So bad, it's great.
Graphics: loved the gritty graphics in 1. love these bright and poppy ones even more. some pop in, but nothing problematic.
Environments: simply beautiful. everything from a logging camp to barren winter scenery to jungles and deserts are just beautiful. more than once, stood on a hillside before running into battle and just had to say "Wow!!"
Writing: not as zany as the first one, but i'm pleased to report that a lot of cleverness remains.
Story: very similar to MW2, but better in almost every way - more complete and flowing.
Gameplay: blowing stuff to pieces is every boy's dream. i mean after a big firefight, i often run back to see if something i missed will explode, and sure enough... Ka-Poom!!
Multiplayer: i'm noob to this one, but am having a lot of fun all the same. different, if not better than MW. more hardcore and games are much longer, less snack sized.
in summary:
THE GOOD:
- graphics are fab.
- story and writing are as good as, or better than any FPS. plus, a little light hearted humor is a nice and differentiating touch. also, just a bit of WW2 was nice to have.
- length is fair. i didn't feel cheated at about 6:45 on normal.
- settings are nice and varied.
- blowin up is real good!
- deluxe sound, as per BC1.
- liked the slightly less open levels. did a lot of schloggin on foot in BC1.
- still lets you tackle settings from various approaches.
- satisfying and varied vehicle experiences.
- the jingly bouncing weapon sound and graphic at each unlock never, ever gets old.
- nice, different, fun and more immersive multiplayer than most competitors.
THE NOT AS GOOD:
- some graphics issues at times when the action gets crazy. pop-in, crazy glitches, particularly in MP. occasional floating rubble. interesting, but not great for the real feel.
- gun look and feel simply isn't as good as in COD MW2. sound rocks, but the best i can describe it is that they lack the snap and accuracy of COD's. they feel a bit inaccurate and "floaty".
- multiplayer on screen menus and info are a bit lacking and not as intuitive as COD series. COD's massively detailed and readily available stats just seem more slick.
- game set up time and lagginess can be a bit problematic.
- MP games are a bit long. hard to just grab a quick round in between chores!
- price. 69.99 CDN is pushing my 59.99 comfort level.
and finally, to answer the age old - well, the month old question... which is better - MW2 or BC2? the answer, i think is that both are exceptional games in their own ways. BC2 has the superior SP campaign. BC2 has destructible environments but sloppier gun action. MW2 wins on slick smoothness and informative, accessible MP menus and stats keeping. BC2 offers more thoughtful, strategic MP, but at the cost of time. both have server issues. not brutal, but frustrating.
way to go, DICE. i'll be back for 3.