EA appologizes for connection issues on the 360
For those of you having connection issues on the 360, EA has released a statement for you:
“We are aware that some X360 players are having issues connecting to the Bad Company servers,” acknowledges EA, saying in the theme of military message: “We’ve been monitoring stats non-stop and are working with several partners to locate any possible flashpoints and eradicate any hostiles we encounter.”
and
“Until we are ready to implement a permanent fix, a possible workaround is to turn off your console for approx. 20 minutes before turning it back on and connecting again.”
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Yet another great review for BFBC!
This time the review is coming from the Palgn Xbox site Their ratings for Battlefield Bad Company range from 8.5’s to 9’s. I guess depending on how you look at it this isn’t such a great review, 8.5 is actually the lowest review score I’ve seen to date. I think the 8.5’s tie a record with another site that I posted about…don’t remember for sure though.
There’s an episode of Futurama in which Fry is defending the world against ‘those’ space invaders. His defeat seemingly imminent, he is no less determined to emerge victorious over his intergalactic foes. Enthusiastically he explains to his roguish pal Bender, “I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. Watch as I fire upwards through our own shield!†To which Bender in a panicked state cries, “He’s a mad man! A mad man!†We’ve all been there, whether we were watching a friend or a firing upon the armada of pixilated enemies ourselves, wondering whether the destruction of the barrier between our ship’s fragile hull and the invaders from space would lead to the destruction of earth’s last hope, or a chance to take the battle directly to the enemy and onwards to victory.
Space Invader’s shields were prosaic forms of the walls we hide behind in today’s games in order to take cover from enemy fire, but as plain as they appeared they still had one thing above most of the pieces of shelter we see today, their destructibility. This had a huge influence on how the game was played. Walls in first person shooters, unless placed there for the sole purpose of being brought down by a well place explosion, tend to be impenetrable to even the largest of payloads. That is until now. Battlefield Bad Company has changed all that, and although the rest of the game offers up some fantastic gameplay, its lasting imprint upon the videogame landscape will be the way in which cover is almost never permanent and its destruction can be used as a tactic by either side.
Crysis had an environment that was incredibly destructible which created a great playground for the player to tear apart. And although its technical prowess was, to be fair, much greater than Bad Company’s in terms of the way in which this devastation was reaped, the player’s connectedness to the gameworld falls short of Battlefield’s, feeling slightly more surgical. In Bad Company, when you take out a cinderblock wall, the cloud of dust left behind obscuring your view, the sound of crumbling bricks and the way that the battlefield is metamorphisised into something new, makes the action feel a great deal more satisfying. The effect you can have on your environmental and tactical benefits of this all go to show that rather than be included as a gimmick this destruction is key to the gameplay of the game.
Hey guy, someone lives there you know. Well, they used to.Bad Company’s Frostbite Engine not only allows for some great explosions and deformation but has also allowed its developers to create an incredibly visually impressive world in which to follow the exploits of its band of misfit soldiers. It truly is one of the best looking games on the Xbox 360 currently out there. From a hilltop you can peer out at the surrounding landscape, its wooded areas cradling scattered enemy outposts in hills and valleys which all rendered beautifully and distant objectives can be seen regardless of how far away they are.
The narrative of Bad Company’s campaign never really meets the lofty heights set by some other First Person Shooters, and although it isn’t truly great it’s never offensively bad either. The game follows the exploits of a group of soldiers whose misdemeanors, which could have landed them with a court marshal, have instead led them to be placed within a division whose members are handpicked for some of the worst jobs the army has to offer. Veritable human shields, a chance discovery of enemy gold leads them on a treasure hunt akin to that of the movie Three Kings or The Dirty Dozen. The dialogue is reasonably well written, with your other three wise cracking teammates allowing for a snicker or two, and at least it’s a change from the overly official, or steroided up characters we usually have to endure. Bad Company feels as though it would be perfect source material for one of those over the top, comedic action movies from the 80’s such as Tango and Cash.
Besides the tactical destruction there’s a few other ways in which Bad Company makes its niche within the FPS genre. The first that will probably be noticed by players is the way in which health is regenerated. Instead of fossicking through enemy corpses to find stimpacks or sitting around for your mutant healing factor to kick in, Bad Company has the player stab themselves in the chest with a giant syringe to regain health. It’s a novel way to approach regeneration, but there are times when you do feel a bit foolish ripping out a syringe to plunge in your chest every 10 seconds, especially during the most heated of battles.
Pointing to its developer’s background in multiplayer FPS design, player death within Bad Company is dealt with using a respawn style re-entry into the game’s world. When you die, rather than start you from a checkpoint with all the damage you’ve done to your opposition reset, the game takes you and your squad back to a spawn point ready to continue where you left off – although in two or three key areas there are ‘hard’ checkpoints that will reset your progress. This is a godsend as there are areas that are devilishly difficult. Along with the huge explosions and over the top battles this adds to the fact that the game progresses somewhat like an old arcade shooter, just without the machine’s constant demands for more credits. Whether this lack of consequences for death works well is another question. Progression through the game is made with a certain amount detachment as a result, because no matter how daft your strategies, brute force will eventually snuff out the life of each enemy even if only one is killed per life.
Preston insisted on taking his Ben Heck created portable 360 wherever his squad went, claiming that Bad Company multiplayer took his mind off the depressing fact that he was in a real war.Enemy AI is a weak point of Bad Company. There are times when your foes seem to know exactly where you are regardless of cover, and their aim is impeccable to boot. This means that you’ll often find yourself switching between gun and giant syringe filled with health juice in quick succession, which slightly detracts from the fun of simulated warfare. Your squad must be in cahoots with the enemy because they never seem be fired upon and rarely assist you in any meaningful way. The feeling is often still that you’re the classic videogame one man army, although this time, with some impervious comedians along for the ride.
DICE has a long heritage in multiplayer gaming, and although Battlefield’s public face has been its single player, it’s clear that the game’s real strength shines through in its competitive online mode. If you’ve played a Battlefield game before you’ll be well aware of the fact that these developers have the ability to create some of the best multiplayer experiences available, and Bad Company is no exception. Here nearly all of the issues of the single player campaign melt away, AI isn’t an issue, and as a result neither is the constant need to heal. Along with these things the destructible environments that the single player’s enemies rarely, if ever, use to their tactical advantage are perfect for human players to make the best of creating some interesting results. Blow up a nearby wall to uncover an enemy or distract someone close by and the action will undoubtedly heat up keeping the battle from becoming static. The structure of the battlefields also allows for some great firefights, and all are a good size and offer just the right amount of choke points and cover positions.
Bad Company’s multiplayer uses a similar unlocking weapon system to other Battlefield titles and Call of Duty 4 where kills earn you new ranks to access fresh weapons. However unlike the huge advantages that the latter’s unlocked weapons provided to those who had played for longer, here each weapon feels as if it’s on far more equal footing, feeling different yet relatively equal.
Whilst it’s not quite perfect, Bad Company’s legacy will most definitely be its satisfying use of tactical destruction. In no other FPS does changing environment factor so heavily into combat, or in such a fun way. Its single player could have used a little polish but the game’s multiplayer shines as one of the best available on console to date.
Comment settings updated.
The settings were so that anytime a comment was made on this site, an admin had to approve it before it would go live. Unless there is a spam link in the comment there is no reason for me to approve anything, the interwebz are a free speech zone. So unless you’re a spammer, comment away!
Come on over and chat in the BFBC Forums!
Come on over to the Bad Company Forums and have a chat!
Pictures of Battlefield Bad Company Weapons
Pictures of Battlefield Bad Company Weapons
Many thanks to Venomisimmortal and Planet Battlefield
Assault Rifles (Assault Class)
AEK971
Modern Russian assault rifle equipped with recoil damper that enables stable handling during fully automatic fire. After years of development, the AEK971 is now the standard assault rifle of the Russian army.
AN94
High tech Russian rifle with an advanced firing mechanism that provides a very high rate of fire. Failed army trials, but still remain a favorite among many special forces in Russia.
AUG
Battle proven Austrian assault rifle widely known for its high performance and durability. Bullpup layout allows for a shorter stock while maintaining barrel length. Its aesthetic design has also made it a common sight in many Hollywood block busters.
F2000
Highly customizable Belgian assault rifle, with a wide number of modification options such as different scopes, grenade launcher attachments, computerized firing systems, etc. The weapon has an ambidextrous fire selector, ejection port and handle.
M16
The classic American work horse, having seen action all over the world for many decades. Its accuracy and handling are a true legacy of old American rifle traditions.
M416
The M416 is an upgraded version of the M4 and M16 assault rifles. With new firing mechanics, this modification solved many of the performance issues with the old weapon systems, and also proved to be a more cost effective solution than replacing the huge number of aging rifles in service.
XM8
Experimental US weapon system based on the German G36 assault rifle. A highly accurate and dependable weapon with many “in the field” modification options. Despite its great performance, it never left the experimental phase.
Light Machine guns (Support Class)
M249
The standard US army light machinegun. Originally designed in Belgium, the rifle has a reputation of being extremely reliable and is widely used across the world as part of many armed forces.
M60
Iconic American rifle, famous for its service in the Vietnam War. Designed in the late 1940s, it borrows heavily from German WW2 machinegun designs.
MG3
An upgrade version of the classic WW2 German MG42. The MG3 is capable of a very high rate of fire and despite its age, this versatile and powerful machinegun is still in active service in many armies.
MG36
LMG version of the German army G36 rifle. This modern rifle is equipped with bipod, red point sights and drum magazine for faster reloading.
PKM
Russian general purpose machinegun. This high calibre machinegun is famous for its power and reliability and is used in many different countries.
QJU88
The type 88 light machinegun is of Chinese origin and entered service in the PLA at the beginning of the 21st century.
XM8 LMG
SAW version of the XM8 rifle. Features a longer barrel, bipod and duel drum magazine.
Submachine Guns (Specialist Class)
9A91
Russian compact assault rifle chambered for special high caliber ammunition. The steep trajectory and short sight base make the rifle ineffective at long ranges, but up close it packs more stopping power than any other 9 millimeter.
AKS74u
A shortened, modified version of the legendary AK-47. Popular among Russian special forces for its size, but suffering from limited range and accuracy. Despite this, it’s a very powerful and reliable rifle.
PP2000
Ultra modern Russian submachinegun, first shown to the public in 2004. Used by Russian police and security forces and claimed to be superior to many foreign competitors.
SCAR
The SCAR assault rifle family consists of a Heavy and a Light type, each available in several versions, with different barrel lengths and ammunition types. This Light model is used by SOCOM forces and was accepted by them as late as 2003.
UMP
This German submachine gun was developed mainly for the American law enforcement market. Very light weight and highly customizable, the UMP is a cheaper, but still powerful, alternative to the MP5.
UZI
Classic Israeli submachinegun. Has proven itself in countless countries during the last fifty years.
XM8C
Compact version of the XM8 rifle. Very light weight and designed as a personal defense weapon.
Sniper Rifles (Recon Class)
GOL
German bolt action sniper rifle. This highly accurate and reliable rifle is available in a wide range of configurations and is currently used by several German police units as well as sporting groups across the world.
M24
Highly accurate sniper weapon system used by the US military and police forces. The M24 uses the heaviest type of ammunition for this weapon class, providing very long range firing.
M95
A bolt action version of the M82A1 weapon, with shorter total length thanks to the bullpup configuration. The large calibre ammunition makes it a preferred sniper rifle for long range sniping as well as anti-material tasks.
QBU88
Chinese marksman’s rifle designed in the late 1980s. It features iron sights but is usually equipped with a 4x scope. Used by the PLA and Chinese police forces.
SV98
An upgrade of a successful sporting rifle, this high precision sniper rifle was built intentionally for domestic Russian use, such as the Spetznaz forces, counter-terrorist forces and other law enforcement groups. The weapon features a detachable scope and a special plastic magazine.
SVU
A bullpup version of the classic SVD design, this weapon is shorter and incorporates a suppressor. It can be used with its built-in iron sights, although the common setup features a scope. The SVU was designed with Russian law enforcement forces in mind.
VSS Vintores
A lightweight, short and quiet sniper rifle using subsonic ammunition. It features a built-in sound suppressor, a wide array of scopes and can be easily broken into 3 parts to allow discrete transportation. Despite its size, it fires a heavy round which can penetrate a wide range of armour.
Shotguns (Demolition Class)
870MCS
Classic American shotgun, Modular Combat Shotgun version. As the name implies, it allows the user to configure the weapon into different setups.
NS2000
South African pump action shotgun featuring an unusual bullpup design for a shotgun. Another original solution is the magazine placement, above the barrel. Also, in contrast to most pump action rifles, the pump action is forward.
Saiga12
Standard shotgun of the Russian Ground Forces. This weapon has semi-automatic fire, allowing multiple shells to be fired in rapid succession. Uses a mechanism originally designed for assault rifles.
SPAS12
Legendary Italian combat shotgun with iconic folding stock. Manufacturing stopped in 2000.
SPAS-15
Modern semi-automatic shotgun, featuring a standard box magazine that allows for much faster reloading compared to standard tubular magazines, where shells need to be loaded one by one.
T194
Russian 12 gauge pump-action shotgun. Not used by Russian armed forces, but successfully exported to international buyers.
USAS12
Gas-operated, South Korean, combat shotgun capable of fully automatic 12 gauge fire. Bulky, heavy and powerful, this massive rifle is banned for civilian use in the US.
Gadgets
ATM-00
Anti tank mine capable of destroying even the toughest armour. Triggered by pressure and equipped with a friend and foe recognition system.
DTN-4
Plastic explosives that stick to most hard surfaces. Detonated by remote.
Life-2
A chemical dispenser for emergency treatment in the field.
LZ-537
Upon successfully targeting an enemy vehicle, a laser guided bomb with be released at high altitude. This bomb can be controlled remotely by the user.
MRTR-5
A GPS transmitter, directly linked to allied mortar arrays. This fully automated system allows for immediate artillery support when it’s most needed.
Other
GP30
Grenade launcher.
Knife (Kniv-1)
The basic knife.
Many thanks to Planet Battlefield and Vennomisimmortal.
Pictures & Descriptions of Battlefield Bad Company Vehicles
Many thanks to Venomisimmortal and IGN
Pictures & Descriptions of Battlefield Bad Company Vehicles
Heavy Tank
The most powerful vehicle on the battlefield.
* The heavy tank excels at standing off and delivering withering bombardment from long range.
* It is particularly effective against other vehicles, and will make short work of buildings and barricades.
* Its gunner position gives it close in protection, and it has radar to warn of nearby infantry.
* These 60 ton behemoths are vulnerable in the rear however, so watch out for taking them into built up areas…
Light Tank
Excellent at infantry support.
* Light tanks are the jack of all trades, good one-on-one against most other vehicle classes.
* Bristling with defensive weaponry, the light tank is well protected and great for transporting squads in comparative safety.
* Light tanks do well in built up areas, but less armour means that they often need repair from the support class.
* In combination however, this pairing can be devastating – it doesn’t have the punch of the Heavy tank, but its versatility suits it to most battlefield situations.
Armored Car
A lightly armored transport.
* Good for quick insertion and providing fire support with its turret mounted .50cal.
* Will get you where you need to go, but be ready to bail if you come under heavy fire.
Attack Helicopter
Provides devastating air support.
* The Attack helo’s mix of rockets and chaingun can lay waste to both vehicles and infantry alike.
* Vulnerable to small arms fire, the Attack Helo particularly suffers if there are any AA emplacements in play.
Artillery
Usually only available to support the initial phase of an attack.
* The artillery’s closely grouped barrage causes havoc amongst even the best organised enemy.
* Using satellite imagery to pinpoint its target, it fires a quick succession of rounds to maximise damage.
Thanks to IGN and Vennomisimmortal
Battlefield Bad Company Multiplayer Awards List [picture]
Battlefield Bad Company Multiplayer Awards List
Battlefield Bad Company for the PC?
So what does EA/DICE plan on doing with BFBC for the PC? Are they really going to leave the PC gamers out in the rain with no Bad Company? What do the PC gamers get for their years of loyalty? Is “Battlefield Heros” our big reward? Really?
I find it amazing that BFBC won’t be released on the PC. The only thing I hear that’s coming out for the PC is Battlefield Heros, and judging by the looks of it, it’s nothing I’m going to be interested in playing. It looks like something a church would have for youth group, or something a family sits down to play after a nice day at church. Where the hell is our(PCers) Battlefield game?
/end rant
Don’t forget to stop by the BFBC Forums!
Make sure you stop by the Battlefield Bad Company Forum for some entertaining discussion about Bad Company and other Battlefield games.
