Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PS3) Preview

Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 12.03.2009

EA is going back to the Battlefield hoping to dethrone Call of Duty. After spending time with the Private Beta I came away very impressed. Read on for my impressions.

The Battlefield series is synonymous with online multiplayer action. Battlefield 2 is perhaps the greatest multiplayer shooter ever created. I spent hundreds of hours in front of my PC playing that game and to me; no other multiplayer title has managed to capture that excitement. With Battlefield: Bad Company, EA and DICE tried something new by adding a decent, action-packed single-player component, but the multiplayer, as good as it was, failed to capture the essence of the Battlefield experience. During that same time Activision released a little game called Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare that revolutionized the genre and became the new benchmark for multiplayer shooters. Now EA goes back to the Battlefield with Bad Company 2. After my extended hands-on time with the multiplayer private beta I came away very impressed.



In a nutshell, the mode provided in the beta (which features only one map) is the same point-capturing mode we have been playing for years….with a twist. Instead of capturing flags, you will be destroying (or protecting) bases. The offensive team needs to get into the bases and activate a computer to blow them up. You can also use explosive weapons to destroy the base, though a combination of both strategies seems to work best. The defensive team needs to protect the base. Contrary to previous games in the franchise, not all the bases are available from the beginning. Bad Company 2 opens only two bases at once, both very close to each other. This works in the game's favor since it focuses the action on those two points and makes for more frantic, strategic and exciting firefights. Once those two bases are blown up, two more locations are opened up further ahead in the map. The beta's map begins with a fairly traditional setting, with the two bases located inside what looks like a military camp. Once those are blown up you move into the heart of a city, with plenty of tall buildings that can hide enemy snipers. Then you move into a construction area, full of incomplete buildings and construction materials. There is also a railroad in one area, complete with a train and everything. In simple terms, the map is huge and there is a ton of variety. Hopefully every map is as good as this one.



There are four classes: Recon, Assault, Engineer and Medic. I am very happy we are getting the medic back after it was absent from Battlefield 1943. Each class has different weapons and unlockables, although there is also a separate pool of stuff that can be unlocked for every class, like the shotgun and several secondary weapons. This allows you to customize your class any way you like. There is also the equivalent of "perks" from Call of Duty, with the first one (and the only one I have unlocked so far) giving you the ability to run faster. Sadly, the ability to go prone from Battlefield 2 appears to be missing.



The level of destruction is also greater than it was in the original Bad Company or in Battlefield 1943. Sadly, some structures are still indestructible. These are few and far between, with most forms of cover crumbling to pieces after a well-placed blast from a tank or RPG. The map offered in the beta lacks planes or helicopters, but there are plenty of tanks, hummers and ATV's. The ATV is great for quickly flanking enemies or for moving from one area to the next in a hurry.



Judging by my time with this beta, Bad Company 2 combines the best elements from Battlefield 2, Battlefield 1943 and the original Bad Company to create an awesome multiplayer experience. The huge maps and the exciting, tactical battles are a thrill and going nuts with explosives is as fun as ever. Look out Modern Warfare 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 might be the challenger that finally dethrones the king once it launches on March 2010.

Screenshots
All 6 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Screenshots