Head to Head: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 vs. Battlefield: Bad Company 2

So it’s a topic many people argue about, but who is telling the truth.  Two ravenous fanbases arguing over who plays the superior game. Lets get right to it, breaking the games down and discussing it.

First up we’ll discuss graphics, the main staple of most first-person shooters.  Modern Warfare has very consistent graphics. They are always great, other than graphical glitches, but we will let that slide. Battlefield’s graphics are not as consistent.  Certain levels just look worse than others.  Some would argue it’s the much more varied environments that cause this. The XBOX 360 seems to do much better with tans and earth tones. I would have to say Modern Warfare 2 wins in this category.

Now on to gameplay.  Modern Warfare is a much more fast paced game. Bullets and knives coming from all directions. It’s perks don’t help to slow its pace down at all either.  Running at light speed across the map with 2 shotguns is a very fun feeling, unless you’re the person that just started playing who has a machine gun in their hands, practically defenseless.  Battlefield is a much slower, methodical shooter that rewards tactics with a much more open-ended gameplay environment, instead of an open-ended character customization.  While in-game, no-matter what class you choose, you feel that you can help the team out in some way.  In my personal opinion you very rarely feel cheated when you die in Battlefield, which is more than I can say for Modern Warfare.  The destructible environments also make for incredibly dynamic maps, that change on the fly as you play. The only caveat is occasionally you’ll feel you don’t have the tools you need.  For a much more balanced multiplayer I would have to say Battlefield wins this one. 

Sound is the next argument to solve once and for all.  Modern Warfare has accurate sounds for its guns, missiles, and explosions.  There are no arguments there.  It has rather average background music, and average voice-acting.  Overall a good experience.  Unfortunately for Modern Warfare, Battlefield has just as accurate sounds, and far superior, context-sensitive voice-acting. It is very cool to hear the creaking of a building collapsing and hearing your soldier yell, ” She’s coming down!”  It definitely makes you think, ” I better get the hell out of here!”  Battlefield also went with the bold decision to fore-go background music and let the games sound-effects speak for themselves, and it works.  For this reason battlefield wins on sound.

 Unlockables: Modern Warfare has an immaculate system for leveling up, complete with prestiges, tons of guns, camos for said guns, and perks. The only thing I don’t like is prestiges.  Losing all of the things you’ve unlocked seems like a terrible reward, yet it somehow hooks people.  Battlefield does without said prestiges, but fails to deliver the plethora of unlockable Modern Warfare does.  Modern Warfare can also afford to hand people things much faster than Battlefield with the knowledge they’ll lose it at some point, but the ability to give you a taste of an item does draw you in.  I also feel Modern Warfare gives you the tools you need right from the beginning of the game, which battlefield doesn’t unless you’ve played a previous game of theirs. If you have played a previous game of theirs you receive what you would basically spend the first few levels in each class unlocking. For these reasons Modern Warfare wins on unlockables, which is becoming an increasingly vital part of online shooters.

It is my personal opinion that Battlefield is a much more technically impressive game than Modern Warfare.  The destructible environments, the vehicles, and the sound all come together to make a very impressive package.  The only thing that hinders that is its slow burn to unlock what you need to start being effective at your class.  Modern Warfare offers more on paper with its large amount of gameplay options and its various game types, though most people stick to a few game types, including myself. 

So how do we solve this?  How do we pick a definitive winner like a promised to do?  Do we draw from a hat, or do we argue more? The answer is quite simple.  Choose what you would prefer to play and stop complaining about the other.  If you appreciate rich environments, detailed maps, stunning sound, and tactical gameplay I’d purchase Battlefield: Bad Company 2.  If you prefer a fast-paced, unlockable rich, stoic first-person shooter then I’d purchase Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

That still doesn’t answer the question though, huh?  Well, then fine, since you wont let me leave it at that…  Battlefield: Bad Company 2 because I don’t have to hear 12-year-old yelling racial slurs and saying they want to molest my sister… as much.  Seriously XBOX Live, get that sorted out…