The Battlefield series of games have always been about the multiplayer mode. In fact, the first game in the series didn’t even feature a single player campaign. The world of online war-based shooters is an extremely competitive one, and in reality there are only two or three games that you would consider playing. Luckily for us, the Battlefield series is one of them, and it is with a large smile and sore thumbs that I can report that this tradition is carried on richly with Bad Company 2.
The multiplayer mode really is a polished product, being both exciting and addictive enough to keep you coming back for more and more. If you thought Modern Warfare 2 was the final word in online shooters, rest assured you haven’t seen nothing yet as the carnage is tripled in this game. However, this is not all Bad Company 2 has to offer – the single player mode is (almost) as addictive.
Forget the rather silly back-story and just enjoy the ride, as you get to play in a myriad range of environments, with a stupendous amount of weapons and vehicles at your disposal. One level will have you traipsing along a snowy mountain range, then another will have you firing at enemy soldiers from a helicopter gunship, and yet another will have you steering a tank across a range of fields. All in stunning Technicolor!
The graphics here are simply stunning, and are amongst the most realistic I have seen on a console. Honestly, you will want o stop firing at points in this game to just admire the scenery, it’s that beautiful. On the downside, some of the levels are over too quickly,
The game features a good use for sound as well, with superb voice-acting and ultra-realistic sound effects. This range from the chirping of birds in trees to the muffled squelches as you trudge through the snow. There is even a good attempt as imagining what your ears would sound like if a real grenade exploded near where you were standing, as they sound falls out and fades back again, ala the beach scene in Saving Private Ryan. It’s very clever and really helps build up the impression you are involved in a real war, as your ears ring from all the destruction around you. The sound is also used to good effect in many other ways as well, as the footsteps of any enemy behind a wall can alert you to their whereabouts, and their distant chatter will let you know when they are nearby.
Being a part of a squad of hardened soldiers, in single player mode you soon learn that each one has their own distinctive personalities. If you wait nearby for a few seconds at a quiet point in the game, you will soon hear them start top talk amongst themselves, which is a source of much humour. They ramble on about Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and discuss the merits of what scene is best in the Predator films. The scripting here is excellent and will have you chuckling away to yourself the first few times you hear it.
Of course, war is not something to celebrate really and is not really a funny subject. People die in wars, man. This is certainly not a game for kids – the dialogue features swearwords a-plenty and the blood is there for all to see when you kill an opponent, but then should war games really be for younger players anyway? It is no worse than what you would find in your average war film, but it goes without saying that the level of violence is staggeringly high in this game.
A great shooter, one of the best you will ever play online, and well worth every penny. Just make sure you stock up with plenty of cans of Red Bull for all the sleepless nights ahead of you…
