For far too long have FPS gamers shot a rocket at the side of a building, only to leave behind a black scorch mark, which quickly faded away, leaving an unsatisfied void in their imaginations. With all of the technological advancements in video games, there has been lacking a faithful “blow the hell out of everything and watch it crumble” system implemented into modern first person shooters, until now. Battlefield: Bad Company is a genre evolving game that sets the bar for player-environment interaction with its chaotic single-player campaign and addicting multiplayer action.

          The singleplayer campaign is pretty straight forward. Attack and capture an enemy base, push back any incoming enemies, watch cut scene which moves the narrative forward, move ahead, repeat. While it may seem repetitive, the various vehicles available aside with the destructible environment keeps the gameplay engaging and seemingly fresh. When you are on the verge of getting bored, you find yourself at the controls of a army helicopter, refreshing the gameplay. My main gripes with the singleplayer campaign are the lack of available co-op, lackluster enemy AI, and infinite amount of health recharges. The game on normal difficulty isn’t very challenging.

          The sound production and design is a true achievement that can rival major Hollywood films in term of quality and realism. You’ve never heard an explosion go off quite as beautiful until you’ve played Bad Company. Each gunshot, explosion, whistle, and roar sends chills down the spine, creating a realism and accuracy that is all too eerie. This game is a true treat for those with a 5.1 surround sound setup.

          The graphics of Bad Company are not ground breaking, but can deliver gorgeous explosions and effects. The new trend of added film grain over the visuals gives the game the grittiness it needs to save itself from the questionably misplaced comic overtone of the singleplayer campaign. The framerates were constantly smooth throughout even during more graphically intense battles and online play.

          The multiplayer is what keeps me coming back night after night. The multiplayer features player classes, unlockable weapons and equipment, and a point based rank system. If you have played Call of Duty 4 online, then this is nothing new to you. There are eight different maps as of launch, each with its own unique theme, but the layouts are virtually the same. All of the maps take place outdoors, taking maximum advantage of the Frostbite engine and gameplay mechanics.

          As of launch the game includes only one online mode, Gold Rush in which there are two teams, Attackers and Defenders. The Defenders need to defend their base(s) from the Attackers in which two gold crates are situated in. If the Attackers successfully destroy each gold crate via plastic charge, the base becomes their own and the Defenders are forced back to a preceding base, in which the latter is repeated. Probably one of the coolest aspects of multiplayer is the ability to steal and collect another player’s dog tag by fragging via a knife kill, the ultimate adding insult to injury. The destructible environment leaves you with no place to hide and take refuge at some points, creating heart pounding non-stop action. You’ll find yourself in many situations where it’s fight or die with nowhere to run or hide.

          EA promises more online modes via free downloadable content. With land, air, and water vehicles at your disposal, the variation of the carnage is almost endless. As a heavy CoD4 player, I am too use to one-two shot kills in multiplayer. When I sometimes have to unload an entire clip on an opponent in Bad Company to kill him, it can feel drag the experience down a bit.

The mediocre singleplayer campaign brings Bad Company down but its captivating and incredibly fun multiplayer makes it a bright addition to the modern warfare FPS genre. With the free downloadable content that EA has promised looming over the horizon, the game is bound to only get brighter. Come for the singleplayer campaign. Stay for the online action.