Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review

Ever since Modern Warfare 2 (4.5/5) ramped up the action last September, game developers have seemed to be afraid of venturing back into the warzone, and considering the global success Call of Duty acheived with its sixth entry, this reviewer doesn't blame them. EA and DICE, however, have been at work on two major contenders for the Modern War crown: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Medal of Honor. While we won't be seeing the latter until late this autumn, the former has arrived to almost no anticipation whatsoever, which is a shame as the new Battlefield game is ace. As the cover (left) shows, the Battlefield multiplayer portion of the game takes precedent over the Bad Company single-player side, and in truth DICE have created a gem in using squad-based gameplay to provide a twist on Infinity Ward's effort and keep things fresh: now you'll find yourself tasked with protecting satellite stations for as long as possible against a large onslaught of enemies controlled by other players, and if the first line of stations are destroyed, you'll be pushed back further up the map and try to hold the next position. As you can imagine, this works amazingly, and is a game-seller in itself. The plot, while not as interesting and complex as the original's, sets up more exciting set-pieces for you to fight in, as you travel across desert, urban territory and the Arctic to stop the Russians winning the Cold War with a super-weapon. A major flaw to the single-player is that admittedly you won't leave the campaign with any blockbuster memories, however the fact that every gun comes equipped with a grenade launcher and that nearly everything is destructable lets you create some moments of your own. While the story isn't up to COD's monumental standards, this entry of Battlefield more than proves a strong contender, and deserves to be picked up by shooter fans. 4.5/5