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Battlefield 3 was rumored to be in the works since late 2007 and has finally landed on shelves around the world. This game is a direct sequel to the 2005 PC hit, Battlefield 2. Previous entries into the genre have dominantly been multiplayer focused, but BF3 comes with a singleplayer campaign, co-op, and multiplayer modes.

Campaign

The campaign is a great place to start for those new to not only the series, but shooters in general. A new player will get accustomed to the controls, a few vehicles, and miscellaneous gameplay mechanics. The singleplayer offers three levels of difficulty to help the player choose a fitting challenge level. The campaign follows Sgt. Blackburn, a marine who is being interrogated by his superiors about various events from the marine’s past (yes, if you’re thinking Black Ops). The player will engage enemies in F-18’s, New York, and the deserts surrounding Tehran. The singleplayer offers a few hours of gameplay and has its scenic moments that will be forgotten by most players, but we’re here for the multiplayer.

Co-op

The co-op campaign splits off the main singleplayer campaign and offers the ability to play with two people. The six co-op missions also offer three levels of difficulty and provide the perfect mix between singleplayer and multiplayer. As players progress in co-op they’ll unlock weapons that can be used in multiplayer and move from infantry fighting to escorting troops with a Cobra helicopter and various engaging missions. The co-op offers points and weapons for the player, so everyone who has BF3 should make sure they don’t miss this game aspect.

Multiplayer

The Battlefield series is known for its multiplayer format and that is where most players will spend most of their time. Battlefield 3 offers nine maps ranging from the streets of Paris to the mountains of Tehran. All of the maps feel unique and fresh; they’re large, yet not as large as say BF2’s Zatar Wetlands or BF1942’s El Alamein. These new big maps and tightly aligned points keep the gameplay fast while allowing a major amount of flanking ability. The larger maps open up to BF3’s vehicles. The helicopters feel incredibly agile and are satisfying to fly, but the planes are a bit on the opposite end of the spectrum. Not having the ability to disable the cockpit view and go for a more BF2/BF1942 frontal cam view makes it difficult to fly planes and helicopters (most notably the Russian Havoc). Both first time FPS players and those comfortable with the series will find their battle tastes suited. If a player wants to sit in a tower while spotting enemies and aircraft, they can do that. However, if someone needs action and wants points, they can hop on Operation Metro (after playing the other BF3 maps, you’ll understand why DICE chose this one for the beta) or Seine Crossing for a fast paced point gaining match. Teamwork type players will feel welcomed by the game’s rush mode where teams either defend or attack M-COM crates. If you’re interested in infantry combat, then both base “B’s” on Operation Metro and and Grand Bazaar will become your friends. Playing Assault and dropping medic packs in areas with lots of friendlies can earn you easy points. Revives generate a lot of points as well. Don’t restrict yourself to points though, this isn’t Strike at Karkand (well not until December), but try out all the kits!

There’s also the addictive factor; Battlefield 3 was built to offer years of gameplay where it will take players years of gameplay to finally unlock all weapons and their attachments. Battlefield 3’s multiplayer is also enhanced by the Frostbite 2 engine, bringing down facades of buildings on top of enemy players, adding another dimension to gameplay. Walls and buildings entirely can’t be used as a trusted form of cover, because they can be destroyed. Squads offer a satisfying level of teamwork which will keep players engaged, but not having VoIP abilities built ingame renders your squad useless. They do occasionally act as good spawn points though. Unlocks are well balanced. There’s no ace in the hole when it comes to new unlocks, they do offer their perks though: scopes, barrels, grips, etc. all of which can help with accuracy. So level 45’s won’t necessarily have a disadvantage coming into the game, just their lack of level layouts will hinder them in the beginning. Some gamers have already said that the leveling is way to fast, but as a BF2 player for over six years, I’ve yet to reach the highest BF2 level. It’s the unlocks that make the game playable for years to come, not just ranks.

The Battlefield 3 multiplayer experience will also continue to be engaging with a line of DLC’s planned. The first is due out this December. The Back to Karkand expansion pack will bring back four maps from BF2, three vehicles, and a few popular weapons. (We’re betting to see the G36E in the mix of weapons!) Battle it out on the series’ famous map: Wake Island or in the tight streets of Strike at Karkand. There is more DLC planned, but that’s been a secret so far, but don’t worry, EA’s in with Battlefield 3 for the long haul. Our hope is that they’ll release a “Back to Battlefield” DLC that truly caters to what Battlefield Veterans really want (I’m prepped to pay a fair sum of cash to see what they could create).

Battlefield 3 follows in a proud series of games that offer the "play how you want" mentality and BF3 is no exception. A player looking for a military shooter and who wants something that includes tight gun battles and large open spaces on the same map, they should look no farther than Battlefield 3. It's on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. While consoles are limited in what they can do, the visuals still look stunning, especially with the HD texture pack installed. From a technical standpoint, this game is beautifully optimized, heck I get up to 70fps on my laptop that I used for this review! Battlefield 3 is here to stay, sales reports from EA show that this game will NOT be a flop, it's been well received by gamers and critics alike. Battlelog is a free service run by EA that offers gamers to track their stats and interact with other gamers. So all players should go ahead and check it out, that is, if they want a fresh and addicting shooter that offers unmatched gameplay, graphics, physics, and sound design. Buy it? Yes, yes you should.

I want to thank EA/DICE for a game that has been on my mind for many years now and a special thanks to Seeson for PAX and the BF3 copy.» Open full story in newsreader