My Two Cents: Battlefield: Bad Company 2

[kemosabi4]

[HEADING=1]My Two Cents Reviews[/HEADING]​

Previous Reviews:
Prototype [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.127937-My-two-cents-Prototype]
FarCry 2
District 9 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.164359-My-Two-Cents-District-9]​

Christ, it's been a while since my last review. I need to start finding time to do more. Four reviews (counting the one I lost) isn't exactly note-worthy. If I'm going to build a rep, I'd better pick it up. I was considering doing Bioshock 2, but Zero Punctuation's review pretty much sums up my feeling about it. I liked it, but many complaints Yahtzee brought up were very accurate. But I'm here to talk up some Bad Company.​

Battlefield: BC 2 is a sequel in a long line of FPSs well-known for large-scale and vehicular combat mainly focused on multiplayer warfare. I haven't had a lot of experience with the Battlefield series, but if the other games were good in the slightest, as I've heard they are, Bad Company carries on the tradition with vigor. Bad Company is a hot contender for my favorite game. The epic gameplay easily rivals that of the Call of Duty series. Gameplay is a blast, and with well-made soundtracks, graphics, sound effects, and design, tops my list (at least in the realm of FPSs).

From a distance, Bad Company 2 may seem like your standard FPS. It has class creation, but that's about the only similarity. Classes are restrained to four different kits. Recon (sniper), Engineer (vehicles), Assault, and Medic. There's many items to be unlocked between the four classes. Unlike other FPSs, unlockables are earned by using specific classes. Experience is earned individually by classes, as well as a ranking systems for items that don't pertain to certain kits. Battlefield's gameplay modes are also greatly different from traditional games. Rush is an attack and defend mode in which the attackers try to destroy a pair of objectives before moving on to the next. Conquest is your standard game mode of capturing the three different objectives to earn points, or in this case, stop from losing points. Squad deathmatch is a mode in which four teams of four face off against each other.

Bad Company differs greatly in gameplay from other traditional first person shooters. One of the main selling points for the game is it's destruction technology. This mechanic is one of the most realistic destructive environment mechanics I've seen. It allows players to chip away cover with smalls arms all the way up to destroying entire buildings. The destruction is always kept in proportion. Tank rounds will always make bigger holes than grenade launchers. Bullets will slowly chip away concrete from blocks or walls, while a big enough gun can make jersey barriers and bremer walls disappear. The destruction makes Bad Company a highly unique game and adds a new level of strategy and tact to the game. Knowing what to do with cover, sneaking by the enemy, or exposing potential threats can be the difference between a loss and a W.

Battlefield also places a large amount of focus on vehicles. In many games, vehicles are only minor advantages, but in Bad Company 2, vehicles can make or break a battle. The game sports an impressive range of vehicles, from Hinds to T-90s to jet skis. Each vehicle behaves as it would in real life, and has the appropriate amount of health. These vehicles nicely fill out the large-scale, open ended multiplayer maps. These mechanics, along with large-scale combat, create a sense of epic battle that seems to be missing from most FPSs today. Battlefield also has a strange way of creating unexpected and crazy moments.

These videos are just examples of the chaotic and epic feeling of war that Battlefield creates. Also note the destruction technology and reliance on vehicles.


​

While the overall gameplay is very enjoyable, there are several minor gripes I have about the game. For one, melee attacks are a hassle. The melee animation is so drawn out and inaccurate that it would be safer and easier just to hipfire until they die. The reload animations also take way too long. Frag grenades are piss weak, and you have to exit your sniper rifle scope to cycle the bolt on bolt-actions. Come on, people! Apparently, game designers haven't realized how stupid the idea is yet. People don't even take their eye out of the scope when they cycle in real life!

As for the secondary aspects of the game,(audio, graphics, etc.) they couldn't be better. The graphics are great. Explosions are lovingly rendered with every chunk of building and every spark that results. In some instances, the gameplay can be almost photo-realistic. The audio is complete with explosions, soldiers yelling, and bullets whizzing through the air. The sound effects greatly added to the immersion I was discussing previously.

One thing I cannot stand is the fact that EA still channels it's games though it's own servers. There is no need for this. Just let Xbox Live handle everything. I don't care if they post news on the games, but EA providing it's own servers only presents problems. Their servers are down ridiculously frequently. About every one time out of ten, I can't log in to their servers. If EA would just allow Xbox Live to handle their games, rather than interject, things would run much smoother. EA isn't my favorite game developer. They took down the Bad Company 2 demo at release. Are they evil, or just stupid? Battlefield is a great game, but the support it gets from EA is horrible.

Expect to see something along these lines a lot.

In conclusion, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a wonderful game all around, brought down only by minor flaws and horrible support. If you don't have it, I'd recommend buying it. If you're skeptical, rent it or get it from a friend. I hope you found my review helpful, and please leave any comments or criticism you have.

 

[Bretty]

Good review. I agree with nearly everything you have said.

The only thing I will disagree with is the first sniper rifle. The one that needs to cycle the round manually. I actually really like this mechanic. As you progress there are rifles that dont need to do this, but at a cost of power. Like I said though, for me, I play a sniper a lot and different mechanics mix the experience up some from other titles.

I am having way too much fun in this game.

 

[kemosabi4]

Good review. I agree with nearly everything you have said.

The only thing I will disagree with is the first sniper rifle. The one that needs to cycle the round manually. I actually really like this mechanic. As you progress there are rifles that dont need to do this, but at a cost of power. Like I said though, for me, I play a sniper a lot and different mechanics mix the experience up some from other titles.

I am having way too much fun in this game.

All I'm saying is that exiting the zoom just seems unnecessary. In real life, snipers who shoot bolt action never take their eye from the scope, so why should they do that in video games?

 

[thefire]

Good review. I agree with nearly everything you have said.

The only thing I will disagree with is the first sniper rifle. The one that needs to cycle the round manually. I actually really like this mechanic. As you progress there are rifles that dont need to do this, but at a cost of power. Like I said though, for me, I play a sniper a lot and different mechanics mix the experience up some from other titles.

I am having way too much fun in this game.

All I'm saying is that exiting the zoom just seems unnecessary. In real life, snipers who shoot bolt action never take their eye from the scope, so why should they do that in video games?

If you hold down the mouse button after shooting it will stay zoomed in so you can see where the bullet lands and where opponents are moving ext, it deosn't change rounds until you zoom out though. My guess is its a balancing thing.

 

[Flack]

Nice review!
I recently ordered this from CDwow, still waiting for it to arrive! But im pretty damn excited. What is the significance of squads though, im a little confused. Is it just like being in a party?

EDIT:

All I'm saying is that exiting the zoom just seems unnecessary. In real life, snipers who shoot bolt action never take their eye from the scope, so why should they do that in video games?

In real life they also have spotters aswell, and im pretty sure they dont run down the street sniping

 

[legion431]

Great review
I don't know if i should buy this game, i think it would be good, i have xbox live but i don't want to be disappointed
Or should I keep playing MW2
Some people say it's bad, some say it's good

 

[Cody211282]

I have this on PC and love it, probably been playing it to much recently but I don't care. Its the first of the series I have played and so far its been blowing MW2 away!

 

[Notion]

In reply to your server issue while frustrating it isn't pertinent to those of us playing the game on PC. The melee animation is most likely draged out because it's a balence issue as I recall it was in MW 1 if anyone can recall that far back. As for the your scope gripe, you should be used to it b now and sure it may not be "realistic" but if it was realistic you'd have a spotter and it would be about 10 times more tedious and kinda boring ala Americas army... To the person who asked if he/she should buy it, the answer is simply absolutly yes you won't be dissappointed in the least, as it beats MW2 to a bloody pulp. I had some other rebuttals but I forgot them.

 

[legion431]

In reply to your server issue while frustrating it isn't pertinent to those of us playing the game on PC. The melee animation is most likely draged out because it's a balence issue as I recall it was in MW 1 if anyone can recall that far back. As for the your scope gripe, you should be used to it b now and sure it may not be "realistic" but if it was realistic you'd have a spotter and it would be about 10 times more tedious and kinda boring ala Americas army... To the person who asked if he/she should buy it, the answer is simply absolutly yes you won't be dissappointed in the least, as it beats MW2 to a bloody pulp. I had some other rebuttals but I forgot them.

Thanks, I really needed to know another person's opinion before purchasing this game

 

[kemosabi4]

Nice review!
I recently ordered this from CDwow, still waiting for it to arrive! But im pretty damn excited. What is the significance of squads though, im a little confused. Is it just like being in a party?

Being in a squad allows you to spawn off of each other and give attack orders to each other. Also, voice comm is kept within the squad.

 

[Flack]

Oh wow, that sounds pretty sweet

 

[kemosabi4]

Great review
I don't know if i should buy this game, i think it would be good, i have xbox live but i don't want to be disappointed
Or should I keep playing MW2
Some people say it's bad, some say it's good

If you know a friend with it, I'd recommend borrowing it. You won't go back, trust me. I was a MW2 fan before I bought this.

 

[Stormz]

Really nice review.

I've been thinking of getting this game but I'm still not sure. I don't mind playing the multiplayer but I usually go in for the singeplayer experience. So what I'm wondering is, how many hours would you say the sinpleplayer campaign is?

 

[HotFezz8]

well whilst i am sure you have put alot of effort into this, i have to ask:

whats the point?? your on a site where there are shed loads of proffessional reviewers. why bother posting your own opinion on something someone paid and used to reviewing has already done. you just waste everyone's time

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Good review. I agree with nearly everything you have said.

The only thing I will disagree with is the first sniper rifle. The one that needs to cycle the round manually. I actually really like this mechanic. As you progress there are rifles that dont need to do this, but at a cost of power. Like I said though, for me, I play a sniper a lot and different mechanics mix the experience up some from other titles.

I am having way too much fun in this game.

All I'm saying is that exiting the zoom just seems unnecessary. In real life, snipers who shoot bolt action never take their eye from the scope, so why should they do that in video games?

I agree that exiting the scope is unnecessary, its kind of irritating when you shoot someone with the sniper exit the scope to load in the next bullet look back and the bugger you've shot has ran off, i think the Bolt action snipers if you have to exit the scope to cycle the round manually then they should be one shot kill and that the semi-automatic snipers take more than one shot. Anyway great review i agree with everything you said

 

[internetzealot1]

"The melee animation is so drawn out and inaccurate that it would be safer and easier just to hipfire until they die."
That's the point. You're not going to find soldiers using knives IRL.

"The reload animations also take way too long."
Reloading takes time. Besides, what would the point be in carrying a sidearm if you could just reload instantly.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

"The melee animation is so drawn out and inaccurate that it would be safer and easier just to hipfire until they die."
That's the point. You're not going to find soldiers using knives IRL.

"The reload animations also take way too long."
Reloading takes time. Besides, what would the point be in carrying a sidearm if you could just reload instantly.

A trained soldier knows how to use a knife accuratly though

also a trained soldier can reload faster than what it takes on BC2 >.>

 

[Sassafrass]

well whilst i am sure you have put alot of effort into this, i have to ask:

whats the point?? your on a site where there are shed loads of proffessional reviewers. why bother posting your own opinion on something someone paid and used to reviewing has already done. you just waste everyone's time

Please leave the user review section.
Now.

Post something like this or anything similar in another review again and I'll report you for low content, which that comment of yours more or less is.
He has put effort into this, so at least have the common courtesy to read it and compliment him, criticize him constructively or advise him on where he is going wrong. This has pissed me off as it's the second time you've posted a comment like this and left.

OT: Nice review, my man.
Nice flow to it, making it a good read, no spelling or grammatical issues I can see.
You could maybe use a couple more pics to make it look a bit easier on the eye but that's personal preference, I personally use a few pics in mine but I've had a few people say they distract from the review so it's a double edged sword, really.

So overall, good work and hope you continue writing these.