Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 vs. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
I am reviewing these games together as they were released 4-5 months apart and as I see it they are direct competitors for the FPS market. Also, I own both, so a direct comparison is the best way to approach them. I am currently online Lvl 37, 200+hrs in BC2 and Lvl 38, 30+hrs in MW2.
Just to confirm, I personally am biased towards Bad Company. It was the first of 2 I had and it suits my style of play better. However, I’ll do my best to give an unbiased review (barring the ‘playstyle’ review, sorry about that) and an as-I-see-it comparison. I’m basing my review on online experience via PSN, no DLC or special effects.
graphics
At first glance, MW2 is more polished, and BC2 has a more ‘gritty’ feel to the environment. In both, I find the ‘particle’ effects on par. Distance effects are difficult to determine as MW2 maps are generally much smaller than BC2 maps. For MW2, they are fine. BC2 occasionally struggles with the extremely large maps it offers, but rarely to the detriment of gameplay. It is usually noticeable as a vibration when viewed from a distant aerial vehicle. I feel like most gamers will find MW2’s graphics to be superior.
explosive effects
MW2 seems more ‘Hollywood’ in its performance and effectiveness of explosives. Explosives in MW2 do more damage to ‘you’ than in BC2, but leave the environment intact and standing, blocking windows and explosive objects like cars and barrels.
BC2 has more “real” effects on the environment thanks to its fully destructible environment. In BC2 you can knock down buildings, blow up walls and shred weeds progressively, ie C4 on structural walls will knock down a house. On non-structural walls, they will just destroy the walls but the house will still stand.
player movement
MW2 has more ‘realistic’ movement, your player gets tired after running and slows down to a jog. Weapons look heavier and are relative, meaning you can run longer armed with a pistol or SMG than you can with a Stinger missile or shotgun. However, the fact that it can “run” indefinitely in BC2 can be justified by the larger maps available, but it detracts from the realism.
In MW2 he can go upside down, something BC2 notably lacks and which can be very irritating at times, especially if he’s used to MW2. Sensitivity adjustment is comparable on both. Player directional control, while relative to the correct setup for the player, is also smooth and tactile on both.
Aim/Projectile Behavior
Aim assist is available in MW2. This is good for beginners I guess, but I urge players to skip it as it can be much more effective without it, plus it can throw your aim off if another target gets between you and your intended “victim”.
In MW2, what you see is (hopefully) what you hit, depending on distance and spray of course. BC2, on the other hand, has gravity applied to his projectile. When shooting at medium and long ranges, with any weapon (rod-guided missiles), you need to adjust the bullet drop. Both games have ‘bullet time’ so both MW2 and BC2 require the target to get ahead on moving targets and this is relative to distance i.e. long distance requires more advantage, short distance requires a minimal advantage. I personally find BC2’s sniping much more satisfying as more judgment has to be used for a long range headshot due to bullet drop.
BC2 vehicles
In BC2, all vehicles are freely available to all players and are usually found at or near the main bases or spawn locations. Depending on the map, different vehicles are available. From heavy tanks and attack helicopters, to smaller tracked vehicles, multirole helicopters with mini guns, HumVees and similar 4WD type ‘cars’ with mounted machine guns to boats with mounted guns. For a more personalized form of transportation, you can choose between Jetski’s and Quadbikes. Unarmed but ideal for ‘speeding up’ the enemy and getting close to them in person, in the shortest amount of time after respawning at base camp.
There are no vehicles for general use in MW2, except for the use of Killstreak bounties.
Hosting vs Dedicated Servers
Unfortunately, this is MW2’s biggest flaw. BC2 uses dedicated servers to ensure a smoother and more reliable online experience. MW2 is based on a hosting format that if the “host” player gets disconnected or experiences a connection problem, it means that at best the game is interrupted and at worst the game is interrupted. it just ends. To get the most out of MW2 and overcome “some” of the issues, make sure you have a good reliable connection, preferably wired, and invest in the best broadband speeds you can justify. This will overcome some of the ‘lag’ issues that many suffer from. This is not to say that BC2 is perfect, it is not. There are occasional dropouts and unexplained difficulties on initial connection and some lag at peak times, but overall this happens much less frequently and intrusively than in MW2.
Playstyle/Very biased and unfair rant against MW2
I apologize for the very biased review below, but this is my take on playstyles, primarily aimed at other players, rather than the games themselves, from my perspective and I don’t think it detracts from the information above.
BC2 is more inclined to play as part of a team, where even inexperienced players can contribute. I find that MW2 is more inclined towards an ‘enthusiastic’ style of play, rewarding only those who are more skilled/experienced and allowing them to win, even in ‘team’ matches, taking over with killstreaks. This is great if you’re one of the MW2 experts, not so great if you’re not.
Another area of ​​contention for me is ‘unfair’ gameplay, which seems to abound in MW2. I know that ‘unfair’ is relative and that ‘all is fair in love and war’, but ‘noob tubers’ abound and this attitude, combined with perks like ‘near danger’, can unfairly (in my opinion) affect the outcome of a match, especially if you’re hampered by low-tier weapons and perks. In BC2 this seems like much less of an issue and most players ‘seem’ to have a more mature attitude, combined with the limited upgrades available, so the benefits are reduced. I’m not going to rant too much about Commando-Pro… You know who you are… I just hope that running around, hitting ‘melee’ repeatedly and randomly, gives you an RSI, much like you get on your forearm and wrist …
However, I must balance this out that when playing with and against players of skill and discretion, the online experience in MW2 is fantastic. The ability to talk to your entire team and coordinate is unparalleled, even with BC2 where you are limited to communications with your immediate 4-man squad only. To get the most out of MW2, I highly recommend joining a ‘Clan’ if you are able and eligible to do so. Coaching more experienced players in training sessions will be invaluable to your own set of skills and abilities and allow you to build on their strengths, rather than highlight their weaknesses.
Resume
Overall, it depends on your starting skill, your own playstyle, and your commitment to the game at hand, which will determine which game is more fun for you. There are too many pros and not enough cons to both games to determine which one is better. I prefer BC2 but I recommend that you buy or at least hire both if you are interested in ‘the dark side’, whatever it may be. But for FPS fans, I can wholeheartedly and highly recommend that both games be a part of your collection.