Bad Company's solid campaign and great multiplayer make for good company on a boring night.
Once the single player mode is over and done with, it's possible to shift full attention to the real meat of any Battlefield game; the multiplayer mode is the real standout in Bad Company, despite the high quality of the campaign. There is only one mode available at launch (although the classic Battlefield Conquest mode should be available for free download soon) but it's a ton of fun. The new mode is called Gold Rush, and it's really a pretty basic attack and defend gametype. The cool part about Gold Rush is that as the attacking team advances farther, new parts of the map open up that the defending team must protect. With all of the vehicles, gadgets, and weapons available from the campaign, and support for up to 24 players, multiplayer can get pretty intense. The one pitfall that the multiplayer succumbs to is the lack of customizable classes. Battlefield afficionados know that this feature is not included in any game in the series, but it would still be a pretty nice feature to have. As is, the five different classes are superbly balanced, and each has its own role in the battle.
Battlefield's multiplayer has a ranking system similar to the one in CoD 4, where players gain 10 points for each kill. It is also possible to gain points for helping your team mates out, destroying vehicles, and completing objectives, to name a few. This system allows players to eventually unlock progressively cooler items and weapons, effectively making progressing through the ranks very addictive. To put it simply, Bad Company's multiplayer is the best that I have experienced on console, PC, or handheld, and it will only get better as more content is made available.
All of the intense action taking place in Bad Company is supported by DICE's very own Frostbite engine. This allows environments to be destroyed realistically in an impressive display of particle effects. Most buildings can be destroyed until nothing but the frame remains, trees can be shot, stabbed (lol), or run down, and much more. The destruction adds a new level of tactical thinking to the firefights, which is very welcome for the genre. It is even a huge factor in multiplayer, probably moreso than in the campaign. Want to destroy that bridge to impede your enemy's progress? You can. Is a sniper wiping out your team? Just launch a rocket or grenade at his roost and watch it crumble. While the destruction is really cool looking and never ceases to be fun, it's not quite exact. Look closely enough and you'll notice that the buildings all have scripted areas at which they will explode, so the game isn't quite destroying the exact brick that you aim at. It's not a problem or anything, but I'm just pointing it out.
Despite all of the destruction and chaos happening onscreen, Bad Company looks great and runs silky smooth. Everything on screen screams next-gen, even if it doesn't quite look as good as games like Uncharted or Bioshock. The sound is some of the best that I've ever heard. Guns sound different when fired inside a building as opposed to outside in wide open spaces, with each shot echoing off of the walls. Vehicles sound realistic, explosions are monstrous, and the voiceovers are convincingly funny.
Overall, Bad Company has a great single player campaign that is certainly worth playing through, but the multiplayer is really where it's at. It's intense, fast, and most importantly, a lot of fun.
Gameplay: 9/10: Smooth and responsive.
Graphics: 9/10: Impressive models and good looking environments complement the rampant destruction nicely.
Sound: 10/10: Some of the best in any shooter. Bad Company has to be heard to be believed.
Entertainment: 9.25/10: The best multiplayer around, and a very good single player game. The overall entertainment factor may depend on how much you love the multiplayer.