Battlefield 3
While the filthy console peasants play their gimped version of “Battlefield 3” with inferior visuals, texture pop-in, and a 24-player cap in multiplayer, we of the glorious PC gaming master race are experiencing one of the best multiplayer shooters to be released this generation. I must emphasis that it is one of the best multiplayer shooters this generation, because if you’re coming to “Battlefield 3” looking for an engaging single-player, there is none to be found.
The single-player mode of “Battlefield 3” takes the lighthearted, character-focused narrative of the “Bad Company” series and throws it out the window. It seems at every turn the design lead said, “No, make it more like ‘Call of Duty!’” The game even has the exact same narrative framing as “Call of Duty: Black Ops.” It opens with your rogue American soldier under interrogation by the US, then has you play through his memories of previous missions as he explains them to his interrogators.
The action is exactly what you would expect to find in any modern military shooter as you mow down hundreds of terrorists with your AI-controlled squad, with a few factors separating it somewhat from the norm. Obviously with its expansive environments where a shot from a quarter of a mile isn’t unheard of, the engagements in the multiplayer of the “Battlefield” series have always taken place at a greater distance on average than the “Call of Duty” series. This gives the multiplayer matches their famous sense of scale and a much higher immersion factor as it is one of the only games where battles feel like fighting in a war movie.
Single-player encounters also take place at a greater average distance, but in the extremely linear campaign where most battles take place in narrow urban streets, this only slows down the action and adds frustration. The only real gameplay addition from “Call of Duty” is quick time events, which are frequent and irritating. Requiring me to press the spacebar 10 times to drag my downed comrade to safety adds nothing to my immersion; it’s just annoying. The only real reason I have to recommend the single-player mode is as a graphical showpiece, because there are some moments that are absolutely stunning if you have the rig to run this monster at full specs.
Six cooperative missions, independent of the single-player, were added to make “Battlefield 3” a fully-featured retail product, but it really just feels like a last minute tack-on. The missions must be played in order even though there is little story, and the second one requires one player to pilot a helicopter while the other serves as gunner. This should prevent most players from seeing more than half of the co-op. As anyone who has played a “Battlefield” game knows, the flying vehicles are notoriously difficult to control, and forcing a player to pilot a helicopter through an entire mission is boring and frustrating.
Two of the three flavors in this Neapolitan may be underwhelming, but the third is so mind-meltingly delicious that the other two are quickly forgotten. The multiplayer of “Battlefield 3” is unmatched among other shooters of this generation. The classes have been simplified and tweaked from previous entries to the medic-like assault, ammo-dispensing support, vehicle-focused engineer, and sniper-toting recon. New weapons and gadgets are earned independently from upgrades to vehicles and guns, and progression overall is significantly slower from “Bad Company 2.” I had every piece of equipment unlocked in “Bad Company 2” in around two months, but I don’t expect to accomplish that in “Battlefield 3” for a very long time, if ever.
The deathmatch, conquest and rush modes are the same as they were in “Bad Company 2,” but with larger, and for the most part, better-designed maps. This is especially true with rush maps. Each portion of the map feels distinct and presents its own challenges as the match progresses deeper into the defensive team's territory. One highlight for me is an offensive spawn point perched atop a cliff where you leap down upon the enemy base, attempting to land on a strategically important roof while deploying your parachute as late as possible so no sniper can pick you off as you drift down. The matches sustain action better than previous games where half your time was spent running or waiting on a vehicle spawn, though there is still significant downtime.
My recommendation for “Battlefield 3” is an easy one to explain. Do you want to shoot dudes online? If so, no game this year does it better than “Battlefield 3.”
