For console players, the news is grim but not impossible.

Verdict for console gamers: If you want offline multiplayer, buy the PC version. It is often on sale for $5.

Modders created a local server emulator. This piece of software tricks your game client into thinking it is connecting to an EA server, but instead, it routes the traffic to your own computer (localhost: 127.0.0.1).

In online multiplayer, everyone is a try-hard. Offline? You can run the ATV directly into your friend’s C4 trap, laugh about it, and respawn 3 seconds later. The bot AI isn't dumb (they will snipe you from a mile away with a shotgun), but they are predictable. This creates a "horde mode" vibe that modern Battlefields lack.

We live in the age of the "Live Service." If your internet goes out, or a game's servers get shut down (RIP BC2 official servers in 2023), your $70 disc becomes a drink coaster.

But the spirit of BC2 offline lives on through the magic of Legacy LAN and Xbox One/360 backward compatibility (for the Onslaught mode).

Here is why you should dig out your old console and a second controller this weekend: