Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Xbox 360 Review

Christmas 2009 came and past with the big buzz of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 as the big hitter in the first person genre. Well all I can say is stand aside Activison, EA Sports is about to Un-Dutify you. With the March 2010 release quickly approaching, I decided to try my hand at the Xbox 360 Live Demo of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has all aspects of a first person shooter and then some. The introduction of the ability to access and navigate vehicles makes this game stand out above all others. Yes, you could mount a snowmobile in Call of Duty Moder Warfare 2 but Battlefield: Bad Company 2 takes this to the next level. In the demo, you have a hand full of vehicles you can control.

Tank

An all time favorite destruction vehicle is the tank and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has one. This vehicle only takes moment to figure out how to navigate but once you get going look out enemies. The awesome aspect of this game is that each vehicle is broken up into separate functions. For instance, the tank has a driver who also has access to weapons firing but other team members can enter into the tank to take over another gunner position. Also, EA gives you the ability to change positions inside the vehicle as one would do who was actually using a real tank. Tank maneuverability seems paralleled to what really driving a tank would be like, not the best vehicle for turning on a dime at high speed. Vehicle damage is noted by a number indicator where 100 is full vehicle health, if you get down to 10 or so an audible alert comes on and game affects provide you with visual notice that you better abandom the vehicle or repair it quick. Any player can fix the vehicle by abandoning the vehicle and using a drill like weapon/tool on the damaged vehicle. But be careful because a sniper could pick you off at anytime.

Airborne

Cool, Cool, Cool...You can hop into airborne vehicles and use them to defeat your enemy. We are talking three different classes here, Apache, Transport and UAV. I'm still in training mode on navigating the helicopter vehicles such as the Apache and Transport Helicopter. They take some skill to get used to but I've been with many Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Helicopter pilots who have already mastered navigation. They take damage like any other vehicle but you have the option of bailing on a copter that is taking a nose dive as you are equipped with a parachute. Just like the tanks, Helicopters in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 are multi-manned(or woman) vehicles. This allows other members of your team to hone in on potential targets while you focus on navigation and strategy.

The most sought after aerial vehicle is the UAV. Basically, you are controlling a drone helicopter from your base. This vehicle is quite nimble and is packed with heat seeking missiles. By far, the niftiest of the aerial vehicles for destroying the enemy base.

Off Roading Anyone?

How awesome would it be to have access to an ATV to penetrate enemy territories, well Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has it. You have the ability to not only navigate one of these super speedy ATV's but it also has the ability for a team member to jump on the back and take out following enemies. These things are super speedy and can jump just about anything. Just like all other vehicles, they take damage too so take care of your off roader or you'll be road kill.

Ground Based Transport Vehicle

In addition to the Tank, there is also a ground assault vehicle that doubles as a troop transport. The unit is great for getting your troops past enemy lines while taking on fire from enemies as it is a reinforced vehicle.

You have four main troop classes to choose from when starting the game, Engineer, Recon, Medic and Assault. Each is provided some basic weaponry but also has access to weapons upgrades once you elevate your experience. Weapons include everything from sniper rifles to Automatic Assault Weapons to RPG's and many many more. Weapons accessories include your standard grenades as well as the ability to plant C4 charges on things. This isn't one of those cookie cutter games either that don't let you get creative. If you want to take a tree down, throw a charge of C4 on the trunk and stand back...timber is all I can say.

The graphics in this game are very true to life. As I mentioned above, the ability to take down a tree is awesome in itself but it doesn't stop there. If your tree is on any type of an elevation, the tree actually rolls down hills until it hits flat ground..just like in real life. The physics behind this game are amazing. I give the graphics alone in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 an A+ with Extra Credit added on.

I'm sure I've missed some other truly awe aspiring aspects of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 but there are just too many nifty things to note. Even if I paid the $59 for the game demo, I would have felt that I got my moneys worth. I highly recommend this game if you remotely enjoyed the Call of Duty series. The game is scheduled to be released first week of March 2010 so go reserve you a copy now, you won't regret it.