With mixed press, Battlefield Bad Company has now started its beta. For those who pre-ordered the game from Gamestop or signed up for IGN insider (or, like me, did both), you can now play some sweet BF: Bad Company on the Xbox 360. Did it meet my high expectations? 

At first I was disappointed in the game, sad that I couldn’t destroy everything in sight in a game that was supposed to pride itself on just that. Frames of buildings cannot fall no matter how much damage they take and some objects that look like they should be able to be broken apart cannot. After some more play, however, I realized that it didn’t need all of that. Destructible environments isn’t all this game has going for it. This isn’t like Dark Sector’s glaive or Army of Two’s co-op. Instead, the falling apart of buildings around you is the icing on the cake, and the cake is a fantastic shooter.

EA’s new engine is great and definitely has the feeling of a battlefield-focused game. Fans of the PC version should feel at home with this title, as it more resembles those editions of the game. The developers didn’t attempt to mash the game into a console by mimicking other titles; Bad Company is their own take on how a large-scale console shooter should work.

While not everything can be blown up, everything that actually adds to gameplay can be. If there is a sniper hiding in a window a grenade can blow apart the wall, exposing him. If someone is hiding out behind a doorway a well-placed rocket can leave his cover in ruins. You can make your own doorways which is a feature that adds several levels to the game. While it isn’t 1:1 with where the explosions go off and what is destroyed, Battlefield Bad Company’s destructible environments are better then any other games. Sound and music also are fantastic, especially for a beta release. Loud explosions deafen for several seconds and there is a definite sense chaos when bullets fly by.

Other aspects of the game are great additions but feel a little unfinished, such as the squad and ranking systems. It is very obvious that the title is still in beta and still needs some time in the oven. Graphics are fantastic, standing toe-to-toe with gargantuan hits like Call of Duty 4, but some aspects of the game need clearing up. With several months left until the title launches my hopes are even higher for the Battlefield series to find its place on consoles.

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