When Battlefield: Bad Company 2 launched this year, it was met with positive response from much of the community, including myself. Although it never toppled Call Of Duty in way of an online experience 'to never stop playing', it came a close second and I'm pleased to say that I still jump on every so often.

One of the best bits about Bad Company 2 is the extensive post release support it has received. Releases of new maps, free to those with a V.I.P code, have helped to hold back people's urge to start throwing stuff at EA, in annoyance to some of their other plans. However, up until now, most of the DLC hasn't been 'new', as such. They've really just been changes to the original maps, adding a new game mode. Now, bringing cooperative into the Bad Company 2 universe, the Onslaught pack has arrived.

More games today include co-op at release, and it's becoming more of a necessity in this generation, just like online play has become a real requirement if you wish your game to be likely to succeed. Onslaught does exactly as you'd expect and hope, mixing the frantic team-based online play with the single player mode's 'capture and hold' idea.

In terms of maps you won't find anything new. It seems that, although Dice are willing to support their titles, they're not planning to give up any new content until the next installment - or at least until the Vietnam pack, releasing later in the year. However, the new co-op mode does add some changes to the gameplay, and new objectives change the way which you might have previously used the map. Perhaps the best part about using 'Valparaiso'; 'Atacama Desert'; 'Isla Innocentes' and 'Nelson Bay' is that you already know your way around, so there's no navigational adjusting and memorising to do with the new mode.

The objective based gameplay gives you three main sectors to clear - points A, B and C - before you end the level. These are all placed roughly around the online M-Com bases. The best part of the objectives are that, on the way to capture, you'll find a somewhat surprising force holding them. Until you manage to take a point enemies will continue to pour out and into the area, hoping to push you back enough.

With difficulty ranging from easy to hardcore, you might be occupied with the pack for a week or so, trying to get all the important trophies or achievements. However, with only the older maps on offer, the question is if you can justify spending your cash on something that only adds to them. While definitely one for the hardcore fan, the more casual should perhaps wait a while if not so sure, to see if they support any more co-op in the upcoming Vietnam DLC.

7/10 [?]

Labels: Bad Company 2, Battlefield, DLC, EA, Jacques Hulme, Onslaught, Review

With Battlefield 1943 still newborn, Bad Company 2 in the works and the rest of the series still going strong, EA's Battlefield franchise is showing no signs of stopping, recent statistics reveal.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, the DICE-developed, free-to-play PC release, Battlefield Heroes, is still picking up yet more speed after leaving the pre-release BETA phase on 25th June. In fact, the number of users has rocketed to an astonishing one million registrations in less than a month.

"The team is really proud to have hit one million registrations at this early stage," said Ben Cousins, general manager of the Battlefield Heroes team. "Creating a character and gameplay experience that is totally yours is what sets this game apart."

Based on the free-to-play concept popular in Asia, Battlefield Heroes is a PC-only, downloadable shooter in which players take the role of a soldier of either a 'good' or 'bad' inclination. Items can be bought in-game to customise and change characters, using Valour points or 'Battlefunds', a fictional currency used in-game.

The rest of the series is going from strength-to-strength too, with last week's release of the download only console FPS, Battlefield 1943. Xbox360 users have already completed the community challenge of reaching 43 million kills, and PlayStation 3 users aren't far off either, with a whopping 30,286,806.

Expect to see more on the Battlefield series soon.

Linford

Labels: 1943, Bad Company 2, Battlefield, Linford Butler