Battlefield: Bad Company Review

Tuesday, 03 November 2009 00:59

Reviews - XBOX 360

There are few words in gaming that can invoke a response as widespread, across consoles, personal computers, and the general gaming industry as this one word: Battlefield. Publisher Electronic Arts and developing company Digital Illusions CE (DICE) have been consistently feeding the Battlefield series to the hungry masses of first-person shooter enthusiasts worldwide for almost six years now. However, with Bad Company they have finally, truly taken the step into next-gen gaming. This is the closest the Battlefield has ever come to the complete package, this is the game that has forever changed this series, and has made me a fan.

Set in the not-so-distant future, Bad Company is the 222nd battalion B-Company. They are the expendable assets of the United States Army. Soldiers and ex-cons, all mentally unstable and morally challenged. You've been thrown into the most impossible of circumstances. While fighting for your right to a vacation, you may have just stumbled upon the jackpot of all jackpots, a ticket to glory and wealth beyond your imagination.

So let me break it down for you, let me show you why this game is the game that in my mind defines the future of Battlefield games. Whether you're an old Battlefield veteran like myself, or a fresh recruit to the series, I'll give you the in's and out's of the many different aspects of gameplay. Where it shines, and where it's edges still aren't quite polished right, and most of importantly why this game is a must have for every first-person shooter fan out there.

Presentation

The main menu's, HUD, options, and multiplayer lobby's are all laid out in a great, functional way. The background symphony music at the main menu is amazing, adding serenity to destruction is never a bad thing to do in a video game. The HUD is effectively placed allowing for easy viewing of ammunition, weapon, and health, while minimizing the effect of your gameplay on the screen. The multiplayer lobby is designed to hold two 12 people teams, split into three 4 person squads. If you have played Battlefield: 1943 then you have seen this system before as it was taken directly from Bad Company.
Never did the menu's or layout 'blow my mind', but on the other hand never did they ever get in my way, frustrate me, or in any way play a negative part in my overall experience with the game. Sometimes it is just as good to do no harm as it may be to break the mould and go above an beyond. Taking all this into account I feel the presentation of Bad Company to meet all expectations and give it a passing grade.

Presentation Score: 17

Graphics

Beautiful.... I believe 'destroyed beauty' was a term coined by another franchise, but Bad Company got the theory right. It shows how beautifully things can be destroyed. Oh how sweet it is.

Nearly everything in the game can be altered, and effected by your actions. Tree's can be run down, bombed, and removed. Buildings can have entire walls removed by missiles, grenades, and armored vehicles. Even the golf course in 'Par for the Course' can have the fairways destroyed, and not just for 35 seconds until the track marks disapear, but for the remainder of the mission.
The cut scenes hold a special place in my heart. Anyone who has been in the military, or in a para-military institution will understand how real these cut scenes are. The paper, scissors, rock, and constant bickering between Haggard and Sweetwater brought an entirely new angle of realism to the Battlefield series.
The Frostbite engine has done an amazing job at rendering the terrain and environment, keeping the visual realism of this game up to par with the realism of the story itself.
I can also testify that this beautiful destruction, and absolute environment realism does not end with the campaign. The countless hours I spent playing this game online left me only 2 achievements short of the full 1000GS, and left me frothing at the mouth in anticipation for Bad Company 2.

Graphics Score: 18

Sound

The bullets. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the sound this game put into my ears. I had dreams about the piercing sound of the bullets travelling through the air, and the echo that it created throughout the environment. It is absolutely fantastic.
I have to give credit to all of the many sounds that this game provides, it was especially neat to be able to tell where vehicles were in proximity to my character using only the sound. Mind you the 5.1 Dolby setup didn't hurt, but without being too far off I was consistently able to estimate the location of vehicles on the ground or in the air, including the distance of that vehicle and myself. The audio in this game played a significant role in the realism that I feel brought this particular Battlefield game to a level all on its own.
I would also like to mention that I actually downloaded the main menu symphony music from iTunes. I found it to be very well orchestrated and truly was nothing short of spectacular. Although this game was enjoyable on 'MUTE' it was simply not the same. I'd compare it to eating popcorn without any butter.

Sound Score: 19

Gameplay

What to say? It's Battlefield! The gameplay is fierce, the A.I. on the hardest difficulties is near-psychic. They will smell you coming with GPS and motion sensor precision. Which although frustrating, makes beating the campaign on the higher difficulties that much more satisfying.
It would not be Battlefield without the vehicles. The vehicles range from tanks and helicopters, to golf carts. With the exception of the helicopter they all handle with great ease, and including the helicopter, they all pack a devastating assault. With the difficulty of controlling the helicopter effectively being mentioned, I feel it important to mention that I think this difficulty is essential, otherwise in multiplayer the need for rifles, or Jeeps would be obsolete.

This instalment of Battlefield differs from all the rest in this one defining category. The campaign. In previous instalments the campaign has always been lacking. The games have been praised continuously for their multiplayer elements but never before praised this much for a campaign. The objectives can get a bit repetitive at times, simply 'go here, clear this area', but the cut scenes are a great and entertaining refreshment. The comments you will hear come from your crew will undoubtedly make you laugh out loud. More than once I'd wager.

Gameplay Score: 19