The Frost graphical engine from the first Battlefield: Bad Company showed gamers everywhere exactly what could be done with next-gen graphics and how great it felt to literally destroy everything around you, including the buildings. For the first time a Battlefield game from publisher EA and developer DICE featured one hell of a single player portion, which some even said overshadowed the limited multiplayer aspects. With the sequel DICE is stepping it up a bit, making sure Bad Company 2 features not only a thorough campaign but also a massive multiplayer component on par with previous Battlefield games. Earlier this month I got a chance to check out exactly what that effort is producing, by playing a number of the unique multiplayer modes and maps via the Xbox 360 version of the game. There has been a PS3-only beta out there for a while but EA decided to not only show us the map featured in that beta but a couple other modes and maps as well. It was revealed to me that there will be no Xbox 360 beta but there will be a multiplayer demo released sometime before the game’s launch in March 2010 – look for more information on that topic early next month.
Just as with the first game in the Bad Company series this one will focus on more of a single-player experience than previous Battlefield games. Personally I really enjoyed the first title and enjoy the shift towards a more complete experience that the developers at EA are creating with BC2. That being said it’s obvious that the single-player campaign will be strong with this game when it’s released in a couple months, the true test of a long-lasting first-person shooter is it’s multiplayer component. It was for that reason that EA wanted to bring the gaming press out to Redwood Shores to take an early look at a couple different multiplayer modes and locations. My favorite part of Bad Company was the “Gold Rush” multiplayer mode, not only is it back in the sequel but it’s been tweaked to accommodate a number of fixes that players complained about. Level design was spot on this time around, each and every map that we played felt like it was the perfect size and had just enough differing spots to keep the match exciting from beginning to end. The first thing I wanted to put my hands on when I sat down with Bad Company 2 was the super-awesome four-wheeler ATVs from some of the early trailers EA released. These simple little machines change everything during online combat and created something so fun I totally forgot I was playing a FPS for a little while.
Games like Modern Warfare 2 opt for a very realistic approach to military entertainment, however sometimes they miss a very crucial aspect of combat such as destruction and vehicle integration; Battlefield: Bad Company 2 doesn’t miss out on any of these opportunities. The ATVs alone are such an enjoying aspect of the game that once I jumped on one and started driving around the massive locale there was no turning back. We had one session that featured a reward for the most kills with the ATV, which can only be obtained by literally driving over your enemy with the vehicle. Your favorite gaming partner can also jump on the back of said ATV and fire-off bullets as you whiz around looking for a new location to setup base camp from. There are a number of large-scale maps that vehicles worked perfectly, and the smaller ones meant for less players don’t feature any; which creates an awesome balance and variety that Battlefield players are always looking for. The one thing that kept coming back to the forefront during my hands-on time with Bad Company 2’s multiplayer was the feeling of real-life, and massive military combat. If a Battlefield game doesn’t get this right there is no point going on to check out anything else in the title; luckily this one got it all exactly right, at least in terms of online play. If you are looking for something new, that doesn’t feel overused or redone Bad Company 2 is the multiplayer shooter for you.
Unfortunately this particular press event did not include any aspects of the much single-player component in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which hits stores on the Xbox 360 in early 2010. Even so the 8+ hours I spent with the different multiplayer modes flew by and I left EA’s studios very excited to get some time with the final build of the game. Graphically there are still tweaks and bugs that need to be fixed, but as it wasn’t near gold status I have no worries that everything will look perfect come ship day. DICE is taking a very successful sub-franchise and adding enough new content to make sure that there won’t be a single complaint when it comes to spending $60 on yet another Battlefield game. BC2 feels like it’s meant to be played on the console market, not like some PC to console games that just don’t handle right on the Xbox 360 controller. Never once did I wish there was a keyboard and mouse in front of me; everything flowed perfectly and the game ran just as I was hoping it would. From a multiplayer standpoint the developers have created a shooter that will be making a Xbox LIVE connected home in consoles all over the world. Stay tuned to PlanetXbox360.com for more on Battlefield: Bad Company 2, including detailed impressions of the single-player campaign, as the game’s early 2010 release date nears.
