Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Overview

Bad Company 2 follows a bigger and better mentality with more vehicles, more destruction, and more team play than the original Bad Company. At the same time, DICE aimed for a more tightly tuned single-player experience by addressing issues like pacing and the damage-soaking nature of the enemies. The sequel also carries a more mature tone with realistic blood effects and in-game characters using profanity.

Plot and Setting

The first game's notorious B Company (“Bad Company”) returns for the sequel. The game takes place in the modern era, with the continuing fictional conflict between the USA and Russia. This time the Russians are invading through Alaska and the game takes places largely on the western coast of the Americas. The stages – both single and multi-player – are set all the way from Alaska to Chile and features many different environments like alpine forests, dense jungles and barren snowscapes.

The story opens during a fictional mission in 1944 called Operation Aurora, where a select few US Army soldiers infiltrate a Japanese naval base to rescue a defecting Japanese scientist who claims to have knowledge of a super-weapon his side is developing. The four-man team manages to fight their way through the trenches, rescue the scientist and hitch a ride out of the base on a Japanese submarine. However, the scientist is afraid, claiming the "Black Weapon" has been activated. A large wave of energy is seen rushing towards the soldiers and the scientist as the level ends.

The game switches back to the present day, when the four-man team from B-Company (including Marlowe, Sweetwater, Haggard and Sarge) witnesses a Russian Contact of theirs being executed by a bald man. After fighting their way through a Russian village, they locate a "high value" truck containing what appears to be a metallic suitcase with a WMD inside. However, once they return to base, they are informed that the WMD was a dud, possibly for a "dry run" the Russians were planning to do.

The US Army General, Braidwood, transfers the B-Company men into his "Special Activities Division," promising that if they complete a few missions for him they will be able to leave the army and go back home to America. Redford is pissed off because his supposedly reduced retirement from the last game got postponed--again--but he goes along with the squad as Braidwood gives them their newest mission: Deliver a flash drive full of data to a contact in Bolivia named "Aguiar."

So the four-men team are dropped into the Bolivian jungle by a hippie-ish helicopter pilot named Flynn, but upon arriving at the rendezvous point they discover a pile of dead bodies and no contact. Redford discovers that Aguiar left them a coded message to show where he would be headed when his place was attacked. As the group continues on, they discover that Bolivian paramilitary troops are also looking for Aguiar and have few qualms about killing anyone who gets in their way.

After fighting their way through the jungle, the group rescues Aguiar before he is taken away by the Russians. Aguiar tells them that the flash drive contained data about a long lost super-weapon that the US Army is looking for, but all the data he had about its location was destroyed. Sweetwater asks if he has any backups, and Aguiar simply points up to the sky.

The next mission takes place in the Andes, where Sweetwater is tasked with single-handedly bringing down an orbiting satellite that contains more information about the super-weapon Aguiar is looking for. After Sweetwater manages to bring the satellite down from orbit, the men are forced to deal with several Russian troops in the area while they wait for the drive to cool so they can touch it. Then a burst of bad weather ends up separating the men of B-Company, and Marlowe finds himself alone in the freezing cold with the black box from the satellite as he descends down the mountain to the waiting chopper of Flynn.

Sweetwater and Aguiar pour over the data they recovered and find that it lists information about Project Aurora, the weapon that the Japanese were supposedly developing back in 1944. Essentially, it is a weapon that can create a gigantic EMP burst that can wipe out anything electronic, with such a strong radius that it could shut down the entire eastern seaboard of the US. They also find the Russian who seeks to discover it is Colonel Kirilenko, the bald man that they didn't shoot back in their last mission. Kirilenko is currently leading the Russian occupation of Chile as the US 2nd Armored Cavalry Division is planning to invade his position, so the group decides to hitch a ride in a tank in order to get into the country and find Kirilenko before the Army levels the town.

After helping to invade the Chilean town, the B-Company men manage to find where Kirilenko is hiding. However, he seems to know that they want him alive, and that he knows of Aguiar. The two of them are trying to find the same weapon. The US Army suddenly unleashes an artillery strike on the town, not knowing that the group is still in the building and Kirilenko escapes in the confusion, but not before Sweetwater finds another clue: The Sangre del Toro, an old Peruvian ship that disappeared during the late '40s. After regrouping, the team heads to the coast to find the buried ship, and hopefully, the WMD.

The B-Company men fight through yet another garrison of Russian troops as they work to triangulate the position of the missing ship and maybe pick up information on Aguiar. When they finish triangulating, Marlowe discovers a case containing a canister marked "SF1079" and a book that shows the US Army sent a few men on a suicide mission to Japan in 1944 just hoping that the Japanese would unleash Project Aurora on them and study the effects, which they did. Aguiar sounds angry after hearing that news over the com, but the team gets back into the chopper with the canister in order to hand it off to Aguiar and get back home to America, as they found nothing overly wrong with Aguiar's history aside from the fact that he was a spy for the NSA. However, the chopper ends up getting hit by a Javelin missile and the men are scattered across a Colombian(?) forest. Russian-allied paramilitary men move in to eliminate the group, but Marlowe reunites with his unit and the saved canister.

Aguiar demands that they leave so he can pick up the canister, but the group decides to stay so they can pick up their captured friend and pilot, Flynn. After fighting through even more paramilitary forces, they eventually find Flynn, who has become less of a pacifist after being tortured. After landing at the new rendezvous point with Aguiar, the B-Company find themselves ambushed by Russian soldiers, led by Kirilenko. Aguiar is apparently the son of a man named Wyatt who went on Operation Aurora, and after hearing that the US Army used his father as bait for the Japanese, he has decided to hand the canister off to Kirilenko for revenge. Kirilenko repays his loyalty by shooting him in the back, but before he can kill the rest of the Americans, Flynn reappears in the stolen Russian chopper and cuts down the Russian soldiers. However, Kirilenko still has his revenge as one of his soldiers shoots Flynn down and then they escape with the canister anyway.

The team finally sees the much talked about and very loud Scalar weapon, a commercial jumbo jet, knocking out their air support as part of its test firing. At this point, Redford, Sweetwater and Haggard are about to call it quits when the gang hears Russian radio chatter that Kirilenko is making his escape. Preston convinces the team to move out and confront Kirilenko before he can escape with the Scalar weapon.

After shooting their way through more resistance the team finally boards the plane. Marlowe and the gang acquire weapons on board and kill the tangos they are still unable to locate Kirilenko. It turns out the Scalar weapon and Kirilenko are behind protected glass. The madman tells the team they will be safe when the weapon fires and there is nothing they can do. The guys decide that the only way to stop him is to use C-4, which could blow up the plane and kill them all, but risk it anyway. The charges are set and Marlow shoots the explosives. All hell breaks loose and amid the chaos Kirilenko tries to grab the last parachute from Sweetwater. Preston jumps from the plane in an attempt to recover the parachute and kills Kirilenko in the process.

Safely back on the ground, the gang find themselves in Haggard's home state of Texas. Thinking that they earned their freedom Bad Company is in a good mood: Haggard tells of a place to celebrate, while Sarge contemplates his retirement. Quick to ruin the party General Braidwood arrives and requests Bad Company to come with him. A disappointed Sarge asks why and Haggard is quick to state they destroyed Ruskie's super-weapon. The General reports that there will be a Russian invasion through Alaska. A quick zoom out displays a map of North America with massive sea of red engulfing Alaska and Canada.

Campaign Missions

1. Operation Aurora
2. Cold War
3. Heart of Darkness
4. Upriver
5. Crack the Sky
6. Snowblind
7. Heavy Metal
8. High Value Target
9. Sangre del Toro
10. No One Gets Left Behind
11. Zero Dark Thirty
12. Force Multiplier
13. Airborne

Gameplay

Much like the first game, Bad Company 2 features constant over-the-top destruction and squad based gameplay. The single player campaign features a mix of on-foot combat, vehicular combat, on-rails shooting and sniper missions.

Frostbite Destruction 2.0

Bad Company 2 uses an update version of the Frostbite engine with "Destruction 2.0" system, meaning that you can destroy a building right down to the foundation. In the first game, you could not destroy the entire building as there would always be small parts of the building, like support beams, remaining after destruction. The game also features a large amount of “micro destruction” that allows players to slowly chip away at their target's cover with rifles, explosives and mounted weapons. Players can now create small holes inside houses and thin walls to gain an advantage during a firefight.

Regenerating Health

In the first game, players regained health using a "Life-2 Health Syringe". It has now been replaced with an automatic health regeneration system similar to many other shooters like DICE's own Battlefield 1943. However the regeneration rate is slower than in other first-person shooters, making medics a valuable asset to an effective squad.

Multiplayer

There is a bigger emphasis on the multiplayer in Bad Company 2. The player cap is 24 (32 on PC) players with 15 different vehicles sprinkled through out. There are plenty of unlocks and customizations with 46 weapons, 15 gadgets, 4 character classes, 13 character specializations, 50 ranks and various awards to be earned.

DICE has put more time into the squad system and players will be able to make private squads. The squads are central to the gameplay experience since you gain extra points for helping your squad. For example, you gain 10 extra points for healing your squad member as opposed to any other teammate. Additionally, you can respawn on any squad-mate which allows you to get back into combat without any delay. To improve coordination, squads get a dedicated voice chat channel. On top of this, soldiers automatically communicate with each other with heavy use of military jargon like "Oscar Mike". Players can also initiate this context sensitive chatter by aiming at their teammates and pressing the Select/Back button.

Game Modes

Bad Company 2 shipped with four multiplayer modes:

• Rush - An Assault-type game mode, which tasks the attacking team to destroy the defender's MCOM stations before losing a set amount of forces. Defenders are given an unlimited amount of respawn tickets.
• Conquest - A trademark of the Battlefield franchise, Conquest has teams battling for control of flags. Once a flag is captured by a team, players are allowed to respawn at that location. The first team to reach zero respawn tickets loses.
• Squad Deathmatch - A team deathmatch with four squads on the same map.
• Squad Rush - A smaller variant of the regular Rush mode with only 4 players on each side. This mode contains just one crate on each tier, two bases and no vehicles. It was available at launch on the PC version but was a pre-order only bonus for the first thirty days on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in North America.

DLC game mode:

• Onslaught - A co-op game mode that allows up to four players to fight together as a squad through 4 different levels, battling computer controlled enemies. It's essentially a Rush game mode where the AI is on defense. Human players will consecutively unlock areas of the map as they capture flags as opposed to Rush's M-Com station destruction. Points are awarded as in regular multiplayer play; although they do not count towards your multiplayer statistics, pins, insignias or any other multiplayer statistic. This mode was released on PS3 and Xbox 360 June 22nd, 2010 with a cost of $9.99/800 MS points. The DLC was cancelled for the PC version of the game.

Ranking Up & Persistence

Bad Company 2 continues the tradition of the Battlefield franchise with persistent progression for your character as you gain experience points through kills, assists or completing objectives. In addition, players also gain points towards the equipped class kit to unlock exclusive items. Overall player ranks are represented with borrowed real military ranks like Lieutenant or 5-Star General.

Ranks 1-50

With the average player gaining anywhere from 800 to 3000 points in a full 15 to 20 minute long match, reaching higher ranks takes a lot of time and dedication. Players earn their last all-class unlock at rank 22 (the G3 "battle rifle") and an Achievement is also associated with this rank. Continuing up the ranks after this point is for pride, a way to show dedication in the game. Bad Company 1 had an issue where players would hit the highest rank (Rank 25) after around only 25 hours or so of gameplay and never again rank up. There was no discernible difference between a person who had perhaps played 30 hours and a person who had played 300.

Additionally, a prominent statistic is a player's score-per-minute (SPM) which is often between 100 to 350, depending on the energy and skill of the individual in combat and their proficiency at earning lucrative insignias and gold stars. For example, to reach the highest rank 50 with a 5,400,000 points will take a player with a score-per-minute of 200 approximately 450 hours of play time.

Classes

Like previous Battlefield titles, classes are central to the gameplay and functionality of a soldier on the field. Players can choose between the four classes on every respawn, each with their own exclusive weapons and gadgets.

• Assault – This basic infantry unit carries the exclusive fully-automatic rifles and can throw out ammo pouches for his teammates. Its also the only class with access to grenade launchers.

Weapon Unlocks - AEK971, XM8, F2000, AUG, AN94, M416, M16A2

• Engineer – A mechanic class with access to sub-machine guns, anti-tank mines, and rocket launchers. They can repair any vehicle using the pneumatic socket wrench.

Weapon Unlocks - 9A91, SCAR, XM8C, AKS74U, UZI, PP2000, UMP.

• Recon – It's the only class with access to sniper rifles.They also carry motion sensors and have access to plastic explosives or mortar fire.

Weapon Unlocks - M24, GOL, QBU88, SV98, SVU, M95, VSS Vintores.

• Medic – This class can throw out health packs for their teammates that quickens their health regeneration, and have the highly useful ability to revive their teammates using portable defibrillator. They are the only class with access to light machine guns.

Weapon Unlocks - M249, M60, MG3, MG36, PKM, QJU88, XM8 LMG.

There are also a number of weapons and mods that are non-class specific. These alternate load-out options allow players to earn experience points towards any class without having to rely on the class-specific weapons, which are sometimes

weaker at lower ranks. These include all the side arms & shotguns, as well as vehicle mods and armor upgrades.

Side Arms - M9, M1911, MP-443, MP412 Magnum, TRC4 (shoots tracer darts) , M93R,

Shotguns - SPAS12, SPAS-15, NS2000, 870MCS, USAS12, S20K , T194 (Single player only),

Sub-machine gun - M1A1

Rifles - M14EBR, G3, M1 Garand

Note: A full list of weapons can be found below.

Kit Selection & Gadgets

Players are allowed to carry two weapon mods and two gadgets that can vary drastically from one class to another. These customizations are mostly tied to the class specific kits and players will need to rank up in that particular class to unlock a mod. These unlocks usually compliment the general play style of a class or at the very least provide them with more interesting options for their typical role. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect for each class:

• Assault - Ammo Pack, 40mm Grenade Launcher, 40mm Shotgun, Smoke Grenade Launcher, 4x ACOG scope, red-dot sight, improved handling. (If you are using the Assault Class and a universal class weapon, you can choose C4 explosives.)
• Engineer - Repair Tool, RPG-7, M2 Carl Gustav, AT-4 , AT Mine, 4x ACOG scope, red-dot sight, improved handling
• Recon - Motion Sensor, C4 Explosives, Mortar Strike, 4x ACOG scope, red-dot sight, 12x scope, Spotter Scope
• Medic - Med Pack, Defibrillators, improved med pack perks, 4x ACOG scope, red-dot sight, improved handling
• Common - Lightweight Equipment (Faster Sprint), Ammo Bandolier (Extra Ammo), Grenade Vest (Extra handgrenades and 40mm grenades), Explosives Leg Pouch (Extra C4, Rockets, or Mines), Ceramic Body Armor (25% health bonus), Magnum Ammunition (25% damage bonus), Improved Demolitions (25% explosive damage bonus), 12 Gauge Slugs (For shotguns), Extended Magazine (Doubles shotgun clip size)

Veteran Status

As with the last game, Bad Company 2 can be used to claim veteran status. In addition to the modern weapons available, there is also a M1 Garand WWII rifle available exclusively to Battlefield veterans. To gain veteran status one must have played at least one other game in the Battlefield series and register online in order to unlock the weapon. You will also gain all class specific add ons (such as the motion spot assist mine for the Recon Class.)

Vehicle Combat & Customization

Like the first game, BC2 features a large number of vehicles. The type of available vehicles depends on the map and game mode. Players can now customize vehicles by selecting different kinds of ammunition, armor and speed upgrades. These unlocks can be used with any class but as a measure to balance the use of vehicles, players can only use one vehicle mod at a time. If one player has an increased splash damage Spec while the other player has an increased armor Spec, those are integrated into the vehicle they're using. Two players using two of the same type of vehicle Spec does not add on to each other for extra benefits.

Enemy Spotting

A new feature introduced in Bad Company 2 is enemy spotting, where you can point out the location of an enemy on the mini-map. This is done by pointing the reticule at an enemy soldier or vehicle through iron sight and pushing the Social/Issue Orders (Select on PS3, Back on X360) button. It marks the enemy location on the mini-map and puts a temporary marker on their head, both of which are visible to your entire team. In addition, if someone else kills an enemy you've spotted, you get bonus experience points.

Pins

During multiplayer, one can earn pins which award bonus experience points. The pin is awarded if the player meets the criteria within a single round. If the player meets the criteria twice, then the pin is awarded twice; that is, if a player kills 14 people with sniper rifles in a round, they will receive two Sniper Rifle Efficiency pins.

* The SPECACT DLC provides the weapons required for these pins

Insignias

Progress towards insignias persist between rounds. Insignias are more difficult to obtain than pins, and yield much more experience when obtained. If an insignia is unlocked during a round, the point value does not count towards your round score.

* SPECACT equipment is available in DLC

Dog Tags

When a player kills an enemy with the knife, they earn that enemy's dog tags. All of the dog tags a player collects are available for viewing in the Stats section of the main menu. Based on the rank of the enemy killed, the dog tags are colored either bronze, silver, or gold. Your collection of dog tags serve little purpose other than bragging rights, although there are knife kill-related pins and insignias that award bonus experience points.

VIP Codes & Content

Bad Company 2 is one of EA's "Project Ten Dollar" games, a program they designed to help curb the buying & selling of used games. New, unopened copies of BC2 for the PS3 & 360 contain a VIP Code, which gives the player access to multiplayer items & game modes that would otherwise be unavailable, or would need to be unlocked by attaining certain in-game ranks or objectives. (All PC copies of BC2 receive VIP content as part of regular patches.) VIP codes may be purchased in the in-game store if a player doesn't have one.

VIP Content History:

At launch (March 2, 2010):

• "VIP Map Pack 1", which unlocks Conquest for Laguna Alta, and Rush for Nelson Bay.

For players with the Limited Edition version of the game, these multiplayer unlocks were made available immediately:

• Improved Vehicle Armor spec (Limited Edition only)
• Vehicle Alternate Fire spec (Limited Edition only)
• Vehicle Motion Sensor spec (Limited Edition only)
• Tracer dart pistol (Limited Edition only)
• WWII M1A1 Thompson machine gun (Limited Edition only)
• WWII M1911 .45 pistol (Limited Edition only)

March 30, 2010:

• "VIP Map Pack 2", which unlocks Conquest for Arica Harbor, and Rush for Laguna Presa.

June 9, 2010:

• "VIP Map Pack 3", which unlocks Squad Rush for Laguna Alta, and Squad Deathmatch for Nelson Bay.

July 7, 2010:

• "VIP Map Pack 4", which unlocks Conquest for Port Valdez, and Rush for Atacama Desert.

July 28, 2010

• "VIP Map Pack 5", which unlocks Rush for White Pass, and Conquest for Nelson Bay.

August 18, 2010

• "VIP Map pack 6", which unlocks Squad Deathmatch for Panama Canal, and Squad Rush for Laguna Presa.

December 1, 2010

• "VIP Map Pack 7", which adds four new maps to the multiplayer.
• 2 maps from Bad Company 1 (Oasis & Harvest Day).
• 2 brand new maps from BC2 single player levels (Cold War & Heavy Metal).

Multiplayer Maps

Arica Harbor

A desert town with a harbor and a long, wide open road.

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest (VIP only)
• Rush
• Squad Deathmatch

Atacama Desert

A large wasteland-type map in a desert with wrecked ships and small villages.

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest
• Squad Rush
• Rush (VIP only)
• Onslaught (DLC)

Isla Inocentes

A long forested map with two controllable Blackhawk Helicopters.

Playable in game modes:

• Rush
• Squad Deathmatch
• Onslaught (DLC)

Laguna Alta

A hilly, rural setting with a stream running down the middle.

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest (VIP only)
• Squad Rush (VIP only)

Laguna Presa

A big forest set in a valley with a large dam overlooking it.

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest
• Rush (VIP only)
• Squad Deathmatch
• Squad Rush (VIP only)

Nelson Bay

A small, snowy forest with a small village.

Playable in game modes:

• Rush (VIP only)
• Squad Deathmatch (VIP only)
• Onslaught (DLC)
• Conquest (VIP only)

Panama Canal

The map with the largest amount of bases to capture in Conquest. Lots of vehicular and close range combat.

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest
• Squad Rush
• Squad Deathmatch (VIP only)

Port Valdez

A huge industrial harbor set during the winter.

Playable in game modes:

• Rush
• Conquest (VIP only)
• Squad Rush

Valparaiso

A close quarters forest, the map is long and narrow, with the ocean on one side and high cliffs on the other.

Playable in game modes:

• Rush
• Squad Rush
• Onslaught (DLC)

White Pass

A small village becomes a battleground during the winter.

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest
• Squad Deathmatch
• Rush (VIP only)

Oasis (VIP Only)

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest
• Rush
• Squad Deathmatch
• Squad Rush

Harvest Day (VIP Only)

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest
• Rush
• Squad Deathmatch
• Squad Rush

Cold War (VIP Only)

Playable in game modes:

• Rush
• Squad Rush
• Squad Deathmatch

Heavy Metal (VIP Only)

Playable in game modes:

• Conquest
• Squad Deathmatch

Weapons

This is a list of the weapons that you can equip in multiplayer:

Handguns
M9 Pistol Main page: M9 Pistol Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
MP-412 REX Main page: MP412 REX Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
WWII M1911 .45 Main page: M1911 Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
MP-443 Grach Main page: MP-443 Grach Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
M93R Burst Main page: M93 Raffica Fire Mode - Triple burst

Submachine Guns
UZI Main page: Uzi Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
WWII M1A1 Thompson Main Page: M1A1 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
PP-2000 AVTOMAT Main page: PP2000 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
UMP45 Main page: UMP .45 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic

Battle Rifles
WWII M1 Garand Main page: M1 Garand Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
G3 Main page: G3 Rifle Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
M14 MOD 0 Enhanced Main page: Mk .14 EBR Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)

Assault Rifles
9A-91 AVTOMAT Main page: 9A-91 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
XM8 Compact Main page: XM8C Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
AKS-74U Krinkov Main page: AKS-74u Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
SCAR-L Carbine Main page: Scar Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
XM8 Prototype Main page: XM8 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
M416 Main page: HK416 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
AEK-971 Vintovka Main page: AEK-971 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
AN-94 Abakan Main page: AN-94 Fire Mode - Two Round Burst
M16A2 Main page: M16A4 Fire Mode - Triple Burst
STG.77 AUG Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
F2000 Assault Main page: FN F2000 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic

Sniper Rifles
Type 88 Sniper Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
SV98 Snaiperskaya Main page: SV-98 Fire Mode - Bolt Action
VSS Snaiperskaya Main page: VSS Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
M24 Sniper Main page: M24 Fire Mode - Bolt Action
M95 Sniper Main page: Barrett M95 Fire Mode - Bolt Action
GOL Sniper Magnum Main page: GOL Fire Mode - Bolt Action
SVU Snaiperskaya Short Main page: SVU Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)

Shotguns
870 Combat Main page: Remington 870 Fire Mode - Pump-action
SPAS-12 Combat Main page: SPAS-12 Fire Mode - Pump-action
NeoStead 2000 Combat Main page: NeoStead 2000 Fire Mode - Pump Action
Saiga 20K Semi Main page: Saiga 20K Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
USAS-12 Auto Main page: USAS-12 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic

Machine Guns
M249 SAW Main page: M249 SAW MG Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
PKM LMG Main page: PKM Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
MG36 Main page: MG36 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
XM8 LMG Main page: XM8 LMG Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
Type 88 LMG Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
M60 LMG Main page: M60 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
MG3 Main page: MG3 Fire Mode - Fully Automatic

Launchers
RPG-7 AT Main page: RPG-7 Fire Mode - Single fire
M136 AT4 Main page: AT-4 Fire Mode - Single fire
M2 Carl Gustav AT Main page: M2 Carl Gustav AT Fire Mode - Single fire

Expansion Pack - Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam

The downloadable expansion pack, titled Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam, was released on Dec. 18 (PC) and Dec. 21 (XBL & PSN) for $15 (1200 Microsoft Points) . The expansion sees players returning to the jungles of Vietnam to wage battle between the United States Marines and the North Vietnamese Army.

For Vietnam, DICE has added a compass to the minimap, an element that was missing in the original BC2 game. The expansion is integrated with the current full game persistence, so players will continue to level up their Bad Company 2 soldier as normal while playing in the expansion. However, there is no Vietnam-specific unlocks.

Vietnam Updates

Vehicles

There will be 6 unique vehicles in the expansion, including the American Huey helicopter, the PBR "Pibber" patrol boat, and the Russian T54 tank. There will also be 15 new weapons including US XM22 Navy Seal machine gun, M79 "Blooper" grenade launcher, and a flamethrower. The new weapons will all be available from the start, and will have their own proficiency stars.

Weapons & ClassThe 4 classes from Bad Company 2 remain largely unchanged, but certain weapons and gadgets from the original game that are too technologically advanced for the 1960's have been removed or replaced with more era-appropriate items:

• Motion sensors, tracer darts, and the spotting scope have all been completely removed.
• C4 is replaced by dynamite.
• Defibrillators are replaced by adrenaline syringes.
• The repair tool is replaced by a blowtorch.
• All guns have ironsights (except for sniper rifles).

In order to help make the atmosphere fit the Vietnam conflict, all-new voice over has been recorded for both sides. There is also a new soundtrack with 2 hours era-specific music spread over 49 tracks on 8 radio stations while within vehicles. Tracks include the famous "Ride of the Valkyries" by Richard Wagner and "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

MapsThe expansion will feature 5 new maps built in the Frostbite Engine, and will be playable in all 4 game modes (Conquest, Rush, Squad Rush and Squad Deathmatch). The maps will bring fresh visuals like foxholes, tunnels and dense jungles. Their names are:

• Hill 137
• Phu Bai Valley
• Vantage Point
• Cao Son Temple
• Operation Hastings

One of the maps, Operation Hastings, previously appeared in 2004's Battlefield Vietnam. But upon launch, this map will initially be unavailable to players. DICE is having a community contest to unlock it, where players must first perform 69 million "team actions." These include things like resupplies, revives, repairs, etc. The contest began on December 21, 2010.

Soundtrack

The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 soundtrack was released on February 2nd, 2010. It was composed by Mikael Karlsson who was also behind the first Bad Company soundtrack. It is available on iTunes, Amazon, and many other digital music stores.

Dedicated Server & Mod Support

In response to the Modern Warfare 2 controversy during Nov '09, DICE's Karl-Magnus Troedsson created headlines by announcing dedicated server support for Bad Company 2 on the PC. They later clarified those statements by releasing this information on their official blog:

Mod Tools: There will not be mod tools for BFBC2. However a majority of the the games logic is controlled by the server and there will be Serverside control options for the dedicated servers.

Public Server Files: We will not distribute these publicly. There are many factors for why we have decided this with the biggest factor being security & integrity of our game & Dedicated Servers.

DICE's Gordon Van Dyke explained that the servers they are offering will be run on a non-profit basis.

PC System Requirements

iPhone/iPod version

An iPhone version of Bad Company: 2 was announced on October 6th, 2010 and is available through the ITunes store for $2.99 and version 1.0.2 is currently a 268MB download.

The single-player game will feature 14 levels across 5 "battlezones." The environments will be similar to that of the console version. Multiplayer is available for up to 10 players on dedicated maps. Multiplayer game types include Free-for-all and Squad Deathmatch. Multiplayer is supported Over The Air, WiFi and 3G.