Gaming Generations :: Battlefield: Bad Company

NickD · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:03 am Post subject:

Battlefield: Bad Company

Publisher: EA Games
Official Website: http://badcompany.ea.com/
Release Date: 6/23/2008
Genre: Modern Era FPS
Number of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Teen
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REVIEW

This is the latest offering in the long and great list of Battlefield games. This game, however, is different from the others in that it actually has a fun story mode with an interesting tale to tell.

PLOT
When you mess up one too many times, the army sends you to B Company, aka Bad Company. You play as Private Preston Marlowe, who is one of a group of fun/interesting characters in the story mode. Each of them is sent to B Company for their own reasons and some of them simply chose to join B Company.

Eventually, your squad comes across members of a mercenary group who are thought by some to be a myth. Turns out, this mercenary group is paid directly in gold bars... This is where things get interesting.

SETTING
This game takes place mostly in Russia and surrounding areas with parts of the game (including multiplayer) obviously set in desert regions.

GAMEPLAY
This game features pretty standard FPS gameplay with a variety of weapons and vehicles for you to try out. The single player campaign is actually well done and allows you to try out each of the weapons, which can be helpful for deciding which ones you want to unlock for multiplayer.

The environmental damage gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling not unlike what Red Faction did when it came out. Nearly everything can have a hole blown in it or can be completely taken down.

While the single player mode is fun (and takes around 10 or so hours) the multiplayer is what you want to buy this game for. Currently, the only multiplayer mode available is "Gold Rush." In this mode, one group is designated the attackers and one the defenders. The attackers' goal is to try to destroy the defenders' gold crates at their numerous bases. The only problem I've noticed with this system is that it seems a little easy to be defenders as I've played probably 40+ games now and I've only seen attackers win 5 times.

Your actions earn you points and with points you level up your rank allowing you to unlock new weapons and items. Personally, I found the easiest way to level up to be the Support class since healing teammates gives you major points and you also get the BA large-caliber/tons of rounds guns (think the Saw).

Despite the current lack of Conquest mode, which many Battlefield veterans are accustomed to, this mode is currently being developed and will be released as a FREE download via XBL on August 7th (a day from me writing this).

GRAPHICS
The graphics are good, but not the most beautiful I've ever seen. However, with all the things that happen during gameplay (especially online) the framerate never dropped once for me. Due to this, I'd say the graphics are pretty good.

The explosions look great and the destruction comes off looking realistic.

SOUND
The sound effects in this game are definitely good quality. The music and voice actors are also great. The opening song is actually a really fun song to just listen to. The guns and vehicles all sound great and never make any odd sounds from what I've noticed.

SUMMARY
This game is just plain FUN. There's not a lot else that can be said about it. It offers a fun storyline and great multiplayer experience. In fact, the multiplayer experience here is the reason to buy the game. The choice between which class of character to take, whether Assault, Support, Recon, Specialist, or Demolitions make this game a fun squad game. It also makes for an interesting strategy game since a team of only Demolitions characters simply won't get the job done.

If you don't have XBL, I would recommend that you rent this game. That is, unless you're really in the mood for an interesting, albeit fairly easy
story mode. As stated above, the story flows well and is interesting the whole way through, but in no way is it COD4.

It makes me sad that I've only borrowed this game from GG to review...

Overall Score: 8.7/10

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Pictures courtesy of GameSpot.com
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Nick
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Finished Reviews:
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS)
Ninja Gaiden II
Battlefield: Bad Company (360)
Gears of War
Too Human
Dead Space (360)
Legendary (360)
EndWar (360)
Fallout 3
Fatal Frame II

Writer, Actor in Flingshot Productions