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The original Bad Company spinoff in the Battlefield series kept the franchise's setting firmly in modern times, but if the Bad Company 2 ESRB description is true, you'll be seeing a return to WWII in the sequel. At the very least, the game's opening will bring players back to the Pacific side of the war, with the ESRB description saying, "In single-player mode, players conduct missions on an unnamed Japanese island during World War II and then move into the modern day through jungles, deserts, and snowy terrain."

Just like we've discovered in our way too many hours with the game's multiplayer demo, the description details the inclusion of "melee attacks with a power drill" (yes, seriously) and the characters use of profanity "during cutscenes and in the heat of battle." And yes, we're just as excited by the former as you might imagine.
[Via BigDownload]

We've had extensive hands-on time with the multiplayer component of DICE's upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company sequel, but only just recently had a chance to try out the single-player campaign.

Our demo encompassed two fairly brief levels -- a jungle encampment and a battle through snow-covered mountains -- which were both set in South America. Short as they were, they gave us a taste of the ramped-up action, more challenging AI and a little bit of classic B-Company banter.

Finally, EA understands what it is we want out of our limited edition game bundles. Some extremely loseable keychains? Nope. A cat head-sized helmet which is awesome for roughly 23 minutes, then an eyesore shortly thereafter? Nope. In-game weapons and equipment which are useful as all-get-out, which also have the benefit of not taking up space in our real-life humble abodes? Ahh, now that's the ticket.

That's exactly what the limited edition of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 -- which is now available to pre-order through Steam -- is bringing to the table. The bundle includes six pieces of equipment, ranging from improved armor on the player's vehicles, to a magnetic dart gun which helps the player track targets. We've contacted DICE to find out if these bonuses will be available during the game's multiplayer portion. We'd hate to have a repeat of the original Bad Company's boycott shenanigans.

Update: The pre-order offer is also available from Direct2Drive!

This Thursday at 12:30am ET, the new season of GameTrailers TV is set to debut with a look at Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Specifically, the trailer for this week's episode promises that the show will display the first footage of the game's single-player campaign (we've seen multiplayer already, after all). Beyond the Bad Company 2 footage, GTTV will also have a clip from the upcoming Halo Legends anime collection. This might be a stretch, but we're guessing there will be Spartans in it.

As always, expect any juicy details to wind up here on Joystiq once the episode airs.

The PS3 community got a chance to get its hands on the multiplayer beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 in November -- today, we learned that the PC community will get its chance to try out the shooter in a few short weeks. According to a recent post on the Battlefield blog, the beta for the PC version of the game will kick off January 28, and will be available until February 25. To get on board, just reserve the game at participating retailers and ... "e-Tailers."

For more details about downloading the beta, and to find out about the map participants will be riddling with bullets, check out the Battlefield blog post.

If you're a PS3 owner with an inkling of an interest in first-person shooters, you've probably tried the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta, featuring a revamped Rush game mode. Everyone else, well, you're missing out on some great fun -- but March and the release of the retail game isn't that far off.

I've wanted to play more of the game's multiplayer component ever since getting into the beta, and I recently got that chance at EA's Redwood Shores, California headquarters. The occasion: the unveiling of a new game mode, squad deathmatch. Four squads of four members each (4-vs-4-vs-4-vs-4) square off to see which team can reach the kill limit first, which sounds straightforward enough until you consider the dense foliage of the new jungle map on which we played.

"You'll never make anything of your life just sitting around playing video games!"

You've heard this tired speech from your mom and dad so many times you could recite it from memory, but you can't help but smile whenever they repeat it. Because deep down in your heart, you know that as one of the 300,000-plus people playing the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta, you've helped rack up 1.01 million headshots, destroyed 380,000 houses and been responsible for more than 45 million kills. That, friends, is something real.

So next time your parents hassle you about some benign chore, just hold your head up high and say, "Sorry I didn't lock the wheels on the baby's walker, Mom and Dad. I was a little busy making a difference."

Ahhh yes, flying helicopters from base to base, frantically scrambling to a good vehicle or cover, and the always prudent flag rush -- staples of any good Battlefield: Bad Company online multiplayer match. Maybe you were more into sneaking into a building's attic, blowing a hole in one corner, and carefully sniping the other team from afar? You are our bane!

Ahem, that said, the latest multiplayer trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 above, serves to remind us of all the good times we had the first time around. It also, unfortunately, serves to remind us that the second game still isn't out for another three months. Luckily, some of you will get to enjoy the multiplayer beta starting today. Do us all a favor, folks -- shell the snipers!

Heading into the Thanksgiving weekend and the beginning of the holiday season, Microsoft has revealed the upcoming additions to Games on Demand and Deals of the Week. On November 23, Games on Demand will see three new entries, Saints Row 2, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and Battlefield: Bad Company.

The same week, there will actually be three Deals of the Week. The Fable II DLC "See the Future," normally 560 ($7) will be knocked down to 400 ($5). Meanwhile, Death Tank, usually 1200 ($15), will be reduced to 800 ($10). As The best deal, however, will be the excellent puzzler Peggle, which will shoot from 800 ($10) to 400 ($5). Pair that with the recently released Peggle Nights expansion (400), and you've got a lot of sweet, sweet Peggle for only $10.

As revealed earlier, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will the Deal of the Week starting November 30. It will be reduced from 400 ($5) to 240 ($3).

Announced yesterday, the multiplayer beta for EA and DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is going to give PS3 owners (and only PS3 owners) a one map appetizer on November 19 for the main course coming March 2, 2010. The beta features one match type -- Rush, a version of Bad Company's Gold Rush ... only without the gold -- and takes place in the sun-baked seaside locale of Arica Harbor.

Last week, we took part in a 24-player stress test for the beta (the version coming Nov. 19 will support 24 players, as will the final game) and came away rattled but ready for more. You can read about how it all went down after the break.

PS3 owners will soon have another exclusive to brag about in addition to Uncharted 2. EA and DICE announced today that the multiplayer beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will launch on Thursday, November 19, exclusively on Sony's console. As with the recent God of War III demo, a beta code will be offered as a pre-order incentive from GameStop, Amazon and Best Buy (visit the game's official site to check which other retailers are participating).

The beta will focus on one of Bad Company 2's new multiplayer game types: Rush. This multi-stage battle takes place on a map called Arica Harbor, which is broken into unique areas for each round. American forces push forward on foot and in vehicles to scrap with Russian troops outside a military base, in an urban environment and eventually at the harbor itself in a "last stand" scenario.

EA plans to begin a PC round of the beta in December, followed up by an all-new multiplayer demo for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC early next year. The finished game hits shelves on March 2, 2010. We recently had the opportunity to play in the multiplayer beta and will bring you our hands-on impressions tomorrow morning, November 6 at 9:00 a.m. PT / noon ET.

DICE is letting folks know that there are currently no Battlefield Bad Company 2 Beta sign-ups, meaning that any recent invitations you may have received represent scams. Battlefield producer Gordon Van Dyke is letting the community know that any site asking you to sign up for the beta is phishing -- he recommends you "give them the middle finger."

Van Dyke notes that if players aren't reading an announcement from the company's site or official Twitter, it just ain't real. Although we're sure you savvy consumers know better in this age, game companies aren't going to ask for your social security, mother's maiden name or other standard security questions.

EA and DICE revealed today what's to be found with the treasure trove of weaponry in Battlefield: Bad Company 2's Limited Edition retail release. The BFBC2 "while supplies last" edition will contain six special game unlocks -- only four of which are for Bad Company 2 -- and cost the same as the regular retail version.

The four BFBC2 unlocks are:

• Improved Vehicle Armor - Pretty self explanatory.
• Supreme Vehicle Firepower - Additional weapon mounts for the driver.
• Vehicle Motion Sensor - Locate enemy units in proximity to vehicle.
• Tracer Dart Pistol - Attaches to any vehicle "to track, lock on, and fire rockets onto moving targets even beyond line of sight"

The other two unlocks are for Battlefield 1943 and give soldiers the M1A1 Submachine Gun and the M1911 Pistol, which are both ... you know, guns that go pew-pew. BFBC2 launches March 2 and 5 in North America and Europe, respectively. Meanwhile, poor Battlefield 1943 has been waiting for new maps since July 20, 2009.

We're sure that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Executive Producer Karl-Magnus Troedsson (awesome name!) is a very nice gentleman, and we're sure he says some really interesting things in GameTrailers' TGS video found after the break, but he keeps interrupting some glorious multiplayer gameplay footage. Shhh, Karl-Magnus, we're trying to watch the booms, bangs and bagongings.

Check out the footage after the break to get an idea of all the mayham and some of the vehicle cockpit views we'll experience when Battlefield: Bad Company 2 releases -- when else, but 2010 ... just like everything else.