9.1

Battlefield Bad Company 2

I must admit that I wasn't a big fan of the original game as the single-player campaign was quite flat and not inspirational at all. Even though it had a rather decent multiplayer aspect, if you offer single player, you need to ensure that it is quite competent. I did however raise my hand to review this current title and I was pleasantly surprised that developers DICE have created a very competent single player mode that is definitely missing in the first person shooter genre.

In terms of story, the characters are a tad more realistic and relatable than the previous game and the voice acting is oozing with clichés and how great the wonderful country of America is. With that said, the single-player mode is about the "B" company who once again find themselves called to duty as they explore a plethora of visually different environments in order to prevent a villainous Russian from acquiring a super weapon.

The most fun aspect of Bad Company 2 is the gaming environments that are quite detailed and assists in getting you lost in this  violent world and seeing the various terrains is visually quite impressive. Add in terrain deformation and a variety of destructible  objects and even buildings, trying to find a suitable place to hide is sometimes a little difficult, especially when it's coming  apart all around you. The only annoying aspect is that certain barrels filled with fuel are placed in key positions in the game, even on vehicles that although suspends the realism of the game, it does make for some beautiful Hollywood style of explosions. KABOOM!

The game is also quite reminiscent of the Modern Warfare series but is actually more fun because a little bit of the realism is thrown out the window. In single-player mode, the AI is like a game of snakes and ladders and generally, the enemy is more accurate than your team mates, especially when your team mate is like a stone throw away from them and they still can't shoot them dead.

However, I must admit that at times the squad based mechanics did surprise me and does help with the gameplay, especially when you tell them go a certain way or defend, while you sneak up another way. This is also a good thing about the game is that there are so many ways of completing your objectives and if one path does not work, there are plenty of other paths to choose from. If you do want a bit of a challenge, the game supports a variety of difficulty modes but on normal, we found the game just right.

The control system works well on the 360 controller which use the standard layout for first person shooters. Add in some force feedback and it's enough to help with the illusion of using all these different weapons in the game. In terms of weapons, the game contains a plethora from standard guns to sniper rifles and rocket launchers that are littered throughout the gaming environment for you and your squad to collect.

As you do progress through the single-player campaign mode, there are enough checkpoints to get you through, although at certain points during some levels, a few additional ones would have made things a little less frustrating. Thankfully your health now auto regenerates as opposed to self medication.

One big issue with the single-player game is the consistency of it all coming together thanks to the cutscenes. As the game moves between cutscenes, the screen fades to black that jolts you back to reality and unfortunately causes a pause in the gameplay that we all found frustrating.

We also tested the game via XBox Live and I must admit that we had a ball playing this title online. With a variety of different gameplay modes, we found this experience quite sturdy with some great maps and mission objectives. Whether you're working as a team or going at it Schwarzenegger style, players are awarded for the skills linked to their classes and there is a decent online community at present. With destructible environments, it's great to weasel out those campers as mortar and bricks flies all over the place.

Graphically, the title is a good looking game on the 360 with great level designs and a variety of different locales to keep things fresh and unique. The particle effects work well, especially with the destructible buildings and objects that is only highlighted by the great explosion effects. Add in decent character designs, good textures and some realistic motion and DICE have definitely refined this game from its previous title.

The sound effects are great as well and the voice acting is quite professional, although a little hack and embarrassing at times, more so with the Team America approach. I love the sound of the sniper rifle that is easily the most realistic gun sound ever and with that said, this game is definitely one that needs to be played on a high definition screen with surround sound to totally immerse you into the play.

In conclusion, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 easily surpasses its predecessor with more refined gaming, an interesting and  entertaining single-player mode and some fun multiplayer options. The squad based mechanics of this game is the highlight for us and even though there are some issues in single-player, on a whole it works well. At the end of the day, it's a solid first person shooter with good graphics and atmosphere, definitely one to check out.