Battlefield 6 multiplayer is taking inspiration from Bad Company 2, but I hope its single player campaign looks further back to the series’ best story

Why Bad Company 2 Still Reigns Supreme

Jeremy Chubb, DICE’s lead multiplayer producer, wasn’t wrong when he told PC Gamer, “When you look for excellence in our legacy, that’s where you find it.” Bad Company 2 delivered something that modern Battlefield games have been desperately trying to recapture: soul.

The game’s destruction system wasn’t just a gimmick – it was revolutionary. Watching an entire building crumble after strategically placed C4 charges wasn’t just satisfying; it was downright therapeutic. You could literally reshape the battlefield, turning cover into rubble and forcing enemies out of their comfort zones. It was chess played with explosives, and we were all grandmasters of destruction.

But here’s where things get interesting, and where my cautious optimism starts wrestling with my cynical gaming journalist instincts. While everyone’s getting hyped about the multiplayer taking cues from Bad Company 2, I’m sitting here wondering: what about the single-player campaign?

The Campaign Conundrum: Going Back to the Roots

Sure, Bad Company 2’s campaign was solid. It had memorable characters, decent pacing, and enough explosions to satisfy Michael Bay’s wet dreams. But if we’re really talking about Battlefield 6 multiplayer is taking inspiration from Bad Company 2, shouldn’t we also consider where the series truly peaked in terms of storytelling?

Cast your mind back to the original Battlefield 1942, or better yet, the criminally underrated Battlefield Vietnam. These games didn’t just throw you into generic military scenarios with forgettable protagonists spouting one-liners that would make an action movie blush. They immersed you in authentic historical conflicts with weight, consequence, and genuine emotional investment.

The problem with modern Battlefield campaigns is that they’ve become too focused on competing with Call of Duty’s Hollywood blockbuster approach. Every mission needs to be bigger, louder, and more explosive than the last. It’s exhausting, frankly. Sometimes I just want to feel like I’m part of a larger conflict, not the chosen one destined to save the world single-handedly.

What Battlefield 6 Really Needs to Learn

Here’s the thing that’s got me genuinely excited (and simultaneously terrified): DICE seems to understand that they screwed up. The fact that they’re openly acknowledging Bad Company 2 as their north star suggests they’ve finally listened to the fans who’ve been screaming into the void for years.

The destruction physics that made Bad Company 2 legendary weren’t just about spectacle – they served a gameplay purpose. Every wall you blasted through, every building you brought down, it all mattered tactically. Compare that to Battlefield 2042’s laughably limited destruction, and you can see why fans felt betrayed.

But multiplayer inspiration is only half the battle (pun absolutely intended). If Battlefield 6 wants to truly reclaim its throne, it needs to remember what made the series special beyond just the online component.

The Single Player Identity Crisis

Modern Battlefield campaigns suffer from what I call “identity crisis syndrome.” They can’t decide if they want to be gritty war simulations or over-the-top action romps. The result? They end up being neither, existing in this weird middle ground that satisfies no one.

The original Bad Company had personality. The characters felt real, flawed, and human. They weren’t superhuman soldiers performing impossible feats – they were regular guys caught up in extraordinary circumstances. That relatability made their story compelling in ways that generic “save the world” plots never could.

If Battlefield 6 multiplayer is taking inspiration from Bad Company 2, then for the love of all that’s holy, let the campaign take inspiration from what made the early Battlefield games narratively engaging. Give us characters we care about, stakes that feel real, and conflicts that don’t require us to suspend disbelief so hard we risk permanent brain damage.

The Skeptic’s Prayer

Now, before you start thinking I’ve gone soft and joined the hype train, let me be clear: I’m approaching this with the healthy skepticism of someone who’s been hurt before. EA has made big promises in the past, only to deliver products that felt like they were designed by committee and focus-tested into bland mediocrity.

The early impressions from media previews have been overwhelmingly positive, which is encouraging. But we’ve been down this road before. Remember when Battlefield V was supposed to revolutionize the franchise? How’d that work out?

The upcoming open beta will be our first real taste of whether DICE can walk the walk after talking such a big game. It’s one thing to say you’re inspired by Bad Company 2; it’s another to actually capture what made that game special without just copying surface-level elements.

Hope Springs Eternal (Unfortunately)

Despite my cynicism, I find myself genuinely hopeful about Battlefield 6. Maybe it’s Stockholm syndrome from years of disappointing releases, or maybe it’s because the alternative – a continued decline of one of gaming’s most beloved franchises – is too depressing to contemplate.

The fact that they’re acknowledging their mistakes and looking backward for inspiration rather than chasing the latest trends is encouraging. Sometimes the best way forward is to remember where you came from.

So yes, I’m cautiously optimistic that Battlefield 6 multiplayer is taking inspiration from Bad Company 2 might actually result in something special. But I’m also prepared for disappointment, because that’s what being a Battlefield fan has taught me over the past decade.

Here’s hoping DICE proves my cynicism wrong and delivers the game we’ve all been waiting for. Just please, for the love of destructible environments everywhere, don’t screw this up again.

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