Strife88

This is Battlefield: Bad Company, a game that looks similar to a few other things that you've played, but if you look closer there is a new and unique experience to be discovered.

The developer's DICE have put a lot of work and sweat into developing this title. They felt that they had to develop an ambitious title to stand alone from every other Battlefield title they have worked on in the past. In order to do that it was built from the ground up by developing the Frostbite engine. It reshapes the Battlefield and really expands what you can do and expect from this game.

It's everything that you've come to expect from the series, but with the all these new changes it really adds to the excitement of this game. Welcome to Bad Company, where not everything is as simple as they used to be. You are Preston Marlowe, an individual who has been sent to B Company for his actions which should have put him in prison rather than fighting a war. The same can be said about the rest of the squad, they've all been placed here for their reasons. They are expendable soldiers so if they don't make it than it's really not a loss for the people that put them here.

Start off with the single player campaign and explain what you can expect from it; an action packed thrill ride from start to finish. The very first level starts you off with a steady pace until you get used to the controls and the tone of the constant fights. You can fight on foot or by utilizing the weapons on near-by vehicles. It sets the pace up well with the story being told through cinematic cut-scenes or through the time it takes to get from destination to destination. There's a good amount of variety that plays throughout the entire game.

The game is almost like an open sandbox, you have your objectives, but the way you accomplish them is up to you. The tactics are your call and the way you strategize your attacks could really mean the outcome in any situation. Another aspect that really shows off the power of Bad Company is the destructible environments. It reshapes the Battlefield, a quality that hasn't been realized to its full potential till now. DICE got it right and their efforts really paid off making this game as great as it is. Not only does it look good, it changes the way you fight. We'll all so used to fighting behind cover and Call of Duty 4 showed us that hiding behind thin objects isn't a smart idea, but in BF: BC entire walls come down, buildings blown to pieces since one of the main focuses on weapons are grenade launcher attachments and a lot of heavy artillery that's used in all points in the game. It keeps you on edge and teaches you to think on your toes. The single player experience really offers a lot and with all these new features it sets you up as a better fighter when it comes to the online experience.

The online is really where this game shines. It takes everything you've come to know from the single player and incorporates all of that into an immersive and addictive experience. As of now there is only one game mode being Gold Rush, but it's a solid game mode and really holds up the themes of this game. They have plans on releasing new modes through downloadable content for those of you that are concerned. First let me say that it supports up to 24 players and it has a good matchmaking service like a lot of the newer games out there.

The objective of this game mode is to succeed in acquiring as much gold as possible or defend what you already have from those that are trying to take it from you. It sounds easy enough, but once you get in there the action and level of difficulty really steps up which helps if you try the single player game first.

The Attackers must plan their attacks and take out the two gold crates located at the defenders base, which the defenders are doing everything they can to defend it. If they do succeed than the defender will defend their next base. They have five in total and the attacker's goal is to take out all of them without using up all their reinforcements. If the defender's finish off all incoming reinforcements than they have defended their gold successfully. The online has full leaderboards and stat tracking in tact. There are also awards such as patches and trophies that are given for completing certain challenges that really add to the depth of the game. Another interesting thing about that is you can earn them as many times possible so the game never gets dull, you'll always be achieving something. There are 25 ranks in the online portion and unlockable weapons along the way. The online experience really offers up a lot and is one of the more refreshing experiences that I've had online.

Battlefield: Bad Company does a good job at successfully making this an interesting title, maybe even the best in the series. They delivered on their promises on making an immersive and creatively new game for any fan of the series or FPS titles in general. A lot of things are done right in this game and it can be seen within the first few minutes of picking up a controller and playing it. If you haven't checked it out than I suggest you put this one on your list on summer games.