Battlefield 3 has been one of my most anticipated games of 2011 – having loved Bad Company 2 I was hopeful DICE would continue their great work in the genre.
This game is a follow up to 2005’s PC only Battlefield 2 as opposed to the Battlefield: Bad Company series that has recently appeared on consoles.
Have no fear though, the developers have incorporated lots of things from Bad Company to help improve the all round gameplay.
Whilst the older Battlefield titles on PC were strictly multiplayer only, Battlefield 3 comes with a single player campaign mode as well. Everything we’d seen pointed to something special… something that would blow the campaigns of the Call Of Duty games out of the water.
Sadly, as has been echoed already in reviews around the globe, this just isn’t the case. Battlefield 3’s campaign is a decent, linear shooter but it doesn’t really do much to break new ground.
I felt there were a number of cheap deaths and at times it was just too easy to get killed (playing on Normal). This led to a few instances of really frustrating play that I just don’t remember being as prevalent in Bad Company 2.
Graphically the campaign is stunning. Certainly the best I’ve seen in the genre on PS3. At one stage I found myself watching the rain fall onto the rooftop I was on rather than following my immediate objective.
The mutliplayer is sublime and (thankfully) has nothing like the amount of problems the beta had. The only issue I’ve encountered is when in a squad and joining a game you sometimes get split up from your squad and have to join up again in game. (EDIT: Which I’ve just read is an issue that’s about to fixed)
The gameplay is well balanced and flows fantastically. Your progress feels a lot more spaced out than in Bad Company 2 but I feel you’re being constantly rewarded with little additions (scopes/laser sights etc) along the way so everything feels like you are making strides to unlocking new items.
Almost everything here is team based – you’ll net points for supressing fire, kill assists, dropping ammo/medical supplies for your team etc. It’s possible to be the best player in the game without killing many people at all. In one match the overall best player had only killed 3 people in the game but had racked up points by supporting the rest of his team and carrying out the objectives during the round.
The maps are well designed and there are Squad Team Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch options as well as Battlefield staples Rush and Conquest, each with their own map layouts.
The guns handle superbly, with a recoil kick that takes a while to get used to, and almost every weapon feels different. The accompanying audio is top notch and the sounds of the battle really do play a big part.
Battlefield 3 is without a doubt the best multiplayer gameplay experience I have had on the PS3. The epic scripted events of most games campaigns happen here regularly and, more importantly, naturally – created by other players.
Whilst running towards a capture point in one match a jet flew overhead, was hit by a rocket a nosedived into the ground ahead of me causing a massive explosion. In the meantime a tank rolled by and blew out the wall of a building to the side of me. A few enemies spilled out from the smoke and I took them down. Experiences like this aren’t rare in Battlefield 3 and that is why, despite an average campaign, I’d recommend the title to anyone.
Rating 9/10
6 Comments
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GregHorrorShow 
Nice review, mate.
I’d agree with most of that. Personally, I think there are a few things they need to sort out with the multiplayer before it runs as smoothly as BFBC2 – spawns on some of the conquest maps are beyond ridiculous and I’m still getting the odd ‘insta-death’ here and there – but for the most part the campaign was enjoyable and multiplayer is fun as hell.
Like they said on Giant Bomb: it’s not so much an ‘FPS’ as it is a ‘crazy shit simulator’… perfect description.
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