A good game that never surprises.

Reviewed by Cannon Fodder on or around 02nd Nov 2010

Bad Company 2 is difficult to review, specifically because it meets all my expectations. The weapons are varied and fun, the sound competently immersive, the physics, pacing, and graphics all well implemented and entirely playable. It has a solid multiplayer mode that nobly tries to one-up Modern Warfare 2. It has a single player campaign that follows Bad Company's exploits all over the globe, resulting in a variety of levels and gameplay. It contains a healthy mix of humor and high action, like a good, mindless summer action flick.
 
It is, in short, exactly what I want in a modern-day FPS. That's the problem.
 
Bad Company 2 didn't surprise me at all. Not once did I sit up and say, "Wow." I wanted to. But everything was just so . . . I don't know. Manufactured? Like, the game was purposely, unashamedly made to tickle very specific receptors in my brain. Which it did. And I liked it! Like a well-paid prostitute, it was great to look at and it satisfied my basic gamer needs, but I never connected with it on a spiritual level. The game went through the motions, satisfied me physically, but had nothing else to offer.
 
Which leaves me with a dilemma. How do I score a game that technically achieves everything I want in this sort of game, but still manages to leave me unfulfilled? Should I give it a low score for lacking a soul? Can I justify giving it a score that'll put it on par with, say, Splinter Cell: Conviction?
 
I guess it comes down to this. Did I enjoy it while it lasted? Yes. Will I remember it fondly years from now? Probably not. Would I buy the sequel? Yes, for sure. Did it innovate? No. Compared to Bad Company 1 and (arguably) Modern Warfare 2, it was evolutionary not revolutionary.
 
So, it gets a 7.5, with one caveat: this is one of those rare times when I wish we didn't have to assign a number to our reviews. Though I stand by the number, a simple number doesn't seem to do the game justice.