Battlefield Bad Company is to the Call of Duty series what Kelly’s Heroes was to The Longest Day. Yes, they both are about the action that took place during a world war, but with Bad Company, the approach is more lighthearted away from the action.

Make no mistake about it though, when the action heats up, it can be as intense as any first-person shooter war-based title out there.

What sets the game apart, though, is the approach it takes. You are the “New Guy” placed into Bad Company, a quartet of misfits that were on the cusp of being discharged or sent to military prison (sort of like the Dirty Dozen), but were given one shot at staying in “this man’s army.” But because of the unit’s reputation, they are given every dirty assignment around.

There is even once a dialogue about the group being the first into an area. One member of the team asks (paraphrased): “Aren’t there guys specially trained to go in first?’

The answer is affirmative, but the rejoinder is that Bad Company goes in ‘before those guys.’ Why? Because the members of Bad Company are considered very expendable. Of course, that does not say much for their loyalty levels. That sets up the plot for the game. When traversing and clearing out Russians deep into enemy territory, the quartet comes across mercenaries who are sporting some gold bars. It seems these mercs get paid that way, and that means there are likely a lot of gold bars elsewhere. Since the group has no particular loyalty to the government that employs them, and seems intent on getting them killed, they start to foray deeper into enemy territory to find the gold that will make them all rich beyond their individual dreams of avarice.

In many ways, the game plays out like a CoD title in that you can swap out weapons on the fly, crouch and sneak through the environment, take indirect paths to your target (which is conveniently marked on the minimap). But the game uses the Frostbite game engine, which allows for fully destructible environments. Yes, you can take cover behind a wall to protect yourself from a hammering machinegun emplacement, but if that gun keeps pounding away at the wall, it might just fall apart.

The game also features other power-ups, in the form of explosive devices (C4 and grenades) and health injectors. Getting a little low on health? Hit a shoulder button and give yourself an injection. You can run out, though, so either find a supply crate (they are spread throughout the environments), or use the injections judiciously.

The game is played out in sweeping story arcs, with sub-levels or progressive objectives (seven levels total in the single-player campaign) during a main scenario. This allows short charges of gameplay, but with three difficulty settings (the EA team injected humor into this area as well, with the easiest mode wondering if the enemy is actually trying to kill you, while the hard setting advises gamers to bring a crying towel – in fact, bring several because the AI will punish you severely).

There are a host of new vehicles (lots to drive in this game) and weapons, and DICE (the developer) promises free downloadable content. And the multiplayer should continue in the robust mode that the Battlefield series is known for. The disk received was preview code and at the time of the review, the opportunity to really test it out did not arise.

Graphically the game does a great job with fields of fire, destructible environments and special effects. There did appear to be a few stutters here and there, but this might be worked out in the retail release. As for the sound, this is a bit of a treat. The dialogue can be clever at times and there are running jokes. The control scheme is fairly intuitive as well.

Battlefield Bad Company is an entertaining shooter that should fit well in with other war-based titles. This proves comedy, action and a story arc that while not entirely original, gives the player goals for each scenario setting.

Gameplay: 8.9
The game has intuitive controls and flows well. There are a few stutters here and there, but nothing major. 

Graphics: 8.7
The Frostbite engine really brings the game visual impact. However, there are times when you are skulking about an environment when you run across another soldier and it might be hard to tell if it is one of your squad mates or an enemy (that is until he starts punching at you or trying to stab you).

Sound: 8.8
Light banter is a good thing, so are the running jokes. There is a lot of personality in this game. The musical score is also solid.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.8
The game has a great mix of action interspersed with cut scenes that mix comedy and serious mission objectives. The dev team did a good job in making this game accessible.

Multiplayer: N/A
The game will support 24 players online, but don’t look for online coop. That seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.   

Overall: 8.7
An entertaining and well-designed game experience that keeps the action flowing. The Frostbite engine ramps up the strategic elements and the game’s story arc does a nice job of tying all game elements together.