Before the iPhone, hardcore first person shooters seemed like an impossibility for mobile phones. However, games like N.O.V.A. and Rage have proven that not only can this genre function on mobile devices, they can thrive. EA is stepping up its game by releasing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 onto the iPhone later this month, a mobile version of their FPS hit.
Like many other first-person shooters on touch screens, there is an invisible joystick on the left for controlling the character’s movement, and an invisible joystick on the right for looking around. Picking up weapons and items off the ground is as simple as tapping them on the screen, and the same goes for shooting. While the controls are a little awkward coming from a console, like many iPhone titles that try to mimic button presses with the touch screen, it seems to do just fine for the game.
Visually, it’s quite good. Many of the stages from Bad Company 2 have been recreated here, and while the pacing is a little slower, there are some really great effects to push the limits of the phone.They are not going to break any boundaries for handheld graphics, but they look surprisingly detailed.
The most exciting element, however, would have to be the multiplayer. While I did not have a chance to play this mode, there will be full online gaming to play against real people in real time. That’s never a bad thing, and if EA can make sure the gameplay is solid and the lag is minimal, we could have a great handheld multiplayer game. Coming out later this month, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a very interesting application of traditional shooting gameplay on the iPhone.
