Forget what you know about first-person shooters. No longer can a beleaguered player find solace around every corner, behind every building. Sure you could shoot through (some) walls in Call of Duty 4, but Battlefield: Bad Company takes it one step further. Try to seek refuge in an abandoned building, and you soon find the walls crumbling around you, as bullets whiz by and embers scorch your boots.
Battlefield: Bad Company is the newest entry in the Battlefield series from DICE/EA, and the first to introduce a single player story mode. The campaign takes on an air of levity in contrast to most war shooters out there, that aim for solemn grittiness. There are “jokes,” and while a majority fall flat, this approach seems fresh, reminding you to have fun because you are playing a game.
The story follows a soldier named Sweetwater and aims for a Catch 22 vibe as you drag your misfit soldiers on an AWOL quest for mercenary gold. And the term misfit is no understatement when you consider the AI of your three allies. Make no mistake: you are on your own for this one. They are largely present to add comedic material and have almost zero impact on the gameplay. Then again, you are all part of Bad Company, so the ineptitude may make sense. The enemy AI isn’t much better, either. Even at the lower difficulties, the bad guys can perfectly snipe you from a mile away. However, once you come in close, they hardly ever even notice you.
Aside from AI oddities the action is visceral, and more importantly, fun. Most shooters handle the health system by forcing you to hide until you regenerate shields or hit points. Bad Company equips you with a syringe that you can jam straight into your chest to heal completely every five seconds or so. This keeps the adrenaline pumping as there is no need to take a break from the action. It’s fairly intense, and you take damage quickly, so this is an aspect of the game you must master.
Then, of course, there are the destructible environments. Most objects in Bad Company can be exploded, destroyed, or otherwise eviscerated. It’s not done dynamically, but it is executed well enough to feel that way. Walls, bridges, trees, roofs, buildings…it’s all fair game. In fact, the only things you can’t destroy are the frames of the houses and heavily fortified concrete structures; even the ground can be dilapidated. And all of this compounds the fun, breaking the formulaic hide-and-shoot that most FPS games deliver.
Just like all of the games in the Battlefield series, Bad Company really shines when you take the fight to Xbox Live/PSN. Up to 24 players can battle it out in the game’s single mode Gold Rush, wherein players either try to destroy or defend crates of gold. Flat out, this is the most enjoyable multiplayer game of the year on any console. The maps are a massive playground, many magnitudes larger than you may be used to in Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4. This means there is plenty of room for snipers to set up shop, and other players to joyride in all manner of vehicles, including tanks, boats, and even helicopters. As the attackers advance from base to base, the map changes, and so does the focus of the match. Couple this with the ability to always spawn with your squad mates, and you have an experience without lull. The online portion of Bad Company also has heaps of awards to lend the game replayability and provide motivation for the hardcore gamer.
On top of all this, the sound and graphic design deliver a compelling cinematic experience. The visuals are among the best on the 360, with some gorgeous light and water effects to be discovered. The sound effects create an intense ambiance similar to that of the Call of Duty games, along with and excellent soundtrack. There is a huge amount of voice over work for the multiplayer game. In addition to the typical “Frag out” lines of dialogue, you’ll hear a fellow soldier call out if they see an enemy behind you, or curse and cry out in pain (a first!). This is all done dynamically.
Although the single player campaign is decently entertaining, the real draw of Battlefield: Bad Company is its online play. You will be hard-pressed to find another online game that can match Bad Company in terms of depth and it only becomes more fun when you add a few friends to your squad.
Rating: 
Leave a Reply