I'm in bad company. I don't want to join some good company!
Battlefield: Bad Company centers around the misadventures of a four-man squad in "B" company as part of a fictional war with the Russian federation. The banter between the geek Private Sweetwater, the destruction junkie Private Haggard and straight-man Sergeant Redford provides for much of the humor and plot for Battlefield: Bad Company in a way not unlike a "war buddy comedy" film.

"A plot that mixed the realism of the battlefield with humor was something that we thought would be unique," commented Bennett. "There are lots of games where the central character is the lone savior who must save Earth single-handedly [so] taking a humorous approach with a bit of antihero twist was refreshing and fun for us to create."

Of course, Battlefield games have never been defined solely by their single-player modes, and Battlefield: Bad Company follows suit. Players compete for cash in "Gold Rush" mode, and can advance along career progressions with Awards and Ranks, much like many other modern online shooter titles. Battlefield: Bad Company doesn't necessarily offer anything that revolutionizes online multiplayer, but it is fun and capably done by all accounts.

"A new game mode for multiplayer is always exciting for both the fans and studio. We were amazed at how quickly our players picked up the nuances of the Beta maps. The theme behind Gold Rush also tied in directly with our single player mode, the common thread being the quest for gold. But we also listen to our Battlefield veterans and will be releasing a game mode new to Battlefield: Bad Company, a classic for Battlefield PC players, Conquest Mode. This will be a free download on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network available in early August," detailed Bennett, adding, "Progression through ranks and unlocks are something our Battlefield fans have come to know and love. It's a great feeling comparing your rank and statistics with your friends and it makes the online experience a new challenge every time you play."

Whether playing by yourself or with others Battlefield: Bad Company has a very distinguishable characteristic: blowing things up. Using missiles, grenades, bazookas and a myriad of other tools, players can put holes in almost anything in the environment, and it all blows up in an almost Hollywood fashion. "I would describe it as high production, Jerry Bruckheimer-esque value for our players that only encourage more destruction," ventured Bennett. "The payoff for blowing out the wall of a building makes it worth the eye candy alone."

Like, maybe it's some sort of solid... metal barrel!
Like all of its major titles, EA gave Battlefield: Bad Company its full support, with a campaign across online, TV and print. Regardless of medium, heavy emphasis was put on humor in all of the advertisements for the game. Perhaps the most notable promotions for Battlefield: Bad Company were ones that came out soon before the game's launch, parodying other popular games like Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2.

"The team put together some amazing videos spoofing some of our favorite games," said Bennett. "It was homage to these games from our point of view and our community loved the extension of the Bad Company humor to these videos."

While Battlefield: Bad Company is a new direction for the series, it has proven to be a successful one. A direct story sequel to the game certainly doesn't seem out of the question, and more console Battlefield titles seems like a definite, given the sorry state of affairs of PC retail sales.