Battlefield Bad Company 2 BETA Impressions

I picked up the BFBC 2 Beta to give it a try, the game engine itself is a vast improvement upon BF 2 and BF2142 with destructible structures and cover and greatly in terms of graphics.

The rank based/unlock option of BF2 is still present except it now rewards the player on the class they choose to specialize in, for example while playing the medic class points earned go towards getting medic unlocks and the number of unlocks for each class quite varied. However, the flaw is that the unlock path is now no longer up to the player but defaulted to having to work through unlocks that the player might not need. This system is similar to the one found in the CoD series and might be trying to draw from the success of the series.

Gameplaywise there is a huge step backwards from the BF2 series due to the need to dumb the game down for console players. Gone are the command menu only to be replaced by a socialize button that does spotting and calling for rides, repairs and ordering attack on points. Also, gone is the commander’s menu for calling in artillery strikes and supply drops and the squad size has been reduced to a maximum of 4. Gone are the days snipers no longer have steady aim and is now replaced by head bobbing while taking aim and by including bullet drop, however the motar strike unlock exclusive tries to make up for it, but keep in mind that the artillery strike is gone. For the helicopter gunships aces and gunners, gone are the rapid firing cannon of the gunner only to replaced by a burst firing cannon and there is no longer video guided missile on the gunner’s fire options anymore as it is now a high level unlock (I think). Also, taking the nerfing of tanks one step further from BF2142 the main gun of tanks no longer have a machine gun AND the ability to have a level of zoom for far range fire support. Guns no longer fire straight as the hit box is now everywhere and both sides in the game uses the same starting weapons for balance reasons(I think)!!!

The rush game mode ,where two teams fight through a series of objectives by destroying them with one team on the defending side, available in the Beta is extremely entertaining and works well to showcase the destructible building and cover system of BFBC2 as the site of the objectives is a complete wreckage compared to what it was at the start of the map.

Also, due to the inability of the console players to process the ability to go prone, there is no prone function to be found in the beta.

So all in all the beta shows great step forward in game engine, but a great step backwards in gameplay mechanics.

However, I would be willing to give it another chance on the final release as DICE might remember what made the Battlefield series great and put them back in on the final release.