Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review

When you think of the Battlefield franchise PC gaming comes to mind, but not just any kind of PC gaming, it is multiplayer gaming. Originally christened back in 2002, the brand has only recently ventured into the console realm, most prominently with their "Bad Company" brand in 2008. With 2010 coming to a close, DICE seemed to think that it was about time they bridged one of the last chasms standing in the way of shooter supremacy: the portable front. Has EA managed to knock the first person shooter genre out of the park on their first try, or do they end up firing blanks?

If you were to look up ambitious in the dictionary, you may very well find the definition to be Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for iPhone. Many aspects of the game are so far beyond what could be expected from a developer's first outing on iOS that it is absolutely mind boggling. The game starts off by offering up a solid campaign, consisting of fourteen separate missions, and clocking in at upwards of five to six hours. As you could safely assume about most first person shooters, with storyline centering on a global search for missing intelligence servers, this isn't going to be winning a Pulitzer prize anytime soon, but really, if you are looking for a meaty story, go buy an iBook.

Easily the most exciting part of any Battlefield title is the multiplayer, and their portable installment at least attempts to continue the trend. While it may not be on the same tier as the more multiplayer focused N.O.V.A. 2 or Modern Combat 2, it does offer a limited form of team and solo deathmatch, though only with a shockingly low four players at one time. Furthermore, most of the maps can't shake the claustrophobic feel of four monkeys having a slapfight, while trapped in an unlit broom closet.

Ultimately, whenever developers try to create a portable installment of a console franchise, they are setting themselves up for failure. No matter how hard they try, it will be impossible to provide the same experience, not to mention variety. The problem with ambition is that when games don't live up to the expectations of consumers, they will come away disappointed and the game will appear to be unpolished, or worse yet, unfinished. Had Bad Company 2 not been cursed with the Battlefield name, things might have been different, but as they sit now, it is in dire need of additional content.