A second single-player level highlights the variety that's to be packed into the campaign, taking the action out of the jungle and into the snow-covered heights of South America. It's also here that Bad Company 2 reminds us there's more to its game than deliciously destructive run 'n' gun, book-ended as it is with two vehicle-powered set-pieces.
The first seats Preston in a chopper-mounted gun turret. Essentially it's an on-rails shooting section but the swollen firepower means that Bad Company 2's more destructive elements can really let their hair down. Concrete crumbles and tumbles with gleeful grace and it's a pleasure to simply place the crosshairs on a wall and let the Frostbite engine bare its teeth.
It looks impressive, but it sounds even better; Bad Company's greatest asset was its sound design, utilising DICE's pioneering HDR Audio technology to create gunfights that were told with unprecedented fidelity. The science behind it is simple, the results absolutely spectacular – and it's naturally been bolstered for Bad Company 2, the game boasting a soundscape that's beyond compare.
A point-to-point run through a series of outhouses in the snow shows this off admirably, with the sound of bullets coming sharply into focus when the action moves inside. It's even more pronounced when an APC gets involved in the action, the RPG that's required to bring it down letting off an almighty hiss and the resulting explosion shaking the speakers with serious force.
in the tank.
