Bad Company 2 vs. Modern Warfare 2
We compare the online portions of this generation’s two biggest shooters
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (BC2) are two very different animals. So much so, that many heated forum arguments have ended with gamers insisting that the two should not even be compared.
However, having said that, I have discussed the various differences and similarities with almost every fellow online gamer I know. This is because while each game marks a unique approach to online FPS gaming, the fact remains that they are both modern military themed multiplayer shooters, with numerous obvious similarities.
EA itself references MW2 in BC2’s single player campaign, including the famous dig at rifle-mounted heartbeat sensors, as well as MW2’s snowmobiles. In fact, if ever there were two games destined to be compared, they are BC2 and MW2.
The tech
Both MW2 and BC2 represent cutting edge current-gen gaming at its most technologically impressive. The production values behind both titles are impressive, with hi-fidelity sound and visuals being the order of the day.
It is difficult to call a winner between the two in the visuals department, but I think BC2 has the edge. This may come down to BC’2 sheer variety of environments, from beaches to lush tropical jungles, snow capped mountains, and deserts, all of which are rendered with impressive detail. Add BC2’s destructible environments, and epic scale explosions, and it pinches ahead of its competitor in terms of sheer visual impressiveness.
Sound is another department where BC2 comes out tops. Again, we would never complain about MW2’s performance in this department, but BC2 has been recognised for pushing the boundaries of what can be done with sound in gaming. Not only do all the numerous weapons sound different to each other, but they sound different depending on where they are being fired from. For instance, expect a crisp, clean cracking sound from your M95 sniper rifle from a snow capped hill top, while when fired from the window of a wooden attic the same weapon will sound warm and muffled. It’s touches like this that gives BC2 the edge in the sound department.
The third category in our tech department is server functionality and online matchmaking. To be honest, this is a department where both games could use some work, specifically when we look at the PC versions. Modern Warfare 2 is famous for its shoddy matchmaking and P2P hosting which results in higher latencies, and less stable gameplay, not to mention the fact that it will often stubbornly refuse to connect to a friend’s game for no apparent reason.
BC2 on the other hand at least features dedicated servers, which is a big plus as it does not rely on the quality of a host player’s connection to provide decent pings. It does however have its niggles, with a buggy server finding interface and ineffective “favourites” menu. Still, it has a significant edge on MW2, which can be completely unplayable when IWNet is feeling grumpy.
Expect to become familiar with MW2's waiting screen...
Overall, while both games look and sound the part, BC2 has the lead in the tech department. In fairness, MW2 is more forgiving on lower-end PCs, making it perhaps a better option for gamers with aging hardware
Gameplay
The biggest difference between MW2 and BC2 is the gameplay, most notably the pacing and scale. While most MW2 matches end in under 10 minutes, “Rush” matches in BC2 have been known to go on for as long as two hours. While BC2 features massive sprawling battlefields, MW2 in contrast consists mostly of small maps and close combat. This means that MW2 is a far more straight forward run-and-gun affair, and is to a large extent a one-trick-pony. While this may come off as criticism, it is important to note that while its formula is basic, it is also super addictive, and loads of fun.
Decent players can easily expect to rack up 30 kills in a ten minute MW2 game, while they will be lucky to get half as many in the same amount of time playing BC2.
While MW2 will fulfil your need for mindless shooting and high-paced, action-packed online gaming, BC2 will appease the more cerebral shooter fan in you. MW2 does feature a wide variety of interesting weapons, upgrades, perks and customisable kill streak rewards, giving it some welcome depth. BC2 on the other hand features 4 unique player classes, all with distinct gameplay types, as well as a heaps of unlockable weapons and class specific items.
Being a sniper in BC2 makes far more sense than in MW2, and playing as a medic is a completely different experience to traditional online shooter gameplay. The added complexity provided by BC2’s vehicles also separates it from MW2. From attack helicopters, to tanks and jet-skis, players can spend hours focusing on vehicle combat alone.
BC2 brings new meaning to the term "tanking"...
Finally, BC2’s squad system is just one more feature which gives the game more depth than MW2. While team work is important in MW2, it is not always necessary. BC2 on the other hand is driven by team work. Combining medics, engineers and assault infantry in a squad is important, as each represents an important role in a successful unit.
So on paper, BC2 seems to have a lot more going for it than MW2. However, MW2’s fast pacing and excellent basic shooter mechanics makes it, in my opinion, just as good as BC2, despite lacking in complexity and depth.
The best part about these two games, is that they each represent a different approach to online gaming. Both are awesome, and if you can afford to, then I highly recommend owning a copy of each. Just when BC2 sessions start feeling a bit sluggish, and overly measured, players can delight in delving into the mindless bullet-fest that is MW2, and vice versa.
[Source: MyGaming.co.za]
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