When it comes to tactical first person shooters, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 and 2 have earned the right to be called top dog in the eyes of many gamers. There is no denying CoD’s success, with their great game mechanics and addictive online play. But that doesn’t mean there are just as many other great games out on the market, in fact its quite the opposite being the market is flooded with outstanding titles like Halo, or Far Cry just to name a few. With such a large selection of games, it was only a matter of time before a title popped up and would openly challenge Call of Duty for its crown. I’m talking about Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

     The Battlefield franchise has been around for some time now, and Battlefield: Bad Company has its own fanatical fan base of its own. When the first Bad Company was released, I was blown away by the graphics and sound effects which happened to be some of the most realistic I’ve ever heard in a video game before. With the return of the Bravo 2 squad in the sequel, Bad Company 2 continues to bring the great elements from the original and improves on them as any good sequel should.

     For anyone who never played Battlefield: Bad Company, I should explain something before going into too much detail as to why Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is an excellent contender to take on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. There is one very large difference between the two games, and in comes in the form of story. Where Modern Warfare 1 and 2 take a very serious approach to the story telling, The Bad Company brand takes a more comical approach. Being that Bravo 2 is a band of dare I say misfits, although they are all well done characters, many jokes do fly out during the course of the game. Some may not care for the light hearted moments, but personally I feel that is one of Bad Company 2’s better qualities. It is a refreshing change to a genre that is under siege by games that take themselves to seriously, not that there is anything wrong with that. However, I think everyone will find Preston Marlow, Sarge, Haggard, and Sweetwater to be an entertaining bunch. Especially as they will often chatter about movies, and other things as you travel from one spot to another.

     As for the campaign mode itself, this is the only area of Bad Company 2 that takes a bit of a hit. The game play, and its mechanics are solid. The game works similar to that of Modern Warfare (hence the comparison). Players will run around, shoot, knife unsuspecting enemies, and even get a red screen while taking damage instead of having a life gauge. All of these elements work flawlessly, although on occasion players may see dead enemies randomly get stuck in mid air after they are killed. It is a minor glitch I noticed on several different occasions. Despite being odd to see, it really doesn’t take away from the overall experience of the game and is the only glitch I came across. Something a bit more noticeable is in story presentation. Like many games lately, a campaign mode’s story doesn’t seem to be up to the same caliber they were just a few years ago. That doesn’t mean Bad Company 2’s story isn’t good, but it isn’t mind blowingly awesome as well. Many moments are clichéd, and players can quickly catch on to what is about to happen with the game’s use of music. Throughout the game, certain themes will be played, like a heroic sound track, or a sound track of betrayal. Any surprise the story is trying to pull off is marred by this unimaginative use of the game’s music. Besides having some pretty fun levels to play and unlockables to find, Bad Company 2’s campaign feels like it was only used to set up the next installment of the franchise. But, like Modern Warfare 2 the story mode really isn’t the main draw to this variety of game.

     The real draw is the online multiplayer, and is most likely the place where most people invest in Bad Company 2 will be spending their time playing. Bad Company 2’s multiplayer, in my opinion, is a perfect alternative to Call of Duty’s online play. Anyone who spent any time playing CoD online will feel comfortable with many of Bad Company 2’s online features. There are several different modes to choose from including Rush (which is attack and defend style of play), Conquest (which is capture the flag), Squad Rush, and the standard Squad Deathmatch. Players are broken up into 4 squads of 4, and must work as a team to succeed. Compared to Call of Duty, there is a greater emphasis on teamwork in Bad Company 2. Although there are Lone Wolves who try (and sometimes succeed) to rule over a map, those who work with their Squad tend to do better overall. Players also have different classes to choose from, which are Medics, Assault, Recon, and Engineers. Each class has their own weapon set and perks. The more you play your selected class, the more weapons and perks you will unlock. It’s a simple concept that works well, and keeps the battlefield feeling level even when playing against veteran players. Although weapons can be customized with different sights and optics, there are no attachments like heartbeat sensors from Modern Warfare 2 which may be a welcome change to some players. Possibly the biggest difference between the CoD and Bad Company in terms of online play is the destructible environments. Each map in the game is completely destructible, and drastically changes the scope of a fight. If an opposing squad is bunkering down in a building, tear it down. Its as simple as that. The dreaded “campers”, no longer have places to hide. But, being everything can be destroyed can also work against you when you need cover. It makes this outstanding tactical shooter even more, dare I say…tactical. Even the use of vehicles can give your squad an edge in a close fight. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 gives players a wide variety of ways for players to bring down their opponents, so make use of every single one. Doing so is a very rewarding online experience.

     In terms of graphics and sound, Battlefield Bad Company 2 is just a darn good looking game to watch, and listen to. Like the original, I doubt anyone will have anything to complain about graphically and sound effects are easily some of the most realistic effects offered in gaming. Despite an average story, all of the voice acting is spot on and entertaining.

     I can say with absolute certainty that the First Person shooter is my favorite gaming genre. My collection is filled with them, and I put them all to use. Since game play has made its way online, I’ve been a proud member of the Call of Duty community. With countless hours of CoD online play under my belt, I was shocked at how much I really enjoyed playing Bad Company 2 online. In many ways, I actually liked it better than Call of Duty…which is saying a lot. Anyone who is interested in an outstanding first person shooter to play online, Battlefield Bad Company 2 might just be for you. If any game can issue the Coup De Grace to Call of Duty and take its crown, it is this game.

Written by RB

Over and Out!

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