While a first-person shooter, the game follows the series by including controllable vehicles, including ATVs, APCs, tanks, and helicopters . On foot, players are given access to a variety of real-world small arms such as assault rifles and machine guns. While on foot, players can jump, crouch, and sprint. They can carry one primary weapon and a pistol in multiplayer, or two primary weapons in single player, as well as grenades and other equipment. Players can fire "from the hip", but zooming in and using the weapon's iron sights, reflex sight, or scope (depending on the weapon) will provide much better accuracy when shooting.
Bad Company 2 heavily emphasizes destructible environments. Large sections of most buildings can be destroyed by explosives; some walls and fences break down under barrages of bullets. The game's physics engine realistically simulates the destruction.
