I decided to take the plunge into the Bad Company 2 multiplayer only demo this weekend. The first Bad Company game was a bit too over the top for me as I clamor for realism in my shooters; as realistic as regenerating health and the ability to take multiple bullets can be.
If you've ever played any of the Battlefield games before, you'll be quite familiar with the Bad Company 2. The standard Rush mode game play is all that's available and tasks large teams with fighting over control points on the map. As each set of 2 control points are taken by the attacking team, another set is opened while the defending team retreats. There are 4 total sets to destroy over the course of the game.
The demo grants access to Port Valdez, a snowy oil depot that the Russians are trying to take control of. The environment looks convincing with only minor graphical hiccups. Specifically, some of the tree branch and bush textures look a little off, but other than that it looks fantastic for a large scale multiplayer experience. The weapon models aren't as overly complex as their Modern Warfare 2 counterparts, but again, when you realize the scope of what went into this game, you'll be able to look past these small details.
Bad Company 2 uses the Frostbite engine for territory deformation/destruction and it is thing of beauty. Trees fall down, buildings crack, crumble then collapse and the ground gets holes in it as missiles rain down from the sky. More games should use this technology. It's so satisfying to plant C4 charges around a house, detonate them and watch the building tumble to earth.
There are 4 classes you can pick from: assault, engineer, recon and medic. The assault class is for rushing in and clearing a way for your engineers and medics while also dropping ammo crates for your teammates. The engineer fixes vehicles and capture points. The medic revives and heals teammates. An interesting side note if you haven't tried it, use your defrib paddles on an enemy and watch the hilarity. The recon class is a sniper class that will allow you to watch the battle from a distance. As you progress through the ranks, new weapons are unlocked for each class depending on the level of use for each weapon.
Vehicles are an awesome way to turn the tide of battle. Both teams have access to tanks, troop transports, ATVs and UAVs. The defending team has access to a game changing helicopter if used properly. That flying terror can destroy tanks and other vehicles quickly and efficiently.
Overall, the experience in the demo is satisfying, especially when coming over from the highly addictive Modern Warfare 2. It feels great to play a game where people try to achieve objectives and not pad stats. If you haven't tried the demo yet, pick it up and give it a go.
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