves a different valuable purpose, and adds a level of strategy and thought to gameplay. Teams can have up to twelve players, so you'll want coordinate and communicate with your buddies to win. It's an addictive and fun place to play online, and if you get into it, Battlefield will absorb you very quickly. The game modes are limited to four types, but there is enough variety in how you play them that it should take more then your money's worth to get stale, even without the promise of DLC. B:BC2 has taken the mantel of my favorite multi-player shooter, and I don't see it losing it's spot in the near future. Believe that!
When Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was on the horizon, I had little interest. I was experiencing heavy FPS fatigue, and wanted no part in another presumably soulless action property. Fortunately, B:BC2 has plenty of soul and heart to spare, as well as some talented brains behind it. If you want mindless, team based shooting, look no further. And even though new games are going to come out that far outshine B:BC2 on the surface, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up as well, if you love shooting and blowing stuff up. It's truly a blast and a half.
DaveBeFree