17/07/2008
Over the years The Battlefield series has concentrated on perfecting the multiplayer warfare scenario, with many people hailing them as being amongst the best of breed. Battlefield: Bad Company marks the first serious attempt by EA developer - Digital Illusion CE - at creating a true single-player experience out of the franchise.
As both action hero and narrator, players take on the role of Preston Marlowe, a rather bland and unassuming character, who instead of being sent to jail for some unnamed crime is assigned to the 222nd Army Battalion, B Company; a collection of misfits and criminals chosen to serve as a first wave of offence in the middle of a fictional war in Eastern Europe. The team eventually goes AWOL after discovering a cache of gold, and inadvertently cross the border into a neutral country, sparking an international incident; at which point they conclude that the only positive resolution to the situation is to secure and make off with the gold.
Marlowe's crew is made up of Sarge (Squad leader), the obligatory boss man of the platoon; Sweetwater (Technical and Communications Specialist), the dorky, spectacle wearer who tends to stick to the background during heavy fire fights; and Haggard (Explosives Expert), the hillbilly with a penchant for blowing things up and thinking about the consequences later.
With its wide open environments and realistic looking explosions, Bad Company features outstanding visuals and sound, with audio playing a huge part in the game. From the actors filling the roles of your squad mates, yelling at each other as Sergeant Redford tries to get a handle on each situation, through to the explosions and sound of metal parts - working in unison with the guns and the empty bullet casing, echoing inside a building. The voice work is masterfully delivered and keeps the game fun without taking itself too seriously.
Overall, Battlefield: Bad Company is an extremely well crafted shooter, mixing a highly entertaining single-player story mode with superb gameplay. Phil Enwonwu
Battleffield Bad Company, available on XBox 360 and Playstation 3, is in stores now… |
