Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Google "Project Rome" and go to the first link. All you have to do is register an account and drag and drop 1 dll file into your game directory to be able to play online again, and yes there are people online still. Only about 2 servers full of people but it's enough to still enjoy the game online.

Before I start with my review, I'd just like to shame EA for taking this game off the Steam store. In doing so, they are denying future generations the chance to experience an enjoyable campaign and a simple but fun Battlefield multiplayer. They are truly one of the worst gaming companies of all time, and I sincerely hope that their fate mirrors that of the Bad Company series. Anyway, let me get started on the game.
Bad Company 2, along with the first Battlefield Bad Company, have the best Battlefield campaigns by a country mile. There is simply no contest. Unlike the more recent Battlefield campaigns that have tried to emulate the more serious "tacticool" stories and gameplay of Call of Duty campaigns, the Bad Company series is humorous and light-hearted at its core. Whereas I couldn’t care less about most characters in a shooter, I found myself enjoying the back and forth between the main cast of Bad Company over the two games, even now when I’m much older. It reminds me a bit of the back-and-forth banter that I’d have with my friends in voice chat. It’s nice. The levels are usually quite large, some with a fair bit of travelling in a vehicle, so there’s plenty of time to listen to them talk. There’s plenty of destruction to be had in these levels too, because unlike the more modern Battlefields, almost everything is completely destructible in Bad Company 2. Entire villages can and will be flattened on the way to the objective.
The multiplayer in this Battlefield is very PS3/360 era console-esque. It's slower paced, smaller scale, lacks fixed wing aircraft, and has a larger emphasis on Rush Mode over the traditional Battlefield Conquest. Frankly the game is better for it. Sure, the gameplay feels a tad clunky compared to the slick feel of the modern Battlefield games, but that's what makes Bad Company 2 better than them. It's not all about running around like rabid greyhounds, sliding around corners and blasting opponents before they can even blink. Instead, there is time to think, and there is more than enough time to smell the roses - well before they get blown up anyway.
On top of this, the weapons are all meaty and feel solid to shoot. They are also loud, and the sound is impactful. The sound of bullets and explosions will echo around not just interiors but bounce off nearby buildings outside too. It’s a real joy to the ears.
There is one issue that I have with the online, and that is the weapon balancing, but it doesn't take away from the game or make me not want to play it. Far from it in-fact. Whenever I spend time on Bad Company 2, no matter how poorly I'm doing, I'm smiling and having a good time. There's just something so magic about this era of Battlefield that has been lost since the release of Battlefield 3.
I'm also going to mention the Vietnam DLC in this review because it seems that it's no longer possible to review it separately. It is hands down one of the finest pieces of DLC that I have ever seen for a game. The maps, the vehicles, the weapons, and the music - wow, the music - it all came together to make it feel like a whole new game, and I believe for only £9.99 back in the day on the PS3. Contrast this with today where Battlefield games will drop pig slop maps once a quarter and sell skins for a tenner a piece. It’s not even comparable when you think about it. The standards for DLC have dropped significantly.
EA, do us all a favour and remaster Bad Company 1, Bad Company 2, and BF 1943. Then release them all on Steam. It won't take away from your modern CODified Battlefield games like BF6, but rather it will give us Bad Company era fans a chance to relive our memories. I'd sooner spend £70+ to fight in Harvest Day, Valparaiso, and Wake Island over spending a second longer in New Slop City.

Can't new games be like this again?
Just playing trough this again in 2025 and I'm amazed, how nice the story mode is. (expect from the cheater KI) the atmosphere is intense, the moving is not modern but nice enough, more realistic. the dust and the fog blocking your sight, they way you have to fall back and search for cover if it's too much. the moving and advancing slowly to your objectives. It's just realistic, immersiv and fun.
There are no battle passes, no lootboxes, no giant machetes :steamfacepalm: not this not that. (only thing popping up and taking away the immersives are the collectibles for every weapon you pick up for the first time) other then that it's just the focus on the game. How it's supposed to be. And I actually watch the cutscenes. In modern games, they are so generic I always have to skip them.
Sadly you can't buy this anymore on steam. So I can actually recommend for people who already own this to play it again, or get you a copy how ever you do it.

Its a shame that they shut down the servers and delisted the game. It was a good game back in the day wish they had also made a port for Bad Company 1 that game was the bomb. Oh well with the things that go on at EA you never know what to expect from them anymore especially the layoffs on the BF team.

The ability to destroy objects perfectly complements the gameplay — as battle progress, map changes too. Combined with good visual design, you could say it's one of the most atmospheric shooter, truly made with soul.

Saw my friends playing Battlefield 6 and wanted to play. So I fired up Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and I'm pretty sure I'm having more fun than they are.
And thanks to Project Rome, this game is totally playable online. Even runs great on Steam Deck (but you do have to fumble around and map your own controller settings).
Either way, this is still a great game and holds up well in 2025. And I'd argue that Bad Company 2 has the best single player campaign of all the Battlefields. Highly recommend. Would not buy Battlefield 6 again.

The greatest battlefield game to have ever been made and set the standard that has never been met again