EA and DICE recently announced that they will be updating Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with four new multiplayer maps in their VIP Map Pack 7.
The announcement was a rather pleasant surprise as Bad Company 2 players thought that they’d been served their lot when DICE community manager ‘zh1nt0’ said there would be no “new maps.”
Cleverly worded there zh1nt0 – technically speaking, the four maps that will arrive via VIP Map Pack 7 aren’t new; they are re-mastered versions of maps from Bad Company 1 multiplayer, and Bad Company 2 single player.
If Bad Company 2 players are willing to fork out for the Vietnam expansion pack which comes with four new multiplayer maps, then they will effectively double the current number of maps available in the game to 16.
The timing for this announcement couldn’t have been better – the day before FPS rival Black Ops launched. EA and DICE presumably decided that they had better give BC2 players a reason to hang about, especially with the Vietnam expansion arriving soon. Perhaps they needn’t have worried too much about PC gamers as the Black Ops launch has given the platform a bloody nose.
EA and DICE have released an overview of the four new maps and most recently, they have corrected a mistake in their original listing of the game modes for Heavy Metal, along with a nice description of the Heavy Metal map. Below is the corrected overview:
Map 1: Oasis
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer
Game modes: Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch
Map 2: Harvest Day
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer
Game modes: Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch
Map 3: Cold War
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 singleplayer
Game modes: Rush, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch
Map 4: Heavy Metal
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 singleplayer
Game modes: Conquest, Squad Deathmatch
Heavy Metal
This is one for lovers of wide open spaces and vehicular mayhem. Heavy Metal is reportedly larger than the largest current BC2 map, Atacama Desert. Close quarters gun battles will also feature.
Heavy Metal supports Squad Deathmatch but the primary mode on the map will be Conquest with a widely spread three flag setup. There will be plenty of vehicles around to keep players mobile, and the choppers available are of both the attack and transport variety. The capture points will be kitted out with plenty static defense to help swat choppers from the sky.
Oasis
Level designer Christian Pavel gave some insight into the design process behind recreating Bad Company 1 map Oasis for Bad Company 2.
“Oasis contains what Battlefield is all about. A variety of vehicles, from helicopters to tanks, jeeps, and boats. It also has enough space to let players show their creativity when driving these vehicles. Oasis switches from open environment to close quarters urban combat in the last bases of the Rush game mode. This type of contrast in environment appeals to players, because it suits all four Battlefield classes, from sniper to assault,” Pavel explained.
Speaking of the design process, Pavel said: “We look back at what made the level appeal to such a large number of players in BC1 and then we add even more good stuff so we can deliver an even greater experience.”
The BC2 version of Oasis will be updated with all the goodies the newer game provides, such as improved art assets and destructible environments. New ambient sounds, weather effects and sand storms round off the experience.
“The map has not been changed drastically, so returning players will feel right at home the moment they step into this Oasis. The revised parts of the levels are minor. For example, the gold crates in BC1 were located on the rooftops, which we can’t have now that entire buildings can collapse. So we had to put the crates on the ground in some places,” said Pavel.
“Rush mode keeps the same five bases, and Conquest has the same three flags setup in the centre. We also introduced both Squad Deathmatch and Squad Rush in the city area to make the most of this part of the level,” said Pavel.
“When we looked at the last part of the level — the city area — it seemed a bit too flat, and we looked at ways to improve it without changing the layout of the buildings too much. We finally decided to raise the hillside of the city by a couple of meters, creating a terrace on one side of the main street. Think about the urban area in Arica Harbor. We tried the same recipe for Oasis now with great success, and I hope you will like it as much as I do,” concluded Pavel.
There is no set date for VIP Map Pack 7. The Battlefield blog will be revealing information on the other two maps in the pack over the next two weeks and presumably we could see the map pack appear shortly after the conclusion of updates.
Discuss Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – VIP Map Pack 7 on the MyGaming forum.
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