In search of the true BF2 sequel..
In this week’s entry, mortifiedpenguin analyses the multiplayer mode of Bad Company 2, and thinks he’s been shortchanged.
In my previous Bad Company 2 review, I talked about how good the game was, especially the multiplayer.
But like every other favourable review online, it’s meant to convince you to buy the game. I’m your third-party salesman and I’m not even collecting commission for every copy sold!
In Three Green Lights however, I revert to my honest self and make sure you’re fully aware of the flaws in the game you’re buying or, should the unfortunate event happen, have already purchased. Don’t sue me please – it’s not as bad as having sold you a car with one less wheel.
Bad Company 2 is not Battlefield 3. I’ve waited for 5 years since the release of BF2, and sad to say the true sequel has not arrived. If you’re a BF2 fan and have not bought BC2, there’re two things you can do. One, join the fray and enjoy the game while cursing it at the same time. Two, continue waiting for BF3. You’ll be the biggest douche if you followed the second advice, because you could have bought the game and played it to kill time.
Many of you definitely love to play as the sniper. You stay hidden in your ghillie suit camouflaged against the environment and wait for the perfect moment to pull the trigger. And after being killed five times the same guy still has no clue on your position.
As a sniper, you will know that the best, and most favourite firing position, is the prone position. It keeps your body to a minimum profile while at the same time allowing you to steady your rifle without tiring yourself. Battlefield 1942 was probably the first game to introduce prone, or was it Operation Flashpoint? Never mind the history debate, the fact is Bad Company 2 is the first Battlefield game to not have prone as an option.
No your eyes are not playing tricks on you. You can’t go prone.
Despite all that training I received in sniper school, for the sake of fairness I'm not allowed to go prone.
It would be alright if you could crouch without holding on to the Ctrl key, but no you don’t have that luxury either.
So what the heck is DICE up to?
Even Infinity Ward put prone in Modern Warfare 2.
I know the first Bad Company game didn’t have prone as well, but that was dumbed down for the console players. If you’re going to continue the trend fine, but don’t force it upon the PC gamers.
Maybe it’s the common problem in BF2 where players exploited the prone option by dolphin-diving, a move where you jump and immediately go prone in mid-air – imagine bouncing off a trampoline on your stomach. It’s plain stupid and was fixed in one of the patches, so players were now left with the basic prone-diving where they quickly lay down once they encountered an enemy. Pussy, to say the least.
I understand the frustration having to deal with such players who have no intention of playing the game properly and go prone once they encounter an enemy even if he’s two feet away, MW2 being the prime example. But why take it out completely when you can actually improve on the feature and teach Infinity Ward a lesson? Why not implement an animation where the soldier reaches down to the ground with one hand to support himself – the player won’t be able to fire as he goes to the prone position thus making it more realistic, and fair.
Under fire, my instinct as a solider is to duck down and inch my way to cover. Why should I bother crouching when even hidden behind a concrete slate I can still get shot in the head? That’s not protection at all!
Why? Why no prone, DICE?
I could go on about how the lack of a commander position makes things messy with the snipers being able to call in mortar strikes on their own, the abuse of rocket launchers and grenade launchers makes playing virtually impossible at times, a poorly-designed command and chat system isn’t communication-friendly, and other grievances. But then again, perhaps this is what differentiates Bad Company 2 from the other titles – a poor console-port for the PC I guess?
So thank you EA for making a Bad Company game for the PC. Now please carry on with BF3, much appreciated.
Posted on May 2, 2010
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