S wedish developer DICE's Battlefield games may lack the glamorous image of rivals such as Call Of Duty, but they are hugely popular among the military first-person game cognoscenti.

When DICE announced a sequel to Bad Company, I was perplexed. After playing the first game, I found the characters very interesting but, for some reason, my interest in the game wasn't enough to long for another.

I must admit that I wasn't a big fan of the original game as the single-player campaign was quite flat and not inspirational at all. Even though it had a rather decent multiplayer aspect, if you offer single player, you need to ensure that it is quite competent.

With most of its rivals hell-bent on compromise, DICE has always stood apart for trying to push the boundaries of what a military shooter should be. On a mission to free players from shackles of tightly scripted cinematics, choke points and one-man war-hero shenanigans, it's not hard to surmise that...

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is quite simply a superb package, with neither single-player nor online feeling like it's been given short shrift. They come together in the most robust, nuanced and carefully crafted game of its type this hardware generation.

Millions of people are still playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 online, racking up killstreaks and punking each other with noob tubes constantly. It was the biggest entertainment launch in history, with well over a billion dollars in sales so far.

There is no shortage of online destinations for those who enjoy first-person gun-wielding combat, but no matter how many opportunities you get to shoot another player in the face, there is always room for one more.

Destructibility is strategically powerful and immensely fun; Electrifying and addictive online multiplayer; Great campaign with witty characters; Beautiful; well-designed environments; Superb sound design

Occasional technical hiccups; Minor connectivity issues

The Bad Company crew again find themselves in the heart of the action, where they must use every weapon and vehicle at their disposal to survive. The action unfolds with unprecedented intensity, introducing a level of fervor to vehicular warfare never before experienced in a modern warfare action...

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may have a lock on the console shooter crowd, but that doesn't keep other games from having something meaningful-or at least reasonably fun-to add. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 extends the train of thought that developer DICE has been harping on since 2002.

The original Battlefield: Bad Company was one of the great near misses of the current console generation. The team at DICE did its level best to mix the wide open maps, freeform gameplay and vehicular mayhem of multiplayer Battlefield with the more structured, story-led approach of a single-player...

Great action; great banter; destructive environment

Enemy character models a little repetitive