Battlefield 3

Markav on Mon Nov 07, 2011 9:13 am

EA DICE / Electronic Arts
Release: Oct 28, 2011 EU

Battlefield 3, one of the most hyped games of 2011 and touted as MW3's arch-rival. For a long time, the Battlefield games have been known as those large scale online FPS games exclusively for PC gamers. Although Battlefield finally came to light on consoles with the introduction of the Bad Company games, these games are distinct in their style from the original Battlefield games. Battlefield 3 continues the original Battlefield series while combining the best things from Bad Company 2.
I was a “late bloomer” to the Battlefield franchise having never played the PC games so this review can in no way be compared to the understandable superiority of the PC version, only compare it to my experience of the bad company games. Let's get on to the review.

Much has been said about the main new feature of this game. One of the new things brought along by Battlefield 3 is the new Frostbite engine. This allows for much more realistic physics and destruction, everything can be destroyed, EVERYTHING. The gameplay is also very smooth, you no longer feel sluggish when running around like you did in Bad Company 2. The fluid movement is perfect, you don't feel like a floating gun, you actually feel like a soldier in combat. DICE has also added vaulting animations and prone animations that are executed very nicely and look wonderful. While the game plays at 30FPS on consoles, it does not get into the way of playing fluidly. The AI in this game is very intelligent and even on normal mode, its a fair challenge. The story goes away from the humorous style of Bad Company 2 to a more serious and mature style. It really makes you feel like DICE went the extra mile to be accurate on realism. The story is the generic Middle East conflict between the US and Russia and some 3rd faction reminiscent in most FPS's but it adds a twist and it is a very enjoyable short story mode that fully showcases all of the new things DICE has to play with. The game does not integrate massive macho characters with the attempts to drag on conversations dictated by the characters testosterone levels but makes you feel like you may be the only hope at stopping what actions have been set in place by the PLR, the terrorist organization pent on decimating entire cities. A great story and a great pace makes the campaign enjoyable.

Graphics. If you install the HD texture pack , you will notice how amazing this game looks. the attention to detail of this game is very nice. The art direction in Battlefield 3, the dark colours with the contrasting red and blue, blend perfectly. With full surround, the audio is flawless. Can't complain about the sound of jets, choppers, and vehicles rolling by all while being able to distinguish what type of weapon is pinning you behind cover. Snipers have a unique sound to them which allows you to take note of where that players direction may be and how far away he is. Voice acting is great in the game as well, the cast does a great job at engulfing the player and creating tension and suspense. Nothing bad to say about the audio, as it has met all of my expectations and if I was pushed to choose one I would say this is the games strongest feature, The sound of a low flying jet going over as you run across the map is something you just don't get in other FPS's.

You should never get bored of this game. With a strong online mode to keep you busy and an unlock system in place, you will always be wanting to come back. What sets Battlefield games apart from other is how every game you play online is a totally new experience, even if its on the same map. There are many different types of vehicles as well as many different types of weapons with a class system. You can play as a medic going around bringing your teammates back to life or you can be Rambo and run around with your trigger taped down spewing out rounds everywhere. The maps are huge and you can play in many different styles. The only thing that let me down is the matchmaking, why do we always get split up when we join a game as a squad?

This game also offer's a two player co op mode. Players must work as a team to take down everything from terrorists bent on setting off nukes in highly populated cities to saving hostages and eliminating enemies stealthily with a sniper, almost similar to some of the stealth missions seen in Call of Duty MW2's spec-ops. In some cases communication is the only tool that can help you achieve victory, which is a great way to immerse yourself with a fellow teammate. The game does itself justice by allowing players to unlock weapons during co-op play for use in multi-player, which definitely gives the co-op mode more replay value while giving players the opportunity to pick missions that fit their playing style. Although there are only six co-op missions they are good fun.
Achievements on this are fairly straight forward (if the single player ones don't glitch on you) The hardest achievement will probably collecting all the ribbons in multiplayer as that does require a decent amount of effort and time.

Did this game need to be marketed as a “COD killer”? No, I wish EA had not done that as this is a fine game in it's own right and we should think ourselves lucky to have both franchise's with such strong games. To me they are played too differently for comparison so they are fine to co exist.
If you enjoyed playing Bad Company 2 well then be prepared to be blown away. The controls are tight, graphics are impressive, and the audio (like every other battlefield game) is astonishing. This wrapped together means a very fun experience and one I shall spend many hours in.

9/10
See you on the battlefield!

thommo12 on Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:16 pm

Great review of a great game mate. I don't think I'll get bored of the multiplayer for a very long time.

I agree that EA didn't have to call this a COD killer, they're very different games and I think there's room for both.