9.2/10 from xboxsolution.com
Another day and another great review/score for Battlefield Bad Company. You can read the review here or you can jump over to the reviewers site and read it.
Battlefield: Bad Company - Xbox 360 Review
Battlefield has seen several changes since the franchise began. So, when I heard about the new changes and the multi-player modes, I was very interested. I also wanted to see the new Frostbite engine in action. The story for the single-player grabbed my interest so when the Beta came out, I got a chance to see the game. I liked the offline mode and thought the online gameplay was interesting. Now after playing the final version, let’s catch up with the boys from Company B in the full Battlefield Bad Company review.
GameplayYou’ll play as Preston Marlow who ended up getting in enough trouble to get transferred to B Company. He meets his Sergeant who has two days left in charge of the misfit crew and then he goes home. Then there is Sweetwater and Haggard. All are misfits and criminals, but they have another thing in common, they are expendable. The military decided rather than locking up the four men and throwing away to key to use them as the first wave for certain operations that are not “known about†While the team together makes for some very humorous moments, they have trouble fighting as a team. On one mission they find one gold bar. Each man is thinking the same thing. They want to take the gold and when their time is up retire in style. The story may seem a bit farfetched but this has happened several times in real life so it makes for an interesting story.
The single-player mode is setup in a way that you have an objective, but how you achieve it is up to you. I like this while you can go almost anywhere and take down targeted areas in any order, the only thing you can’t do is go too far outside the map. A timer will count down and you will get an earful to get back. Any vehicle you find or can steal can be used to reach the next objective and weapons are scattered to pick up something better. My only complaint was that you could not keep two primary weapons. You also have a knife and a secondary weapon and endless health shots. BFBC is not one of those games where you can tell a certain team member to go or give orders to. In fact for most of the time, you will find that no one is near you to lay down cover or to help you out. You’ll even get yelled at to lay down cover, fire or move out. At first it seems odd that the newbie would have to take the lead but I think EA and Dice wanted to give gamers a new challenge. It makes sense since they are rejects from other companies and not assigned to B Company for a promotion.
The main thing I like is how the game allows you to tackle each section of a mission. You could go in and run and gun but the outcome usually ends up with you having to restart from the last save point. Using a little patience and sneaking up on the targets is the best way, although run and gun is needed at times. You are always outnumbered and not just by a few guys so taking out the snipers first is a key. Then again you may find taking out the support is faster. It’s a great change of gameplay and adds to the game’s fun factor. The AI at times seems to have an unfair advantage. You shoot through a wall and destroy half the building yet the AI survives. While at times it seems a bit unbalanced, you will soon find a way to deal with it.
You get support from HQ, a hot sounding girl who tries to help with telling you Intel and drop zones so you can find a weapon you need to complete each mission. She also has a quick tongue and some great one-liners so she fits perfectly into the game. Each of the guys has a different personality and skill. Sarge likes to dig in and fight things out while Sweetwater and Haggard are content in trying to beat each other or yell quick comments thinking that will help. The mix of action and humor is great and makes playing the single-player mode a real treat.
Xbox LiveThe only mode to ship with the game for the Xbox live is the Gold Rush the Conquest mode will be available later this summer as a free download. The online play is fun but better if you have some people in the battle that you know from your friends list. There were issues while trying to join a squad and then launching into a game, but last time I played it was working and the connection issues seemed to have been fixed. The only lobby per se is if you want to have other friends join the squad before launching into an unranked or ranked game. Like most huge multi-player games you have a lot of kids and adults that bark out orders or just run in die and never learn.
After getting through the disconnects and server issues, the game is a blast to play with the right people. You can even take snapshot up on the D-Pad. It will send them to the Bad Company site to look at and is a neat idea. The maps are well thought-out and have plenty of vehicles and places to demolish while trying to either save the gold cases or take them away. I personally like this multi-player mode better than the last BC game, but that is just my opinion and personal taste. I will say DICE tried to offer a multi-player mode that enhances the single-player campaign. I also know EA is still tweaking things and a patch should hit soon to take care of all known issues. Again I can’t stress enough about having some friends along to help the online play be more enjoyable, but once you learn the maps you can enjoy the game with or without friends. Overall a very good online mode but I really want the conquest mode to be released.
ControlThe controls are well done but may take some time to get used to. This is especially true when hopping into a vehicle ground or air. Just keep in mind that while it does give you a pop-up screen with the basic controls, each vehicle has its own controls and all are different. The standard controls for firing, knifing and switching weapons are well thought-out and with a few minutes of playing anyone will find them easy to use. I will say at times during a massive fight it’s easy to need hit a wrong bumper when trying to switch to a weapon to knock something out of the sky. I would say about 10 minutes for those used to playing games of this genre and maybe 15 minutes more for those just starting out to grasp everything.
GraphicsBattlefield Bad Company Screenshot
At times I listen to what is said during online modes about the game. I heard that some people thought the faces of the characters looked funny or a bit distorted. I personally like the look of the characters and thought the new Frostbite engine worked well. The destructions looked great and each new place you have to fight has something different to offer. I loved the idea of having to fight a Dictator that owned a private golf course and had a blast tying to drive the golf cart to safety.
Battlefield Bad Company Screenshot
DICE threw in some very cool weapons and when the laser sight locks and it launches, for example, the game looks amazing. The vehicles looked realistic and overall the game looks great. The different weapons really added to the game. Of course the smiley faces on the pull pins of the grenades add an interesting touch. Overall the game look fits the theme and no complaints to point out or that stuck out while playing the game.
Battlefield Bad Company Screenshot
AudioThe overall audio of the game is fantastic and really stands out. The voice-over actors all did great job which helped the game. The explosions and bullets sounded very realistic and showed off another aspect of the Frostbite engine. You could tell if the firing was close or far away or from inside or outside. I was extremely impressed with all the different sounds added to the game.
Replay ValueBattlefield Bad Company offers a strong single-player campaign and offers a lot of replay value. With achievements set at beating a mission on hard or normal, it is not like most games where you play it on hard and both will pop. Trying to locate all the hidden gold bars and weapons are a real challenge as well. Throw in a massive online mode and a soon to be released new mode and it’s easy to see that BFBC offers plenty of replay value.
Bottom LineOverall Score: 9.2/10.0
Additional CommentsOnce you get used to having to be the one in charge and lack of real back up, Bad Company is a great game. The story line is interesting since it also has some truth to what went on in different wars and conflicts. Of course the story is for enjoyment, but it also helps throw in another factor about greed and right and wrong. Add in the humor, the vehicles, and all the weapons, DICE has a hit on their hands. The online mode or should I say modes will keep getting better and it shows they are listening. For all it has to offer the new Battlefield shows it can hold its own with the rest of the competition. I am glad they went with the angle they did and am interesting to see what direction they take the franchise next.
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I was on Yahoo and found your blog. Read a few of your other posts. Good work. I am looking forward to reading more from you in the future.
Tom Stanley
[...] bulletproof wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe only mode to ship with the game for the Xbox live is the Gold Rush the Conquest mode will be available later this summer as a free download. The online play is fun but better if you have some people in the battle that you know from … [...]
[...] from xboxsolution.com Posted in July 7th, 2008 by in Uncategorized 9.2/10 from xboxsolution.com It will send them to the Bad Company site to look at and is a neat idea. The maps are well [...]
Tahnks for posting