A familiar look for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (preview)

Not that it's going to blunt the epic juggernaut that's going to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but DICE will be releasing an exclusive multiplayer beta on the PlayStation 3 on Nov. 19.

The date comes on the heels of Modern Warfare 2's Nov. 10 launch. It's a provocative move, one that makes me arch an eyebrows just a little bit. It basically says from one franchise to another: We're not afraid of you. We can take you on despite your big marketing muscle and your controversial commercials. Even the news release has a slight jab at Activision's behemoth title: "Battlefield: Bad Company 2 provides a true all-out war experience like no other modern warfare game." (Those are my bold marks.)

But if Bad Company 2 can talk the talk, can it walk the walk? I had a chance to play the beta last month, and it looks like DICE's game will present some challenge to Modern Warfare 2. The two games definitely inhabit the same space in the shooter genre. Both have a similar cache of weapons, both have similar environments, both have a similar vibe.