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Just in time to take some of the wind out of Modern Warfare 2’s sails, EA has launched a closed beta for its upcoming shooter, Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The follow up game to one of 2008’s most successful titles, Bad Company 2 will look to build on what made the first title a critical success: namely the much-lauded, completely destructible environments and the absolutely superb online multiplayer.
For those unfamiliar with the term, when a game is in the beta phase of development, certain parts of the game are distributed to some players for testing. In return for an advanced look at the game, the players in the beta give feedback to the developer so that the developer can make any modifications before the final copy is released. The beta for Bad Company 2 is a PS3 exclusive console-wise, though a PC release has been announced for early 2010.
Our beta for Bad Company 2 is online only, featuring a single map and game mode. Rush is a slightly modified version of the original’s Gold Rush mode, and without the gold. In Rush there are two teams: the attackers and the defenders. The attackers are trying to destroy a number of crates before their tickets (a team’s number of respawns) expire. The defenders are trying to protect the crates while wearing down the attackers by eliminating their tickets.
The Africa Harbour map is huge and is gradually unlocked as the match progresses. Africa Harbour features a number of varied terrains, causing players to adjust their class as the battle enters different regions. Some parts had wide, open terrain with a number of sniping nests, while the final stand takes place in an urban maze, the last place you want to be equipped with a sniper load-out.
What I really enjoyed about the first game was the sheer variety of gameplay, and the same is found in Bad Company 2. With such diversity throughout the map, the style, tactics and pace of the game is constantly changing. And the varying speed of the progression means no two games online are ever the same.
It’s going to be interesting seeing how this game continues through development but, if the beta is anything to go by, look for this to be a serious game of the year contender come 2010.
