Reader Review: Battlefield: Bad Company 2

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This review was submitted by Steven Pickstone. If you’ve played Battlefield: Bad Company 2, or just want to ask Steven more about it, leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (360, PS3, PC)

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is the sequel to 2008’s Battlefield: Bad Company and follows the same band of B company rascals through the theatre of war. But do you care? I certainly didn’t, having never really played any of its processors. On the back of an impulse purchase, can a novice enjoy a decade old series?

Loved

Campaign: Sure the characters are too laidback to express any real hard-hitting emotion, but they are just the right amount of cheesy. They are invincible and seem to carry themselves with that knowledge; it was a breath of fresh air not having to worry about the welfare of my NPCs. One scene in particular has the perfect balance of American patronage, allowing our over prod allies to hold their hand to their heart, but at the same time internationals are in stiches at the oozing irony.

Squad Spawn Points: OK, obviously while I enjoyed the campaign, the meat and potatoes are in the multiplayer mayhem. It’s so good I broke my cardinal rule and was up to my neck addicted before finishing the single player storyline. What makes it special is the ability to spawn directly on a squad mate’s tailpipe. You’re placed in squads of four and, if any of your squad mates are alive when your spawn cooldown is cooked, it is straight back in to the fray for you! Even if your mate’s in an attack helicopter, *bam* you’re riding shotgun.

Community: I don’t know if it was the moon alignment at launch, or some sneaky net code that can sniff out an adolescent about to break into song. For some magical reason BF:BC2 isn’t plagued with pimply little rascals in matchmaking trying to be discovered as the next Justin Bieber over XBL. I can’t explain it, I probably shouldn’t of even tempted fate by mentioning it, but it is truly sublime.

Hated

Immersion Splintering: I’m a fan of cut-scenes; I get excited when controls are taken from me as typically it means something that can’t normally happen, might. Unfortunately every time BF:BC2 breaks to a cut-scene the whole screen fades to black. This is fine if the perspective changes, but often you’re still in first-person and take a step or two as a new objective is illustrated. This could have been infinitely better if the screen simply didn’t fade in and out.

Ammo Overdose: Seriously, what government litters the enemy territory with ammunition? Resource management is a tried and true game mechanic and when I never run out of grenades, let alone bullets, it just doesn’t balance right. Bizarrely interpreting the mini radar is so futile that despite the abundance of ammo points you can never find one; almost counter-balancing this small gripe.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never set foot on EA’s Battlefield or are still hanging for the next balance patch to BF1942. BF:BC2 has enough polish online and off to return your hard earns worth, and that’s without mentioning the incredibly satisfying destruction or brilliant sound engineering… oh wait. I just mentioned them. An early runner for my Game of the Year.

Reviewed by: Steven Pickstone

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