It's safe to say that when you mention military FPS games, Call of Duty is that the forefront of everyone's mind. With that being said, EA has been at this shooter business for quite a while, and developer DICE is known around the world for the amazingly popular Battlefield series. Those that jumped into 1943 on XBLA got a brief taste of what was in store for Bad Company 2, as more destruction, a stronger core online engine, and more customization is in store for the game's second go. While the first Bad Company was a bit touch-and-go overall, my brief time with the game's sequel at TGS 2009 has been anything but, as the game feels great, looks awesome, and plays very, very well. EA gave the press a chance to try out an all-new level today at its pre-TGS showcase, and from the looks of it the Bad Company 2 is off to a great start. The new desert level mixes some decent elevation changes with two distinct home bases, a mid-level town area (filled with dozens of wrecked vehicles, including halftracks, tanks, technicals, and more), coupled with a beachfront on one side. Using the newly implemented ATVs, players can get a quick jump into the action from the get-go, cruising in at quick speeds to seize the three capture points. Each of the profiles in-game were unfortunately at level one, so we didn't get to see too much customization, but I did have a chance to call in an airstrike on a M1 Abram tank with my sniper class, and blasting people with an AK-47 is always fun.
The level itself was a blast. With the new full-building destruction tanks ruled the field, which in turn caused more counter-tank support classes to easily dispatch the heavy armor. With more support on the field come more snipers, more snipers means more SMG classes and building-leveling tanks, and already you cans see the tug-of-war that occurs. With a map such as this one, the three capture stations acted as three main choke points for the map as well, so action was fierce while spawns were still nice and out of the way. Toss in some choppers and quick-moving ATVs and the action heated up nicely.
As someone who loves on-foot combat as opposed to too much vehicle play, the ATVs were hands-down the highlight of the hands-on time for me. Allowing for a quick start while having virtually no offence, I hopped on using my assault class, would drive directly into hot zones, jump out, and fire away at enemies drawn to the ATV's coasting stop. Those that played Modern Combat on 360 know the awesomeness that comes with triggered explosives and vehicles, and while we didn't have any unlocked for this current game I'm already salivating at the possibilities. Of course there were also a few moments where the ATV screwed me as well, as I'd rip into the city, come face to face with a tank, veer off to the side (with a surprisingly high amount of agility by the vehicle) and then launch into the bay, flooding the engine and forcing me to abandon the vehicle. Still, it was a blast, and for someone that digs jumping into the thick of battle and a more run-n-gun feel the ATV was a great compliment to a more fast-paced "grunt" style of play.
The new destruction engine was also being shown off in full effect, and while we've already touched on the advancements of it in previous hands-on write-ups I personally loved seeing full buildings topple from devastating artillery. Helicopters now own the field even more as well, with barrages of missile fire causing otherwise-sturdy structures to crumble on top of foot soldiers. EA is obviously putting a huge emphasis – larger than normal – on vehicles this time around, with Bad Company housing 15+ in all, but the balance seems to be there, which is great to see.
Speaking on balance, I also seemed to have less trouble dropping enemies in Bad Company 2. One of my main gripes with the first game (outside of too much Gold Rush, and not enough point capturing) was that guns felt just too underpowered. This was not the case with my latest hands-on, and while it still took a few good shots to bring a guy down it was far more realistic, and more effective to be a strong on-foot player as a result. Hopefully this is evidence of huge strides being made in the overall balance department, as Bad Company 2 is outdoing what was started two years ago. This is looking to be a great way to kick off 2010.
We'll have more on Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as the game nears completion. Until then, check out new images direct from TGS in our media gallery below. Bad Company is set to release on March 5, 2010.
10.19
dropping in to say hello :)