So lately I have been keeping myself well entertained, with the much-awaited sequel to the Battlefield: Bad Company franchise. Only this morning, I finished the game on 'Normal'. Now it's time to go back and start it all over again on 'Hard'. After I'm done with that, then begins the real fun: the ONLINE play!!
Yes, I know there are many out there who cannot help but compare any new game with the benchmark Infinity Ward's master game, Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2. I have successfully resisted this compulsion, because in my mind it is like comparing apples to oranges. CoD - MW2 can only successfully be compared to CoD-MW. Period.
An absolutely fair and objective analysis is achieved, when comparing B:BC2 to B:BC. The main characters which make up the squad are the same. Marlow, Haggard, Sweetwater and Sgt. Redmond are once again united, to find themselves tasked with more improbable and hardcore missions. There are some new villains this time around and no, "The Legionnaire" is not among them. There is also one kick-ass secret weapon, which is guaranteed to give you the creeps. It is termed as a Scalar Weapon, codename 'Aurora', which was intended to be the Japanese's "be-all and end-all weapon", near the close of WW2.
The main characters are however more mature, darker than their goofy, slapstick former selves. 'Hags' in particular (Pvt. George Gordon Haggard) seems to come into his own. True, there is a bit more profanity in B:BC2, but far less than you would hear in any actual combat infantry unit. Sergeant Redford is his usual irrascible self, Sweetwater has filled out quite a bit as a personality also.
I really like the addition of Flynn, the 'pinko, liberal, commie-hippie, pacifist' chopper pilot. I actually find myself hoping he might make a comback in the next sequel, even though that chopper crash after being hit by the Javelin, did look pretty final ("Thanks for the smokes, Brother!"). The maps are great, although not as spacious and far-ranging as I would have liked. The graphics are gorgeous and the sound, even better than the original which in itself, was a standout.
The storyline is great. The missions are well thought out, the progression logical. The plot twists and turns are well done and provide a couple of surprises along the way. I liked having to ferret out the M-COM stations and the collectable weapons. I also appreciated the fact that there were more ammo lockers this time around. The ability to bring down buildings, comm towers and other large structures, was one of the biggest changes. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The AI is getting better all the time. Those elite troops you meet in the later missions, don't often miss. They soon teach you to use any available cover and not to get too cocky.
All in all, this was another great purchase and I am really quite happy with this new edition. The ending leaves one with no doubt that rather than going on that long-awaited fishing trip, the Sarge and his boys will soon be heading up Alaska way to see about heading off hordes of invading Russian troops. Hm-mmmm... What's halfway between Alaska and the USA...? :)
Stand by for Battlefield: Bad Company 3-Eh!
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