Battlefield Bad Company 2 PS3

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Product Details

Released on TBD

• EA making all Online Pass material free

  It wasn't so long ago that EA announced it was ditching its unpopular Online Pass system, which required players buying a preowned game to pay an additional fee to access multiplayer features or other in-game content.

  "As we discontinue Online Pass for our new EA titles, we are also in the process of eliminating it from all our existing EA titles as well," the publisher told Eurogamer. "We heard the feedback from players and decided to do away with Online Pass altogether."

  Apparently the change will be seen first in some EA Sports games, with the Online Pass prompt quietly vanishing. For other games, the Online Pass will remain but will be downloadable for free. The process is expected to take several weeks until all Online Pass content is available to everyone.

  Already, the Online Pass for games such as Battlefield Bad Company 2, Skate 3, Bulletstorm, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Medal of Honor and Shift 2 Unleashed have dropped their price tag. Some exclusive DLC is also free. Dragon Age: Origins' The Stone Prisoner, Dragon Age 2's Black Emporium and Mass Effect 2's Cerberus Network Pass are now available at no cost, regardless of whether you have an original code. The downloadable version of American McGee's Alice, which was packed-in with Alice: Madness Returns, is also free of charge but needs the Madness Returns disc to run.

  So if you've been holding off on picking up any of these games preowned, now's the time to swoop!

  Published: 31/05/2013

• Battlefield: Bad Company to become a TV show

  Many are the games that have tried to crossover to the big screen, but few succeed. Not many have tried to crack the TV market, though, at least outside of animated shows like Pokémon and Sonic.

  That could all change, as word comes from Hollywood that EA has joined forces with the FOX network to create an hour-long "action comedy" show based on the Battlefield: Bad Company games. The pilot script, by Alias screenwriter John Eisendrath, follows the same characters as the games as they strike out as private military contractors, even as a shadowy government agency tries to have them killed.

  The first Bad Company game was released in 2008, with an even better sequel in 2010. Both were praised for their irreverent approach to the military FPS genre, and their witty banter between characters. Both EA and developer DICE will co-produce the show with Adam Sandler's Happy Madison company.

  Does this mean that a Bad Company 3 will be coming our way soon? EA isn't saying, but Battlefield 4 is definitely on its way. Everyone who buys Medal of Honor: Warfighter, out later this month for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3, will automatically be invited to play the Battlefield 4 beta trial in 2013.

  Published: 09/10/2012

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - Review

  
  

  

  Call on 'B'...

  How do you like your shooters? A medium rare fragfest, packed with peppery eye-scouring action? Or perhaps you'd prefer a well done sizzler, with deep tactical gameplay and a distinctive flavour that lingers for weeks? Whatever your tastes, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has everything you need on its menu. The sequel to the 2008 cult hit, which marked the next generation console debut of DICE's perennial online franchise, this is a game full of meat and muscle that should satisfy any hungry gamer.

  For the solo player, there's a thunderous fourteen-mission campaign which takes the rugged rogues of Bravo Company and drops them into an apocalyptic race against time to stop the Russians using a secret Japanese weapon from World War Two to trigger a US invasion.

  Taking full advantage of DICE's own Frostbite physics engine to conjure up combat scenarios from the peaks of the Andes to the depths of the rainforest, every bullet, grenade and rocket impacts the scenery and chips away at it. No enemy can hide for long when you can bring down the house he's hiding in around his ears. Of course, it works both ways - you'll soon learn that unlike other shooters, ducking behind a brick wall is no defence against a tank in the world of Bad Company.

  

  Guns to go

  Weapon fetishists are well served by a veritable buffet of guns to collect, either from fallen foes or by using your mini-map to locate weapon crates. Every new firearm you discover gets added to your collection, and at special supply points you can mix and match from everything you've found, rather than being stuck with whatever the level has to offer.

  There are also vehicles, though their use is rather scripted in the story. Even so, you'd have to be a real stickler for originality not to get a kick out of the terrifying truck chases, tank battles and quad bike races that punctuate the epic firefights.

  School for scoundrels

  Perhaps Bad Company 2's best secret weapon is its characters, however. A lovable quartet of quick-witted heroes, they make even the clumsiest story developments palatable with their laugh-out-loud banter and sarcastic quips. "Yes, I'm familiar with how crates work" comes one deadpan response, as Sarge explains how to re-arm yourself for the first time.

  From the World War Two opening through to an airborne finale that wouldn't be out of place in a blockbuster action movie, Bad Company 2 isn't about to fall into the trap of stringing unrelated gunfights together with lazy cutscenes. You're always aware of where you need to go, but also why you need to get there.

  

  Respect the rank

  Of course, with any shooter the offline single player mode is only half the story, and Battlefield's ten-year PC heritage means that fans of multiplayer are getting a phenomenally well designed selection of maps and game modes to play with.

  Unlocking new weapons and abilities as you level up, using a simple yet effective system that rewards excellence in each combat class - Assault, Recon, Engineer, Medic - with appropriate perks. Though initially daunting, DICE's expertise means that even complete novices can get something out of an online skirmish and come away with something to show for the experience. With two free maps already included when you buy the game new, it's clear that Bad Company 2 is an investment for the future, with months of gameplay for those willing to rise up the ranks.

  What is it good for?

  It's almost impossible not to think of Modern Warfare 2 when playing Bad Company, but the comparison proves extremely favourable. For anyone who has exhausted the joys of Activision's monster hit, or just grown tired of its all-or-nothing multiplayer, this is the ideal next step.

  With stunning graphics, eye-popping destruction and gameplay that hides subtle depths beneath explosive mayhem, Bad Company 2 is a thoroughbred shooter.

  The Good:

  • Funny and exciting single player.
  • Superb multiplayer maps and modes.
  • Playable by anyone, regardless of experience.

  The Bad:

  • Solo campaign is quite generic.
  • Helicopter controls are tricky.
  • Fierce multiplayer requires dedication and patience.

  Published: 03/03/2010

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