When the first Bad Company title was released I described it as a game that was not perfect but was a brave move on the part of the developers (to move to FPS) and a game that I would endure motion sickness for. I also scored it at 85% which was an excellent score.

Well now the sequel is here and believe me if the first game was that good this one is even better and arguably rivals the revered Call of Duty in terms of spectacle and entertainment value.

Once again you find yourself in 222^nd Army Battalion B-company a unit where the army send all the insubordinates, hell raisers and trouble makers that would disrupt in any other unit. These men are sent where no-one else are because they are considered to be expendable cannon fodder and is the kind of unit that no-one in their right mind would volunteer for.

As per the last game this one features the same 4 man team. Preston Marlowe who was the new recruit in the last title and is your character in the single player game. He starts each mission with a XM8 assault rifle with attached grenade launcher but of course you get the option to pick up other weapons throughout the game.  Private George Haggard Jr, who actually likes being in Bad Company. He has knowledge of explosives second to none but to say he is unorthodox is an understatement. Terrance Sweetwater is the brains of the bunch that will often provide you with the method of solving or completing an objective if you take the time to listen to him. Finally there is the Sarge, Samuel D Redford  who is incredibly loyal to the men under his charge and will do anything, including breaking the rules to protect any of the members of his team.

The game starts with a flashback prologue dating back to the autumn of 1944 and a small group of US commandos are sent to extract a Japanese scientist who has been working on a powerful secret weapon.

This prologue provides the back-story for the main single player campaign featuring Bad Company deep in Russian territory and trying to prevent another world war and eventually trying to prevent this weapon falling into Russian hands.

Throughout the game the team find themselves in a variety of different places ranging from Bolivia, Alaska, and Columbia etc all of which are beautiful presented with some of the finest graphics ever presented on any console.

They also find themselves using a variety of transport options throughout the game. These include tanks, PWC (personal water craft), choppers and off road vehicles. The vehicles are always a highlight of any battlefield game and here that is no exception as each of them handles perfectly and also has tons of devastating firepower.

The single player campaign will take you around 7-8 hours to complete but of course on top of that is an excellent multiplayer game. This is set across 10 maps (including the two that are unlocked with the code provided in the box) and each features incredible realism and intricacy as the players involved scour the environment the map is set to find spots of tactical advantage.

There are four multiplayer game modes. They are Conquest, Rush, Squad Rush and Squad Deathmatch which might not sound like a lot but believe me, once you get involved with them you will still find yourself playing them months down the line.

Graphically as I have stated before each of the environments is beautifully presented and the animation is spotless. The fact that all the environments are actually destructible adds greatly to the game. You will find yourself hiding behind a wall, all too aware that at any moment the enemy could blow this to smithereens and leave you fleeing in panic and surrounded in dust and smoke. This is not a game for your character to just sit somewhere and wait for the enemy to poke its head out.

Every aspect of the graphics is slick and cinematic from the glorious cut-scenes to the attention to detail that is shown everywhere.

On top of this are excellent sound effects from the weapons to the vehicles to the devastation. The vocal acting (a highlight of the last title) is even better here (if possible) which each of the main characters especially being well served.

Overall I know this is blasphemy for a lot of people out there but I actually prefer this game to a certain title by Activision.  The single player campaign is varied and well thought out in terms of pace and interest level and on top of this is a fabulous multiplayer which you really will be playing until the next game in the series that is released. If, like me you suffer from motion sickness then you better book yourself into the doctors now because this is one game you really cannot miss and you really must play so get the sick bucket ready.....LOL!

Is this the best modern warfare FPS ever? I think it might be you know and on this showing, I for one look forward to seeing more of 222^nd Army battalion.

Developer:

DICE

Publisher:

EA

Genre:

FPS

Release Date:

03/10