KZ2 still holds the crown for FPSs in my world, but I will definitely take this funny military shooter over MW2 anyday
With that being said, let me start my review by saying, this is a game you will definitely feel like you have played already, just on a different scale and with more in your face voice acting.
Pros:
-Tactical Shooting Mechanics
-Explosive Environents
-Believable Voice Acting
-Humor Filled single player campaign
-Detailed Vistas
Cons:
-Cliche Modern Warfare story
-Oversaturation of enemies w/ rocket launchers
-Using Rocket Lauchers to take out Helicopters
-'Explosively' cheap deaths
-Bugs
-Unfair difficulty boost
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 plays the way I wanted Modern Warfare 2 to play, but I will be honest, Modern Warfare 2 (never played the first) has a better set up than BC2. First, BC2 shootouts take place in the same areas with the mix of sandy deserts and different weather conditions to change the atmosphere. Now you might say, KZ2 looks the same and that is true, but most of KZ2 atmosphere has not been experienced in a video game world. BC2 feels like an updated better paced MW2 without the over the place story and over dramatic set pieces with no meaning. The city sections of BC2 will definitely remind many of MW2 set pieces. The forest/jungle is the enviornment the developers tried to cake and I give them Kudos because they bring it too life, but by the end of the game, all I could say was "I am tired of seeing the jungle". Turok, Uncharted, and many others have caked the jungle feel and its just something that adds to the nostoligia feeling of this game.
The single player campaign plays like a long comedic military show on HBO. This is not a bad thing because the script is hilariious and feels real, but when you think about the action and scope, many action pieces feel like part of a TV series than a Hollywood movie. Most set pieces are generic and as IGN said and I agree with, nothing that is suppose to be epic reachs the point of being epic. I hate the word 'epic', but this is the best way to get my point across. There are sections where explosions should have reached the point of visual amazement and shock, but they fall short because the games emphasis on moving on to the next set pieces interferes with making each set piece a standout among standouts.
But for the most part of the game, everything is blowing up and you are either watching it or you are under it. Having destructable enviroments are fun and create a dynamic feeling most FPSs are missing, but this game tries to exploit this feature by giving every enemy soldier rocket launcher with infinite ammo so the world around you can fall apart. For some odd reason, I feel like I was always dying by or killing someone who had a rocket laucher. It is very annoying to take out a whole fleet of soldiers then get wiped out by a random rocket. But for the most part, everything about the single player campaign feels tense and realized. Snipers create a sense of panic, enemy ambushes increase your blood pressure, and most of the damage to the world is unpredictable. A bridge can be left in tack, or it can be destroyed and you just find a different route. The dynamic destructable enviroments create a good sense of battle immersion, but the firefights don't pack the same punch as KZ2 or MW2.
BC2 delivers a more realized campaign feeling than the all over the place MW2, but falls short of a game like Killzone 2. For those who love KZ2, you know where I am coming from, but for someone who prefers MW2 over KZ2, I need to explain why KZ2 comes first. Killzone 2 feels realistic, the firefights feel like all hell has broken loose, and it is tactical, no run and gun kid sh*t. KZ2 is as polished as you get. Now, BC2 does all these things on a smaller scale, but does not feel as polished as KZ2 or MW2. MW2 plays very arcady while BC2 delivers a more tactical mechanic which makes firefights feel more dramatic and important, but sadly MW2 again has better shooting controls than BC2. For some reason BC2 guns have the 'floaty' feeling of weapons out of Bioshock and don't have any kickback like the guns in MW2 or KZ2.
After reading most of that last paragraph, you might think I view BC2 as the inferior game in most of the aferomentioned categories, but that comes with a few exceptions. BC2 does one thing better than KZ2 im my opinion and when it come to MW2, BC2 provides the single player experience MW2 aimed to create. All the characters play their role perfectly. The level headed black commander (Thank good he was not made into the generic killing machine most companies like to do. All black people are not aggressive, thank you very much) is voiced perfectly and he keeps the team mentally together. You have the goofy tech guy, and red neck power head, and you, the calm soldier. Every bodies dialogue is great and these people have real connection, all shown through well done cut scenes. One thing I did not like about this writing in this game is the cliche military shooter story. I have played this story so many times, its old now, but the story is not what stands out, it is the presentation and the journey. Even the crappy ending was nice due to the dialogue and thats is just perfect. Wasn't expecting much from this game, but the presentation of the story was brillant.
I did play BC2 multiplayer, and lets just say my experience with it reminds me of my feelings towards mutliplayer before I played KZ2 online. It may be fun for others, but for someone who only buys games for single player, multiplayer is not on my radar therefore multiplayer never relates to fun in my opinion. KZ2 changed my opinion, but BC2 takes me back to a point in my life where I believed multiplayer was overhyped and not worth my time. BC2 multiplayer moves too fast and it only take 2-3 well placed shoots to die. BC2 doesn't feel arcady when compared to MW2, but when I place it next to KZ2, my opinion definitely flips sides. But, being able to use vehicles is a nice touch, but not enough to sell me on overhyped, similiar to MW2 mutliplayer. Like I said, I am not a multiplayer fan and BC2 does nothing to win me over. Might have to play it more, but for now, I am not impressed. Remember this is an opinion which I am entitled too, so do not get mad at me because I feel this way towards this game.
In the end, BC2 feels mostly like any other military shooter, but it does everything on it own terms creating an experience that is better than its counterparts in many regards, but it also is outclassed in alot of areas by some of it more established competition like MW2. MW2 has equal or better shooting mechanics, a better music score, and a more epic feeling to firefights while BC2 offers a more enjoyable story driven single player campaign, realistic firefights with destructable set pieces, strategic gameplay, and a more realized identity. Either way, neither MW2 or BC2 will be considered my all time favorites, but if I had to choose between the two, I would go with BC2 because I walked away with a smile and a feeling a satisfication. The story was good, the gameplay was action packed, and the campaign was satisfying, enough said, but I could never escape the feeling that I have already played and beat this game before.