Disapointing In Both Modes
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is an overall decent game. It features nice graphics, the gameplay suffers from a few issues but is overall passable, and the physics are awesome. The real issue with the game is how bland and typical it is. It's not terrible in any way but it doesn't stand out in any significant way either. That's not to say that there are no interesting features about Bad Company 2, their just bogged down by the paint by numbers formula of the rest of the game.
The whole game looks nice. It's slightly brown and dingy but that feels completely fitting to the gritty, dirty atmosphere of the entire experience. The real visual stand out though is the debris caused by damaging, or even destroying a building. This is where the game really shines. The sights, sounds, and physics of a building coming apart, or even coming down, is an impressive sight. Unfortunately it's not as practical a tactic as the player might hope. This is one of the examples from this game of a great idea that was poorly executed.
Another such example is the integration of vehicles into both the Campaign and the multiplayer. The game features all the different vehicles you could possibly want, from sea-doos to helicopters, the only problem is they don't control terribly well. I found this to be less of a problem in single player but as soon as I jumped online for some multiplayer I found myself hoofing it across the map to avoid fighting with a vehicle. Obviously some are easier than others, I mean driving a sea-doo across an open lake is simpler than piloting a helicopter while shooting and being shot at, but overall I typically chose my own two feet. This wouldn't be such a big deal if the maps weren't so expansive but they were clearly designed larger to accommodate the vehicles as a viable option. It's truly unfortunate that this is the case because the addition of vehicles is one of the only truly remarkable elements of this multiplayer, or of this game as a whole.
This brings me to the true failing of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The developers were clearly trying to be the next "Modern Warfare" franchise by mimicking Infinity Ward's successes, which made the whole game feel like you've already played a better version. They added a few new elements in order to elevate it above Modern Warfare, some which worked (the ability to swim in multiplayer) and others that didn't (the vehicles), but ultimately these small additions don't do nearly enough to make Bad Company 2 as good as Modern Warfare, let alone better. Instead, due to its sub-par story and occasionally clumsy controls, Bad Company 2 simply comes off as a lower class copy of Modern Warfare 2. Not terrible in any way, just a five point knock off of a ten point title. Which leaves the consumer with only one question, why should I pay seventy dollars for this when I can pay the same amount for its better quality inspiration? The answer is...you shouldn't.
I'm not saying Bad Company 2 is a definite pass, I'm just saying to buy Modern Warfare 2 first. If, like most the world, you already own and have played through Modern Warfare 2's single player and are just dying for a new military first person shooter campaign then Bad Company 2 is just what you're looking for. Otherwise, I recommend steering clear.
7 out of 10
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