Games

Battlefield Bad Company 2

Title: Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Release date: March 5 2010

Format: PS3

RRP: £49.99

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

'Battlefield: Bad Company 2' has arrived after 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' revolutionised the market with its immaculate production, and continued to bridge the increasingly narrow gap between games and films. In a way, 'Modern Warfare 2' cleared the path for a game like this.

'Modern Warfare' was the 'Avatar' of the gaming world – a massive seller that reimagined what could be done to make the media as immersive as possible. 'Bad Company 2' is more like a cross between the other frontrunners (and better films) of that cinematic race, 'Inglourious Basterds' and 'The Hurt Locker'.

'Bad Company 2' has the offbeat humour and epic gloss of Tarantino's picture while the small-scale intensity of the 'The Hurt Locker' that 'Avatar' (or indeed 'Modern Warfare 2') could not hope to match. They're different animals.

'Bad Company 2' has an intriguing story that sees your team chase a suspect across the globe, while details of a devastating electromagnetic weapon come to light. This journey affords you the use of numerous vehicles and support squads as well as providing you with an array of enemy tactics and settings for firefights.

Almost everything can be blown up. Don't bother hiding behind a house – a tank can put a hole in the wall with one shot. The resulting chases and need for thought before action will keep you on your toes.

The difference between the jungles assaults, devastated city skirmishes and expansive countryside and snow-filled maps is stunning – these changes of scene and style keep the single player mode alive. They also work with the plot – one segment finds you freezing in the icy wilderness, driving you to keep ploughing forward looking for fuel to burn. Needless to say, the graphics and surround sound are fiercely well done, even if the musical score sometimes conflicts with the current atmosphere.

Your squad may be made up of stereotypical macho men with wildly different personas and diverse American accents, but the key difference between this and other titles is that the corny lines that they spew are actually funny and serve the narrative, and they're also voiced extremely well. 'Bad Company 2' has taken the time to bother with rendering and populating its characters – a rarity with war games.

The plot doesn't amount to much in the end except for predictable clichés, but it's a thoroughly entertaining ride. Regardless, most people who buy this game will be more interested in sampling the online multiplayer mode that 'Battlefield' has become so synonymous with.

On the PS3, the free online battles are great fun with the improvements over its predecessor immediately evident. You can choose from the usual defend/destroy, deathmatch and capture the flag matches across a good range of expansive maps. The action is quickfire and probably not as thoughtful or tactic-based as it should be, but the game's powerful engine and dedicated online community ensure that you don't get bored.

In short, 'Bad Company 2' is everything it should be with resorting to gimmicks. It's a solid game, worthy of your time that doesn't just meet current gaming trends, but attempts to raise them.