My opinion of Battlefield: Bad Company 2
I'll be covering both multiplayer and singleplayer, so bear with me for a minute. I've not played the original Battlefield: Bad Company since I have a very strong bias against FPS games on consoles. So no comparisons to console only games will be made. I've also been one of the few that actually did "successfully" boicott MW2. But that's another rant for another time.... So I'll just jump right into the game now!
So to be honest as far as the singleplayer goes it sure ain't Half Life 2. A.I is really akward in places. Your own squad mates possess supernatural powers like invincibility and teleportation, Enemies come in two variations: X-Ray vison and punchingbag. There's seldom any inbetweens. Animation in cutscenes are sometimes jaggy even whith a good framerates, frequent pop-ins and bad scene transitions. These in turn make up a really cheesy storyline. Some stretches of the game are unforgiving and relies more on trial and error then skill. Even after I've said all that I'm itching to try the game on hard for a second playthrough. So it's not a waste of time, even when there is a lot left to be desired. Levels are pretty but so linear that they in most cases could be replaced by narrow hallways and storebuildings.
But unlike Half Life 2, a game by many seen as the very pinnacle of first person shooters, this game is all about multiplayer. So in other words unlike the abomination that is HL2 DM, we have something of a behemoth on our hands here. Personally I feel that the item unlock system by leveling is a bit silly. It would be too daunting for a newbie to enter the battlefield as it where with all the weapons and gadgets at their fingertips from the first spawnpoint. Tactical gameplay that requires you to know your class and cooperate with squadmates to claim ground is not only fullfilling, But the game really manages to reward skill and teamwork instead of going the One Man-Army route that so many other first person shooters have gone before. I've heard some complaints about how vehicles control, but I'm actually very satisfied with the controls. The quadbike and tank are really responsive in their own way. But also a bit sluggish on different ends of the spectrum to enhance balance between their speed and survivability respectivly. Both the remote controlled helicopter and the regular helicopter each packs quite a punch, but got their own weaknesses that also helps them from being way to powerful.
Conclution
Overall very satisfying. Apart from minor issues in the campaign, both movement and gunplay feels just right. A film based on this game could probably improve this poorly written story with mediocre voicework. Your squad does however have some nice conversations if youre idle at times, so it's not all bad. And most games in this genre don't really have much better story lines anyway. The way everything sounds, apart from the flaws in the in engine cutscenes, is reall really good. I cannot stress this enough. You really feel involved in a real world when you hear the sounds around you. The only thing bringing you out of it is that, well, you can clealy see that this is a game. It's not the holodeck or the VR dream of the 90's come true. There is infact a keyboard and a mouse seperating you from this world. And neither "NextGen" or DX11 graphics can convince you othervise.
I must apologise for writing this so poorly strucctured though, I've not slept this night and it's almost noon. But seriously. Do you like pwning ppl on teh internets? Then this game is for you. A must buy title! Also if you want to only play alone? Rent it! The single player campaign should keep you occupied for a day or two. It may be flawed, but it's not all bad.