If I ran a video game company, we would stay away from war games. Space shooters? Sure. Racing? Why not? Don’t get me wrong, I like war games, it’s just that there are such great games in the genre that the majority of releases come off as lacking. Take a look at last year’s Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising – a stellar title that was literally swallowed in the wake of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Then there’s Battlefield Bad Company 2. The title, a sequel to last year’s surprise console hit doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it does remedy a number of its predecessor’s issues while delivering a gripping narrative that’s sure to please just about any action fan.

To say the original Battlefield Bad Company was known for its multi-player would be an understatement – in fact if you ask most gamers they probably wouldn’t even know that the game had a campaign mode.  While the online play is still the definite focus, there’s also been a clear attempt to beef up the game’s single player. The game’s plot..well, to tell you the truth, the game’s plot is pretty straightforward and boring – you control four different characters who end up in a completely impossible World War III type situation that you’ll have a hard time following. But hey, it’s the video game equivalent…and a lot of stuff blows up so it’s cool.

"...Digital Illusions knows what FPS gamers want – action! … and they provide it in droves."

Where the campaign truly succeeds is in the huge, elaborate, set piece battles that make up the majority of the gameplay. Make no mistake about it, Digital Illusions knows what FPS gamers want – action! … and they provide it in droves. Sure, the characters and plotlines are a literal genre archetype, but they’re often pushed to the back in favor of guns, shooting and explosions.  It should be noted that unlike most war shooters, I never felt like the single-player game was just a primer for the multi-player aspect. Yes, there are aspects that carry over, but it never feels like too much.

The campaign isn’t without its hindrances though, as a horrid save system featuring check points spread way too far apart will cause gamers to have to replay sections multiple times. I also couldn’t shake the feeling of repetition for most of the game. Sure, we’re doing the same thing, pointing and shooting for most of the game but a lot of the goals were way too similar to keep me interested.

Make no mistake about it though – as beefed up as the single player action is, Digital Illusions focus is clear – challenge Modern Warfare 2 for the online shooter crown.  It has a good shot, as Modern Warfare arguably took a good portion of its online mechanics from the Battlefield series. Bad Company 2’s online component is a tighter and more focused. If you’ve played any of the Battlefield games in the past, everything you loved is still here. You still feel like you’ve been given a rather large set of army toys and are free to do with them what you want. Player and squad progression is still here, as is the ability to attack by both land and air (and sometimes sea).

"...gave players the ability to kick off a troublesome teammate to make room for a good one..."

Modes like Rush and Conquest still serve as the franchises’ online cornerstones and are likely to take up most of your online time but the new additions aren’t bad either. While entire teams could be saved by one skilled player in the classic modes, the newer ones encourage a bit more teamwork by giving much more detailed objectives and featuring smaller maps. Thankfully, the developers listened to gamer concerns and gave players the ability to kick off a troublesome teammate to make room for a good one, and while this may seem a bit forward, if you’ve ever played any of the Battlefield games you’ll know just how much of a problem spammers can be.

I’ll admit it; I like to play as a sniper in Battlefield games. Sue me, I like to strategically plan my attacks rather than go in guns blazing. I’m going to say the same thing in this review as I have in past Battlefield games – please, DICE, get rid of the kill cam.  For those out of the loop, the Kill cam shows how you were killed, including the location of your assailant. This poses an obvious concern for snipers. Thankfully, if you play in the new hardcore mode, the cam is gone but I’d like to see an option to get rid of it during normal matches.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 is every bit as fun as its predecessor, perhaps even a bit more.  It doesn’t exactly take Modern Warfare 2’s throne, but the great online play is back and with a beefed up single player – it comes close. Damn close.