Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Appropriately enough Bad Company 2 begins by kicking the doors in and unloading a shotgun blast of thrills in your face. Following a brief, straightforward prologue you’re pitched into the snowy wastes of Alaska (not to mention 24-style intrigue) as the Bad Company boys stumble across a Russian plot involving a terrifying experimental weapon. Given that almost every gun you can pick up here doubles as a grenade launcher, that’s quite a threat.

 

The result is a singleplayer campaign that at its best really challenges you to use your intellect as well as your trigger finger. It’s a system that works best in urban environments - later forays into South America quickly descend into the linear and restrictive territory of less inventive shooters. It also becomes clear that despite being part of a team you’re the only member of the squad using his brain. Your teammates are efficient but by-the-book, and often you’ll have to tow the line in order to trigger events and coax baddies to appear.

 

In short: Bad Company 2’s singleplayer mode struggles to maintain a balance between scripted events and a sense of freedom. The result is an inconsistent campaign that mixes moments of brilliance with long stretches of the merely competent.