Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is the latest addition to the popular Battlefield series, developed by DICE and published by EA, on PC and various consoles.  Retaining many of its predecessor’s features, Battlefield 2 manages to refine and expand upon the original and offers a wildly rewarding and satisfying experience.

While most players will ignore the single player campaign in favor of the multiplayer, single player does prove to be an entertaining diversion. Picking up sometime after the original game, players re-enter the role of Private Marlowe of Bad Company. Accompanied by Privates Haggard and Sweetwater, and Sargent Reford, Bad Company is thrust into conflict with Russian forces seeking to invade the US.

The story in this game has a much more serious tone than the original, which was more lighthearted and comedic. Considering that it is meant to be more of a multiplayer game, the campaign mode does a fine job of telling the story and presents some remarkable set-piece moments.

Just like the previous Battlefield games, the multiplayer option will take up most of your time. Spread over eight massive maps and across four different game modes, there is a robust leveling and ranking system.  Compared to games like Modern Warfare 2, this game places a larger emphasis on teamwork and coordination. Trying to get the highest score for yourself and not assisting your team may work in other games, but using that strategy in Battlefield 2 will often lead to disaster. You’ll have to learn to rely on and assist your teammates and squad to succeed. A good squad, consisting of a group of four per team, can mean the difference between winning or losing a game.

Giving players four different character classes to choose from (Assault, Medic, Recon and Engineer), players are bound to find a style that suits them.  You can alter the class to your liking by changing the character’s loadout and choosing to take advantage of a variety of different specialties. Want to specialize in using vehicles? Or maybe focusing on using explosives to take out vehicles and buildings? In this game, you absolutely can. The gameplay is very open and gives you the tools to take on any task at anytime.

One key element that factors into gameplay is physics. Bullets, rockets, grenades and mortars all adhere to realistic physics. Bullets lean and drop based on trajectory and distance to the target.  Vehicles rock and sway depending on how rugged or damaged the terrain is.  Helicopters dip and dive given the speed you’re traveling.

One of the defining aspects of the previous game was the destructibility of the environments. Not only has this returned, but it’s been expanded to a considerable degree. Destructibility played a large role in strategy in the previous game, but now giving a player the ability to level entire buildings drastically affects the game. Does the opposing team have a tight grip on a key target inside a building? Just level the building with everyone inside. Successfully destroying whole buildings is incredibly satisfying every time.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 offers an excellent alternative to other first-person shooter games. While the single player campaign offers a nice and entertaining diversion, the multiplayer is the real star of the show. Gameplay is fast, explosive and immensely satisfying. If you’re looking for something new, or just tired of Modern Warfare 2, then this game deserves your attention.