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June 24, 2008 | 4:28 PM PST
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Battlefield: Bad Company is the next installment in the Battlefield franchise. Taking a ripped-from-the-headlines approach to the series, you are part of the Bad Company squad which is basically the equivalent of a fourth string football team. As a departure from other war games, this never takes itself too seriously until the bullets start flying. The quest for fame and riches via securing vast amounts of gold bars is a welcome pseudo-satirical take on the often heroic, boy scout of a main character.
Each character has a distinct personality and the exploits of Bad Company is narrated by Preston Marlow, the more stoic of the four characters you interact with. Does this sound like a Battlefield game? Of course not, this is the first time that a single-player campaign has been added to the mix since the inception. Rounding out the feature set is the ever popular multiplayer mode that gamers have come to know and respect.
What's Hot
Let's start off with the newest feature, the campaign mode. Forget about a repurposed multiplayer mode; this is a fully original story crafted with a solo player in mind. Surprisingly, it is an extremely well-crafted experience that has a tight pace and well placed action. The way the characters interact with each other is so conversational and natural, the dialogue will never feel forced. The banter between Haggard and Sweetwater is especially delightful. What drives the action flow is the impressive work DICE has done with the game's engine.
If you were to look under the hood, I'm sure it would resemble something like a hand grenade because the explosions are a sight to behold. Flammable barrels and hazardous materials litter the landscape for good reason, to show off the graphics and the rock solid frame rate to accompany the Bad Company. In the thickest of battles, with tanks, RPGs, mortars and grenades, you'll find that a lot of the structures are nearly completely destructible and won't slow the game down one iota. Not only does it make taking cover a tentative affair, it looks awesome when walls come crumbling down. Dust, sand, smoke, bricks and other particles fly and add a supreme intensity to keep you glued to the game.
A word to the wise: never play this game without sound because it sends it to another level. The audio work done throughout the game will leave you in disbelief. You'll hear the sound of metal parts working in unison with the guns and the empty bullet casing echo inside a building (providing it still has walls). The voice work is masterfully delivered that keeps the game fun without treading on the territory that Call of Duty 4 owns. The retro Californian surfer music gives the game a funky vibe that lets you know you aren't playing just another shooter.
All this so far and not a mention of multiplayer. Look out because the multiplayer is something to write home about. Like past Battlefield games, there is a distinct focus on what makes a multiplayer match fun. Where as single player is a practice ground, multiplayer is like a full orchestra giving a concert with all the pieces in place to blow you away. The explosion and destructible environments play an even more impressive role in multiplayer. No house or structure is 100% safe and it leads to some white knuckle moments when a tank is down the field and a speed boat is flanking you on the river. Smart decisions of what guns to take are paramount if you like to get yourself in those situations.
Twenty-five player matches provide large scale battles and plenty of action to keep the most impatient player satisfied. Players that invest time and enthusiasm with the multiplayer are going to reap the largest rewards because of leveling-up system that is layered with unlockables and different soldier classes, creating a deep and rich experience no matter how you slice it. Bad Company is still all about the multiplayer experience and is worth the purchase alone. But many of you already know that, with the extensive beta testing prior to retail release and all.
What's Not
First-person shooters often are measured heavily upon controls. The reason being is that the difference between life and respawn is who can shoot the quickest. At first, the controls are not all that intuitive. Awkward mapping sets the learning curve high, but with practice, it can become second nature.
It doesn't help that the single-player enemies never miss. They know exactly where you are and when to fire making encounters less strategic and more about tossing explosives around the corner with a few sprays of whatever machine gun you are holding. You'll be constantly switching to your health injector to survive what would otherwise be trivial skirmishes.
Single-player is padded with large territory you have to trek on either foot or, preferably due to their abundance, vehicle. While the design calls for open territories in multiplayer, the single player game could have been adjusted to better fit a solo player.
Being solo is another problem. This game is bred for co-op but doesn't feature it in the slightest. If you want to play with others, then you have to play the multiplayer game. It segments the game so if you want a less stressful multiplayer experience that doesn't involve people other than your friend sitting next to you on the couch (e.g. pre-teens not screaming in your ear), you are out of luck.
Final Word
When all the working parts are enjoyed together, you'll find it hard to loosen your grip on your controller. There is no doubt that DICE had fun developing the game and even found time to add a new element that has now set a series standard. The improvements made to the Battlefield formula have changed the way future Battlefield games will be judged. Right now, the only company to be with is Bad Company.
What the Game's About
Battlefield: Bad Company is the next installment in the Battlefield franchise. Taking a ripped-from-the-headlines approach to the series, you are part of the Bad Company squad which is basically the equivalent of a fourth string football team. As a departure from other war games, this never takes itself too seriously until the bullets start flying. The quest for fame and riches via securing vast amounts of gold bars is a welcome pseudo-satirical take on the often heroic, boy scout of a main character.
Each character has a distinct personality and the exploits of Bad Company is narrated by Preston Marlow, the more stoic of the four characters you interact with. Does this sound like a Battlefield game? Of course not, this is the first time that a single-player campaign has been added to the mix since the inception. Rounding out the feature set is the ever popular multiplayer mode that gamers have come to know and respect.
What's Hot
Let's start off with the newest feature, the campaign mode. Forget about a repurposed multiplayer mode; this is a fully original story crafted with a solo player in mind. Surprisingly, it is an extremely well-crafted experience that has a tight pace and well placed action. The way the characters interact with each other is so conversational and natural, the dialogue will never feel forced. The banter between Haggard and Sweetwater is especially delightful. What drives the action flow is the impressive work DICE has done with the game's engine.
If you were to look under the hood, I'm sure it would resemble something like a hand grenade because the explosions are a sight to behold. Flammable barrels and hazardous materials litter the landscape for good reason, to show off the graphics and the rock solid frame rate to accompany the Bad Company. In the thickest of battles, with tanks, RPGs, mortars and grenades, you'll find that a lot of the structures are nearly completely destructible and won't slow the game down one iota. Not only does it make taking cover a tentative affair, it looks awesome when walls come crumbling down. Dust, sand, smoke, bricks and other particles fly and add a supreme intensity to keep you glued to the game.
A word to the wise: never play this game without sound because it sends it to another level. The audio work done throughout the game will leave you in disbelief. You'll hear the sound of metal parts working in unison with the guns and the empty bullet casing echo inside a building (providing it still has walls). The voice work is masterfully delivered that keeps the game fun without treading on the territory that Call of Duty 4 owns. The retro Californian surfer music gives the game a funky vibe that lets you know you aren't playing just another shooter.
All this so far and not a mention of multiplayer. Look out because the multiplayer is something to write home about. Like past Battlefield games, there is a distinct focus on what makes a multiplayer match fun. Where as single player is a practice ground, multiplayer is like a full orchestra giving a concert with all the pieces in place to blow you away. The explosion and destructible environments play an even more impressive role in multiplayer. No house or structure is 100% safe and it leads to some white knuckle moments when a tank is down the field and a speed boat is flanking you on the river. Smart decisions of what guns to take are paramount if you like to get yourself in those situations.
Twenty-five player matches provide large scale battles and plenty of action to keep the most impatient player satisfied. Players that invest time and enthusiasm with the multiplayer are going to reap the largest rewards because of leveling-up system that is layered with unlockables and different soldier classes, creating a deep and rich experience no matter how you slice it. Bad Company is still all about the multiplayer experience and is worth the purchase alone. But many of you already know that, with the extensive beta testing prior to retail release and all.
What's Not
First-person shooters often are measured heavily upon controls. The reason being is that the difference between life and respawn is who can shoot the quickest. At first, the controls are not all that intuitive. Awkward mapping sets the learning curve high, but with practice, it can become second nature.
It doesn't help that the single-player enemies never miss. They know exactly where you are and when to fire making encounters less strategic and more about tossing explosives around the corner with a few sprays of whatever machine gun you are holding. You'll be constantly switching to your health injector to survive what would otherwise be trivial skirmishes.
Single-player is padded with large territory you have to trek on either foot or, preferably due to their abundance, vehicle. While the design calls for open territories in multiplayer, the single player game could have been adjusted to better fit a solo player.
Being solo is another problem. This game is bred for co-op but doesn't feature it in the slightest. If you want to play with others, then you have to play the multiplayer game. It segments the game so if you want a less stressful multiplayer experience that doesn't involve people other than your friend sitting next to you on the couch (e.g. pre-teens not screaming in your ear), you are out of luck.
Final Word
When all the working parts are enjoyed together, you'll find it hard to loosen your grip on your controller. There is no doubt that DICE had fun developing the game and even found time to add a new element that has now set a series standard. The improvements made to the Battlefield formula have changed the way future Battlefield games will be judged. Right now, the only company to be with is Bad Company.
November 20, 2009
