DICE returns the clumsy heroes of B-Company to the field of battle with Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and they aren’t back to mess around. Marlowe, Sarge, Sweetwater, and Haggard have garnered enough respect for their “unconventional” tactics during the events of the first game to be promoted to a secret branch of the US Army. This time, they’re on a mission to find a lost Japanese WWII-era super weapon that *gasp* may have fallen into the “wrong hands.” However, their biggest motivator is still the chance to go home.

Sadly, the best part of the original Bad Company is missing from its sequel: the zany dialogue and behavior of the main characters. Whereas the overall objective from the first game was based solely on the four men’s desire for mercenary gold, Bad Company 2‘s story could easily be dropped into any modern day war game or action movie. Luckily, it’s got plenty left in the tank to redeem itself.

Aside from the game’s plot issues, the main immediate draw is the improved Frostbite engine and in turn, expanded environmental destructibility. While I was certainly instantly immersed in the shattering concrete and ever-present dust that envelopes your view, I began to question whether or not it’s fun to have the wall you’re hiding behind be blown to smithereens. As a player, I’d much rather focus on aiming and shooting than worrying if my behind is flapping in the wind, especially since I can’t make the camera turn around to check. It’s quite an impressive gimmick, but it doesn’t do much more than frustrate during the campaign.

Level design has taken a focused and directed turn from the previous title’s more freeform approach. Several times I was forced to navigate a skinny town with several barriers preventing my exploration, but I wish I could have had a bit more room to maneuver in some areas. They often became locales I was delighted to exit, having killed all enemies or piloted a vehicle through for a lengthy period of time. That is, until I was required to complete them all over again after getting killed. The checkpoints in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 are insanely inconsistent. Sometimes I would spend 30 minutes without seeing one and having to repeat a section several times if I died, yet other times the game would trigger a checkpoint when crossing a street.

Fortunately, your purchase won’t be justified solely by the campaign mode; the multiplayer suite is top-of-the-line on consoles. Here’s the part of the review when I become happy again. Bad Company 2‘s multiplayer has grabbed up me, shaken me, and thrown me back on the couch in a way no game since Star Wars Battlefront has managed. Simply put, I’m addicted. While I’ve only spent around 10 hours between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, I’ve been nothing but impressed with the level of care that’s gone into ensuring satisfying player progression, weapon balancing, and easy map traversal. If that wasn’t enough, the weapon load-out and squad selection screens are done with such ease that they barely require a time investment to get yourself situated and ready to play. Think a super-simplified XMB. This facet of BC2 definitely feels like more of a passion project than the campaign mode did.

Discerning itself from other games in the multiplayer arena, Bad Company 2 opts for a slower, more methodical pace than the twitchy run-and-gun styles of Halo and Call of Duty. That being said, it doesn’t shy away from borrowing a very similar control scheme and progression system from the latter. A slight but nonetheless impressive choice was made to remove various elements of the HUD from the multiplayer section. Moving the mini-map from the traditional corner of the screen and into the start menu removed the player’s crutch and I found myself relying on learning the elements of each map in order to find enemies and chokepoints. It results in a much more natural learning curve and provides a sense of realism that following red and blue dots simply cannot.

The aforementioned destructibility takes a greater role in the online aspect of the game. Since environmental damage is persistent throughout a match, that sweet sniper spot might not stick around after a pissed-off tank driver is through with it. Fortunately, the rubble that remains can be used as cover and its littering presence offers a cool “holy crap, this is a battlefield” feel.

Aside from the rather sour campaign, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 stands in close proximity to other top-tier shooters on consoles. Wisely choosing to differentiate itself while still retaining popular elements from other titles, the competitive aspects of the online modes are a great step forward for the genre and will hopefully influence future releases in the shooter arena. Sure, there are improvements to be made for the inevitable Bad Company 3, but I have no reason to doubt the Battlefield series will continue to grow and improve. Bad Company 2 is a solid step towards online multiplayer perfection. If you’re not a multiplayer fan, avoid this one like the plague. If you are, then say hello to your new baby.

—–

Things We Liked: Shooting mechanics. Diverse and destructible environments. Fantastic online multiplayer component.

Things We Disliked: The majority of the campaign mode. Clichéd  and unoriginal storyline. Lack of personality from the cast. Downright awful checkpoint placement. Annoying distractions caused by destructible objects.

Target Audience: Multiplayer shooter fans. Those who prefer a slower paced online shooter. Gamers who enjoy playing as a team.

(Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – Developer: EA DICE. Publisher: Electronic Arts. Available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 – PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions reviewed. New to CFD!’s reviews? Read our explanation here.)