Review | Battlefield Bad Company 2

Genre: First person shooter   |   Publisher: EA   |   Developer: DICE   |   Platform: Xbox 360
Released: March, 2010   |   Website: www.badcompany.com |   Players: Single  and multiplayer (online)
Rating: R16   |   Price: $119.99   |   Reviewer: Julie Gray

There’s nothing like an immersive, fast-paced first-person shooter to get the juices flowing and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has all of this in spades.

I’m a true multiplayer gamer at heart and I’ve been known to purchase games soley for their multiplayer content. That’s not to say that BFBC2 doesn’t have a great campaign mode because it does, which only enhances and strengthens the franchise’s appeal (not to mention the value for money).

For those that love campaigns (and the unlocks), BFBC2 will deliver everything you’d expect and then some. From luscious Bolivian jungle foliage that seems to engulf you to the cold, harshness of a snow-covered valley, the graphics are definitely worth writing home about.

The campaign begins with you and your squad being despatched to various locales (which continues on from the previous Battlefield: Bad Company). If you haven’t played the first game, not to worry, you won’t be hindered in any way as BFBC2′s campaign works seamlessly for first timers.

There’s alot of shooting to be had in the campaign but some of the best scenarios include having access to vehicles such as tanks and blowing the crap out of everything in sight. The destructibility of the environment in BFBC2 is some of the best I’ve seen in a game and you just can’t get enough of it (it’s that good).

The multiplayer mode of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is without a doubt, some of the best I’ve played online. And the thrill of shooting down enemies while you dive for cover from an enemy tank really is as exciting as it sounds. One of the standout aspects of the multiplayer has to be the way that Battlefield deals with teamwork and the individual classes within the squad.

What’s great about the different classes is that you don’t have to be particularly skilled at running and gunning. There’s no denying that being able to shoot your target every time helps, but the variation that BFBC2 offers in a battlefield confrontation is second to none.

It’s best to try your hand at all of the different classes to find which one suits you best but there are many ways in which you can gain points in a game. Shooting enemies will usually land you around 50 points depending on where you do the shooting. And this is where strategy and squads become very important. BFBC2 isn’t really the game to be played by lone gunmen. The best BFBC2 players are those who understand the need for teamwork and supporting each other. Even the best snipers (or Recon class) understand the need to be near their medic every now and then.

Each class (Medic, Recon, Assault and Engineer) comes with a particular kit (which is the same in the previous Battlefield game). Depending on your class and rank, each kit will vary and will include various weapons and gadgets. The higher you rank up in any particular class, the more you unlock. And unfortunately, the higher ranked players get access to better gear, better ammunition and better guns so it’s important to try and rank up if you want to win. That doesn’t mean that lower ranked players can’t do damage to higher ranked players – on the contrary. Upgraded gear can never take the place of having mad skillz.

The nice thing about kits is that if you die, other team mates can pick up your kit and use it. This is particularly tactical in a situation if your medic dies. Simply pick up their kit and revive them. The downside to this of course is if you press ‘B’ on the controller, you’ll likely find that your kit and class has changed and unless your squad mate drops your kit, you’ll be stuck with it until you die and respawn.

Tactical gameplay is crucial in BFBC2. The different game modes will certainly require different tactics as well. The two main game types online are ‘Rush’ and ‘Conquest’. There are others such as squad-based game modes and ‘Hardcore’ but ‘Rush’ and ‘Conquest’ are the most commonly played. Rush is exactly as the title suggests – it’s simply a mad rush to take over as much of the map as possible. Conquest on the other hand is like ‘Capture the Flag’ where you are required to gain and takeover particular areas of the map.

There are also many ways to die in BFBC2 which definitely makes for some seriously fun gameplay. Dying to an enemy is obvious but dying to falling debris from buildings isn’t. Neither is getting run over by an enemy tank or killed by an enemy Havoc or Blackhawk chopper after it lands on you. The destructibility is just as cool in the multiplayer game as it is in campaign mode. Feel free to blow apart the enemy sniper’s building with your tank but don’t be surprised if you kill squad mates who don’t get out of the building in time.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is definitely a must-have title for shooter fans and there’s a very active and growing community of keen BFBC2 players to play with. If you’re looking for another kiwi gamer to fill the spot in your squad, feel free to add Xenith NZ to your Xbox Live friend’s list – I make one helluva Medic!