Battlefield 3

Well it has been slighly over 1 month since the 3rd installment of the Battlefield franchise has been released and after hours and hours of gameplay we can elaborate to those interested in learning more about this epic addition to the saga. First and foremost it is to be noted that the Battlefield saga was focused on the multiplayer aspect of gaming more than a single player story. This reflected in the campaign of the game as it was a standard shooter story nothing overly amazing as far as the story goes. Graphics that brought the story to life has it an all time high with the latest Frostbite engine and the details it can generate show and make the game a very eye pleasing experience. Those who enjoy a standard shoot them up story then the campaign will do justice but is far from being the bread winner of this game.

Multiplayer gameplay… the essence of a true first person shooter. Battlefield released with open arms to the thousands of preorderers midnight October 25, 2011 and the wait was worth it. Players were immediately brought into a living battlefield where sounds, visuals, and cover could change all in an instant. Combat can be intense to strategic to effectively complete team objectives in Conquest (Control Points), Rush (Bomb / Defuse), and Death Match modes. Every game though always has an issue. EA servers experienced some major issues within the first 2 weeks of release and many server and user patches occurred to help stablize. Each update helped stability and one month later most problems have been resolved as far as stability goes.

Gameplay is based around strong tactical movements as well as the shooter accuracy. Combining the elements and throw in jeeps, tanks, helicopters, and jets you have yourself a full blown war. The game changes greatly from an infantry to air control designed maps. Depending on the task at hand and the loadout of your squad(s) and team(s) you can become a devastating force. Players can select from 4 classes each bringing a unique support function to the table and drive in 15+ vehicles ranging from ground to air. Some vehicles are single seaters (jets) others can hold two or more (jeeps, tanks, APCs, and helicopters).

A player has multiple levels of leveling and ranking. Each player begins as a Private and playing the game earns experiencing that applies to your player rank. Each rank will unlock an item or perk and spans from personal to squad perks, guns, and camoflage. Each class has a leveling system that as you use a certain class you gain experiencing and can level up each class. Each class has a number of weapons and atleast 2 ways to assist the team. Finally you have weapon leveling. To unlock upgrades for a weapon you must use it. Each unlock is connected to a number of kills with the weapon and most weapons have 15-20 unlocks each. With each of these systems connected and done in an overlapping manner it isn’t unheard of to have a few unlocks every few games (if doing well or starting out). Each level increases the amount of experience needed and thus adding to the overall time needed to complete.

Load outs help make the player but in the end it means nothing if the player fails to complete the game mode’s objective(s). This is not your average “I will camp and will win” game. Players often connect their W/L ratio with their K/D ratios and thus miss the point of series. In Battlefiled the Win/Loss is all that matters. A player with a K/D of 1 kill and 11 deaths could potentially be the MVP if they were capturing points, reviving members of their team, resupplying ammo, using drones to spot targets etc. A kill may mean a lot in many games but in Battlefield it is simply a single element in this formula of battle. Those who understand this ideal normally are those who excel at this game.

The game has an amazing engine behind it so if you are seeking a game with great graphics, tactical shooter combat, and enjoy the team or solo elements where the win is more important than the kills you’ll love this game. The first DLC releases in a few weeks bringing back 4 maps from the past. Those who played Battlefield 2 will be very happy to see the favorites return in addition they are adding more weapons and vehicles (many from the Battlefield 2 era) with the addition of a bulldozer. That’s right a bonus vehicle of a bulldozer and a player can sit in the shovel and fire out of it while another drives. Interesting component and we look forward to seeing what they have completely done to these fan favorites. Below is the trailer for the DLC to give you a taste of what is to come!