Games of 2010: No.9

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Choosing our favourite games of 2010 was no easy task, with arguments, witchcraft and mathematical equations all being used to take hundreds of games and whittle them down to just 10. Read on for our thoughts on why each game deserves its place and head to our Game of the Year 2010 hub for access to video features and loads of other content.

Tom Orry, Editor

I'm not sure why everyone loves to hate on Bad Company 2's single-player campaign. Sure, it's not top tier, but it's easily as good as many other highly acclaimed shooters. It might be seen by many as the option on the menu they never go to, with multiplayer being the meat of the package, but I honestly think it's worth a look. It's a shame, as the negative reaction to the campaign has probably hurt overall opinion on the title, which has the best large-scale team multiplayer of any shooter released this generation.

Martin Gaston, Staff Writer

I have a lot of love for Bad Company 2, which just so happens to be home to my single favourite gaming moment of 2010. We're trundling down the forested slopes of Valpariso in an ATV, notching up some sweet early kills by barrelling through enemies as we cut through the knee-deep foliage. But one aggressive attempt to take out a sniper causes me to lose control of the vehicle and trundle off the edge of a cliff at full speed. My passenger - expecting imminent death - is understandably upset, but the ATV hits the rooftop of a nearby building; the car then speeds down it, flies straight off the other end and - thanks to the fact it's been rigged to the gills with C4 - manages to blow a hole in the building housing the M-COM station we set out to destroy in the first place. Oh, and the explosion cuts through a pair of feeble, awe-struck enemies at the same time. The M-COM station is swiftly destroyed, and the whole thing was like something out of an action movie.

Tom Pearson, Video Producer

I've always had a fondness for the over-encumbered Engineer. Often overlooked and never thrown onto front lines, but instead out back making milky tea for the weary troops. Yes, the Engineer is often portrayed as a lame support class, but not here. Bad Company 2 sees you opposite tanks - TANKS not PEOPLE - in a suicidal dance with rockets! The insanity of doing this in real life is something that not many would, could or even be willing to achieve, but Bad Company 2 makes it possible. Of the four classes, no single one feels more or less entertaining to play, though I still feel that the recon has the best sniping mechanics of any FPS to date. This game in its entirety can be summed up with two things: War and Destruction 2.0. There are no safe hiding spots here, with most (if not all) classes able to somehow blow a gargantuan hole in that building you've become so attached to. Have fun camping on a battlefield.

For more end of year content, head over to our Game of the Year 2010 hub. Amongst other things you'll be able to watch videos in which we talk about each game in the Top 10.