Game Analysis Walkthrough IV: Bad Company

Zach focused on the immense level of destructibility in Battlefield: Bad Company for the xbox. The player can destroy almost everything in sight, causing satisfying sandbox style lasting damage to the environment; the player can do everything from knifing through a door, exploding barrels or a port-o-potty, shooting holes in walls and roofs, leveling trees and lightpoles in a tank, and setting fire to vehicles. Even enemies you've already killed will still be dead if you restart the level from your last checkpoint.

Other plusses of the game are the immersive interface and driving gameplay. The onscreen indicators are very limited and minimal- a 3D map in the corner is helpful for helping the player find their location , and the amount of ammunition and health is displayed discreetly in the corner of the screen. When the player is taking damage, the screen turns gray and red to let them know they're under attack and are losing health. The first person shooter graphics are realistic and the customizable weapon kits and collectibles further drive gameplay.

A few failings of the game though, are little weak points that take you out of the action- the story about a military squad chasing a gold shipment into a neutral country, thereby causing a conflict is vague, and dubious. The characters are cheesily comedic, and the "health" system is unbelievable since it seems you can instantly heal yourself after some gunshot wounds by injecting yourself with adrenaline. Sometimes, the character movements are too stiff or don't quite flow smoothly with the environment (ex. walking speed is the same on land as it is when you wade through water).