Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (also known as Bad Company 2, BFBC2 or BC2) is the tenth installment in the Battlefield Series and was developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company and was praised by critics, many of which commended DICE's work on the destructible environments, and it's robust multiplayer component.

Overview
Gameplay in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 resembles that of Battlefield: Bad Company. The story takes place mostly in South America, allowing players to play through missions using any tactics they choose in which the game allows. Like its predecessor, Bad Company, Bad Company 2 features destructible environments. However, more destruction is now possible with Destruction 2.0; allowing players to completely demolish and collapse buildings, rather than just its walls. Micro destruction is also included allowing small parts of cover to be chipped away rather than entire sections..

Plot
In October 1944, a group of US commandos infiltrate an island in the Sea of Japan to extract a Japanese scientist with war decisive information. They successfully secure the defecting Japanese scientist who was working on a secret weapon codenamed "The Black Weapon" (a scalar weapon), and attempt to escape the island on a stolen submarine. But after repeated warnings by the scientist, the commandos witness the effects of Black Weapon's power and subsequently perish, sparking a myth about what really happened in Operation Aurora.

In the present day, Bad Company is on a counter-intelligence operation behind enemy lines in Russia in attempt to secure a high value individual of the US military, and a device related to a scalar weapon. Despite escaping Russian soldiers, and completing what they thought was their final mission in B-company, the device is discovered to be a fake. Being impressed with their previous activities, Army General Braidwood assigns them to the Special Activities Division, and tasks them with delivering information to Agent Aguire, much to the disappointment of Sgt. Redford.

The squad travels to Bolivia in search of Aguire. Through many firefights with paramilitaries, they manage to save Aguire just before a Russian hauls him onto a waiting Mi-24 Hind. After discovering that Aguire's findings were stolen by the Russians, Aguire requests the squad to get all his intelligence detailing the scalar weapon from a satellite. The squad moves up to take the mountain with assistance from their pilot Flynn and his UH-60 Black Hawk. After taking over the satellite station, Sweetwater codes the satellite to crash, with the squad driving over cross country to find it, taking on Vodniks and Quad Bikes along the way. After reaching the satellite, the squad successfully defeat a Russian counterattack aimed at destroying the satellite, but soon bad weather rolls in. While Redford and Haggard go to find transport, with Sweetwater following, Marlowe soon finds the data storage unit and proceeds to go down the mountain during a blizzard, taking on Russian patrols, and is soon extracted by the others in Flynn's helicopter.

During extraction, Aguire briefs the squad about the man responsible for building a scalar weapon named Arkady Kirilenko; the Russian Army colonel the squad failed to eliminate in Chukotka, who is believed to be hiding in Chile. Marlowe and the squad travel to Chile, where they, aided by US Armoured forces and Marines, find Kirilenko, though he soon escapes after US Command starts shelling Kirilenko's position. Left only with papers from Kirilenko's office, Sweetwater discovers there is a shipping manifest for a lost ship called the "Sangre del Toro." Aided by the rest of the squad getting the coordinates, Marlowe finds the ship and retrieves an unnamed compound essential to the use of the weapon, and finds out the truth behind Operation Aurora.

While attempting to meet Aguire in Colombia, the squad's helicopter is shot down by a Javelin and they become separated. Sweetwater and Marlowe regroup first, taking on a militia counter-attack, and they soon find the rest of the squad. After fighting through heavily defended Russian bases, the squad find Flynn, and then race to a helicopter base on Quad Bikes. After fighting through Russian territories in a salvaged Black Hawk, the squad reach the rendezvous with Aguire, and Marlowe gives Aguire the compound, while Redford demands to know what's happening. However, Aguire double-crossed the squad by allying with Kirilenko, his rival in the quest for the scalar weapon. Aguire wanted revenge against the United States for what happened to his father, one of the commandos in original raid on Japan, after Marlowe revealed that the US military callously sent them to their deaths. Despite the alliance, Kirilenko betrays Aguire and kills him. Flynn intervenes and saves the squad at the cost of his own life, his helicopter shot down by an RPG.

While still mourning after Flynn's loss, the squad overhear a Russian soldier's radio, which the squad use to find their position. They begin to move towards a city, but then Kirlienko begins the detonation of the scalar weapon. The squad begin advancing through a Venezuelan city, being attacked by Russian and militia troops, along with mortars. However, as they reach the mouth of a large river, they witness a huge firefight between US and Russian troops. However, as the fight reaches a climax, the scalar weapon detonates, annihilating the US forces and sending "all tech dead." The squad then fight through the blast zone in pursuit of Kirilenko, but, as the squad reach the plane, an An-225 Mryia, they realize it's taking off. The squad unanimously vote that they should hijack the plane, and set off through sewer tunnels towards it. Though they had to discard their weapons, they climb on board through the undercarriage, and await dawn.

The squad begins to progress through the plane, taking out multiple guards before reaching the scalar weapon, which is protected by a reinforced pane of glass, which Haggard says will "take an act of God to get through, or a lot of C4." The squad then fight towards the cockpit of the plane, but realize that Kirilenko is in the Scalar chamber itself when they discover that the cockpit is empty. After detonating C4 to get through the glass, the squad destroy the Scalar weapon, and then proceed to bail out of the plane. However, as Sweetwater tries to give Marlowe the last parachute, Kirilenko tackles him, and Marlowe is forced to dive out of the plane, killing Kirilenko in a free fall with an MP-443. Sweetwater passes Marlowe a parachute in midair, and the pair land safely in Texas alongside the rest of the squad. However, as they begin to celebrate, General Braidwood tells them to follow him in a HMMVW, as the Russians are invading through Alaska.

The last cutscene shows a map of Russian forces swarming through Alaska and Canada, quickly advancing on the US border.

Multiplayer
thumb|300px|right|Official Multiplayer trailer Multiplayer allows players to select their inventory from four kits during a match. Actions performed in matches, such as resupplying teammates, reviving fallen teammates and killing players, gives players generic experience, allowing them to increase their rank over time, and kit related experience points, which contributes to unlocking weapons and upgrades for each kit individually. Specific actions will also award players with pins and insignias which also grant additional experience.

The dog tag system was included in game as with previous Battlefield installments. By killing a player with a knife attack, players can collect others' dogtags and can then view them in the main menu.

Gametypes
Bad Company 2 features four gametypes. Conquest and Rush return with two new modes, Squad Death and Squad Rush, introduced to the series.

Kits
The classes in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 combine aspects from the Demolition and Specialist classes to form 4 broader classes. Each with their own area of combat. Each class has 7 primary weapons unique to each class and 9 primary weapons which each class can use. They also have 5 pistols and a tracer dart pistol which all classes can use.

Assault
The Assault class is very similar to the Assault kit from the original Battlefield: Bad Company, although the auto-injectors are lost due to the different health system. The kit is equipped with an all-purpose Assault Rifle with an attachable under-barrel grenade launcher, smoke grenade, or shotguns as well as Ammunition boxes to the kit for resupplying ammunition. If the main weapon is swapped for an all-kit weapon, like a shotgun, the grenade launcher is replaced by sticks of C4 explosive and a detonator.

Engineer
The Engineer kit is the combination of the Specialist and Demolition kits from Battlefield; Bad Company, having access to sub-machine guns, a Repair Tool and anti-tank launchers and mines. The repair tool allows players to repair vehicles and emplacements at their leisure. Rocket Launchers and Anti-Tank mines are also issued to the kit, allowing for the engagement of enemy vehicles.

Medic
The Medic class is a combination of the Medic and Support classes from Battlefield 2. While retaining the defibrillator and medkits, the Medic class carries the light machine guns the Support class used to have. The machine guns can also be used to provide heavy fire support and devastating suppressive fire, as the high fire rates and large magazines allow players to lay down lots of fire very quickly.

Recon
The Recon kit is the long-range element of any force, using powerful bolt-action rifles and high-powered scopes to eliminate foes at range. The kit is equipped with motion sensors and scopes which can spot enemies automatically. The ability to use explosives, in the form of a Mortar Strike and C4 satchels. The Recon kit can also engage light vehicles and helicopters, with the high-powered shots granting the Recon player the ability to pick off drivers and passengers through armored glass.

Glitches and Bugs
Bad Company 2, like other installments, suffered from many glitches and bugs in its multiplayer upon its release.

Major Changes from Battlefield: Bad Company

 * Increased weapon damage.
 * Destruction 2.0, which allows players to "chip away pieces from cover and take down entire buildings."
 * Different weapon attachments like sights and under-barrel shotguns.
 * Specializations in multiplayer add abilities to classes.
 * Enemies can be tagged and called out via the spot button while aiming at them.
 * Addition of Squad Rush and Squad Deathmatch gametypes.
 * The inclusion of a four class system resulting in the Specialist and Demolition kits being removed, with their weapons and gear being spread out among the Recon, Assault, Engineer and Medic classes.
 * There is a new "Hardcore" mode for any gametype that removes most HUD elements, disables the killer camera, and reduces player health to 60%. The remaining HUD element is the ticket counter located in the bottom left. The player is still able to spot although there will be no marker.
 * Narrower singleplayer missions, unlike the sandbox natured maps of BFBC.
 * Darker and more serious campaign.
 * New and upgraded environments. New locations include snowy Alaska, and jungles/villages of South America as well as returning Bad Company multiplayer maps.

Beta and Demo
The first Beta was on the PlayStation 3, which ran from November 11, 2009 to December 28, 2009. The Beta featured the full multiplayer system and one map, Arica Harbor on Rush. Many evident modifications have been made and glitches had been fixed since. Players could access it by acquiring a Beta code by pre-ordering from GameStop or by obtaining a code from an online provider such as IGN or GameSpot.

The PC Beta ran from January 28, 2010, to February 25, 2010. The demo was scheduled to be released for consoles at the first of February 2010. The multiplayer demo was confirmed for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 on January 31. In order to have played the PC Beta, you must have had pre-ordered the game from certain retailers, or you could have registered for a Beta key at the Battlefield Bad Company 2 site, which would give you a code to access the multiplayer. The Battlefield Bad Company 2 demo featured the map Port Valdez, a snowy map set in Alaska. The game mode included was the new Rush mode, which is essentially Gold Rush from Battlefield: Bad Company, simply renamed.

Each class started with one main weapon, a pistol, and the class's respective gadget. As the player gained more points with a certain class, a second weapon for that class becomes available. Also available for unlock was the Tracer Gun, the G3 combat rifle, the Mk 14 EBR, M1A1 Thompson, M1 Garand (only for BF veterans), several shotguns, and the "Vehicle specialty."

Stats, pins, and experience earned from the Beta or demo were not transferred to the full game.

Dr. Pepper Promotion
Soft drink company, Dr. Pepper, was holding a promotion that ran until March 31, 2010, in which every specially marked 20 oz., 16 oz. and 14 oz. bottles or 32 oz. fountain cups of Dr Pepper, Dr Pepper Cherry, Diet Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper Cherry had a code under the cap good for a redeemable SPECACT DLC from Dr. Pepper's website. The promotion has since ended, but the codes can still be used.== Dr. Pepper Promotion == Soft drink company, Dr. Pepper, was holding a promotion that ran until March 31, 2010, in which every specially marked 20 oz., 16 oz. and 14 oz. bottles or 32 oz. fountain cups of Dr Pepper, Dr Pepper Cherry, Diet Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper Cherry had a code under the cap good for a redeemable SPECACT DLC from Dr. Pepper's website. The promotion has since ended, but the codes can still be used.

VIP Map Pack
Every new copy of the game issued players with codes for the VIP pass. It mainly features alternative versions of maps in the base games on different modes. Other packs feature new maps entirely as well as a few remastered versions from Bad Company. There are a total of seven VIP Map pack with the service later made free with EA having dropped their online pass service.

Kit Shortcut
Kit shortcuts were released for download in their respective platform's store. It would unlock all available items for a kit or all kits for a price.

SPECACT
Packs were released that rewarded owners with unique skins and weapons, one for each class. The packs themselves are a reference to the faction Bravo One Charlie now belongs to in the singleplayer campaign.

Vietnam
An expansion pack for the game was released in September 2010. It was developed as a sequel to Battlefield Vietnam, bringing players into the Jungles of Vietnam during the war and offering era exclusive vehicles and weapons.

Limited Edition
thumb|300px|right|The trailer for the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition delivered six special customizations early to give players a day one advantage in multiplayer matches. Four vehicle warfare unlocks would immediately enhance the a player's ability at delivering extra firepower, radar, and armor for the vehicles. Additionally, the WWII M1A1 Thompson, WWII M1911 .45, and Tracer Dart Gun were also instant unlocks.

Features
Four vehicle warfare unlocks Two classic Battlefield 1943 weapons
 * Active Armor Upgrade – An up-armor package is mounted on all vehicle types, decreasing the effect of both explosive and penetrating warheads, significantly improving vehicle survivability.
 * Improved Warheads Package – Additional weapon packages are mounted for the driver of all armored vehicles, greatly expanding the range of targets the vehicle can successfully engage and destroy.
 * Electronic Warfare Package – Use this electronics warfare package to locate enemy units in direct proximity to the vehicle.
 * Tracer Dart Pistol – This magnetic dart attaches to any vehicle surface, allowing squad members to track, lock on, and fire rockets onto moving targets even beyond line of sight.
 * WWII M1A1 Thompson – The Thompson is a powerful submachine gun that has the edge in firepower over its modern compatriots. It is effective at close to medium range.
 * WWII M1911 .45 – The M1911 is a powerful pistol that has seen service for the best part of the 20th century. Unlike more modern pistols, it's .45 caliber round can deal more damage at close ranges.

Controversy
Before the full release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, it was never clear if the features included in the Limited Edition would be included in the full game. However, once the game was released and players learned that the features could be unlocked normally, it left many players who purchased the Limited Edition disappointed.

Ultimate Edition
thumb|300px|right|The trailer for the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition On August 31, 2010, DICE announced the release of the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition, available for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

Features
The Ultimate Edition includes:
 * Battlefield: Bad Company 2
 * Battlefield: Bad Company 2s Onslaught DLC
 * Battlefield 1943
 * Immediate access to four vehicle upgrades and two weapon unlocks from day one, a bonus originally included in the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition

Controversy
The release of the Ultimate Edition six months after the original release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 created an outrage with many players, mostly because it included a large amount of content released before, leaving many players feeling cheated that they bought the content earlier for a much higher price.

It also sparked outrage in the PC community, mostly because of the inclusion of Battlefield 1943 and Onslaught in the bundle, which were never released for the PC.

Digital Deluxe Edition
An unannounced Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Digital Deluxe edition was available for a limited time on the EA Origin store. Sold exclusively as a digital download for the PC, the Digital Deluxe Edition featured the original game, the benefits packaged with the Limited Edition, and a final addition of the Vietnam expansion.

R7 Client
A blog post made on the Battlefield Blog includes the details concerning this update. It was released for PC.

R10 Server
A blog post made on the Battlefield Blog includes the details concerning this update. It was released for PC.

R8 Client
A post on the Battlefield: Bad Company 2's Forums includes the details for this this update. It has been released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 11, 2010 and also included the changes concerning the R7 Client update. It was be released for PC on June 30, 2010, closing the online servers from 7:00AM (GMT+2) to 11:00AM (GMT+2).

R12 Server
A blog post made on the Battlefield Blog includes the details concerning this update. It has been released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 11, 2010 and it also included the changes concerning the R10 Server update. It was released for PC on June 30, 2010, closing the online servers from 7:00AM (GMT+2) to 11:00AM (GMT+2).

PS3 1.02 Client
This update was released on May 12, 2010 in Europe and on May 18, 2010 in North America. It contained support for the purchasing of SPECACT.

PS3 1.03 Client
A blog post made on the Battlefield Blog includes the details concerning this update. This update was released world wide on June 3, 2010.

PS3/XBOX 360 1.04 Client
A blog post made on the Battlefield Blog includes the details concerning this update. It was released on June 4, 2010 in North America, June 7, 2010 in Japan, and June 8, 2010 in Europe. For the Xbox 360, it also includes the changes concerning the 1.03 Client update.

R9 Client
A blog post made on the Battlefield Blog includes the details concerning this update. It was released for PC on October 29, 2010, closing the online servers from 6:00AM (GMT) to 10:00AM (GMT).

PS3/XBOX 360/PC 1.05 Client
A blog post made on the Battlefield Blog includes the details concerning this update. It was released for PlayStation 3 between 00:01(GMT) on November 24, 2010 and 00:01 (GMT) on November 25, 2010 which created temporary lag and/or outages. It was released for Xbox 360 and PC on November 30, 2010; the details are listed in another Battlefield Blog post. For PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it also included the changes concerning the R9 Client update. It has a total size of 1752 megabytes.

January–February server maintenance
Since the release of the Vietnam expansion, a huge wave of players began playing Bad Company 2, which caused major problems with retrieving and displaying stats. On January 25, 2011, DICE began maintenance on all platforms, shutting down online play for several hours. Initially, this had not fixed the problem, hence on February 1, they did some more maintenance work on the PC servers, fixing the problem, followed by the PlayStation 3 on February 3 and finally the Xbox 360 on February 7.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was released on February 2, 2010 and contained 11 tracks all composed by Mikael Karlsson. However, none of them resemble the classic Battlefield Series theme.


 * 1) The Storm (Main Theme) (4:30)
 * 2) The Secret Revealed (4:01)
 * 3) Cold War (0:49)
 * 4) Snowy Mountains (3:03)
 * 5) The Ancient Weapon (3:50)
 * 6) Operation Aurora (1:14)
 * 7) Snowblind (0:43)
 * 8) The Storm (Edit) (1:01)
 * 9) The Secret Revealed (Edit) (1:01)
 * 10) Snowy Mountains (Edit) (1:00)
 * 11) The Ancient Weapon (Edit) (0:58)

Critical Reception
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 received generally high reviews from critics. Many praised the engaging singleplayer, memorable characters, destructible environments, and the amazing multiplayer. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game received a metascore of 88, while the PC version received a slightly lower score of 87.

GameSpot gave the game a 9 out of 10, saying that "The action is top-notch in both campaign and multiplayer alike. Whether or not you're looking for a new shooter in your life, you owe it to yourself to play Battlefield: Bad Company 2."

IGN gave the game an 8.9 out of 10, saying that "Bad Company 2 as an online shooter is flexible and engaging, offering several features that the competition can only dream of. If you're looking for a more strategic and team-based change of pace, look no further. This is the game for you."

DarkZero gave the game a perfect score of 10 out of 10, saying that "Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is as complete a package as you could ever ask for. An exciting and charming campaign mode – a little on the short side, but no more so than Modern Warfare 2's, and with extra objectives for you to hunt down should you feel the need – and slick, incredibly rewarding multiplayer modes that actually bring people together instead of making them all swear at each other via the internet, and provide enough scope for you to come away from each session with your own unique war stories. Multiplayer-heavy titles can be a fickle beast, but we’re pretty sure we’ll be playing this one for quite some time to come."

The iOS version, however, has a metascore of 64, indicating mixed or average reviews. The common complaints were the online multiplayer and game controls, but received praise for the singleplayer campaign.

On May 12, 2010, DICE announced that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 had sold over 5 million copies, indicating its commercial success.

Trivia

 * Throughout the game's singleplayer, several references are made to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, mainly to the third mission, Cliffhanger. This would be apparent because when DICE was probably developing the game, Infinity Ward had revealed Cliffhanger as part of an E3 (Autumn/Winter) Demo, and it was the only level released to the public at that time.
 * The game has a more serious tone than its predecessor, considering the much more critical setting and mission, changing from the personal greed and ambition of the characters to saving an entire country from a weapon of mass destruction.
 * Players who own copies of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and the specific VIP Code that came with their game were given early access to the Medal of Honor (2010) Beta (on June 17, rather than June 21) and early access to the M24 in the game's full-released multiplayer.
 * On August 29, 2010, PlayStation 3 players experienced a mass error which temporarily deleted their data and any experience they earned that day. The error reoccurred on September 19, 2010 and December 23, 2010.
 * In the "Ultimate Edition" trailer, the music used is from another game published by EA, Command and Conquer: Generals.
 * This is the first portable game in the Battlefield series, as well as the first released on the iOS system.
 * There is a way to take screenshots. To take a screenshot, press and hold the "spot" button, and then press the "pause" button. There is no confirmed way to access the screenshots.
 * Battlefield: Bad Company 2 shares exactly the same rank emblems in multiplayer as Battlefield 1943.