Battlefield 3: Review
NB - I find myself unable to give full marks due to the single player not offering all that it could. Consider the multiplayer portion of the game a strong 5 out of 5.
With games like Battlefield, you must consider that the game has both a single player and multiplayer element. More so then your average game, the reason that this must be considered is because there are a vast majority of players that will simply buy this game for the multiplayer. The single player campaign might be looked at after the fact, but there will be a fair amount of people that simply install the texture pack and then head straight to the multiplayer suite. Some may own Battlefield 3 and never even play its main campaign.
Battlefield 3 is the FPS shooter from EA and Dice and in case you’ve been living under a rock, the direct competition of Modern Warfare 3. And here in lies the problem. Instead of trying to make a unique FPS experience EA and Dice seem to have fallen into the pitfalls of trying to emulate their competition. Obviously fair enough – with the shear numbers of stock the name Call of Duty can shift you can see why BF3 wouldn’t want to stray too far off the mark in order to appeal to the masses, but at times the single player of Battlefield 3 just feels like it’s going through the motions of trying to be Call of Duty. The staple of COD games – of taking control of a playable character who dramatically dies to close off a section or mission – is used on a number of occasions in BF3 and it just seems to fall by the way side.
It also baffles me to find quick times events in the game that have your character in intense one of one struggles with enemies only to have you press a button for every maybe 3-4 things your character actually does on screen. I also find it hard to believe that because I missed a button prompt to stab an unaware guard my character would simply fall to the floor limp, make a small ‘gah’ noise and die - this was rather strange.
There are some good elements too – don’t get me wrong. The game play itself is solid for the most part and there are some great moments such as taking to the skies for a mission in a fighter jet or the incredible sound design choice of you only hear a muted gun fight up ahead after facing a dramatic scenario that has left you numbed to the world around you.
Now for the really good news. The multiplayer is fantastic, the best tactical FPS on the market – and yes in my humble opinion more enjoyable then Call of Duty. Battlefield 3 offers more expansive environments, it offers more tactics and deeply encourages teamwork through various rewards and a solid squad system.
The maps are varied and the game still offers those ‘battlefield moments’ a term coined by many to help try to explain the absolute carnage and mayhem that the game can produce. And boy does it produce. Spawning in on my team’s base – an air carrier. I was immediately aware of an enemy attack helicopter with mounted mini guns hovering above my head. Instinctively I sprinted for the edge of the ship and leapt off the carriers main deck as mini gun fire chased at my feet as I fell into the relative safety of the water below. The things that can just happen on the fly in this game, are the things that you see all the time in huge Hollywood action blockbusters – only this time – you’re in the middle of if all!
On the customisation side of things you can mod your main weapon and the amount of customisation really caters to all play styles. Scopes, tactical flash lights, silencers - all these and more are on offer for your soldier and will help you fight the good fight and continue your pursuit of XP as you rank up and get various new unlocks along the way. There are also various perks along the way that offer for example, resistance to grenade splash damage or allow you to use extra weapons while in vehicles. Such unlocks are tied to specific tasks. Spend enough time in a jeep and you’ll gain an extra addition for when you are in these cars, similarly if you spend your time flying a jet you will be eligible to earn rewards to utilise when you are flying again in the future.
Heading online the battlelog system is a stat tracking website that is worth joining if you have any interest at all in you and your friends stats and information. You can build clans called ‘platoons’, add friends and follow everything from your favourite guns, your kill / death ratio and your upcoming unlocks from guns to accessories.
All in all – Battlefield 3 is a fantastic game. A game that offers a great multiplayer experience and a competent single player campaign. Buy it – squad up – rank up and have a ball as your step into the most intense and wild card filled multiplayer there is.
