Battlefield 3 – Gameguide
by FamousFive · November 20, 2011
If you’re not an online gamer and you’re thinking of picking up Battlefield 3 only for it’s single player campaign, don’t. It’s just not that good. How it plays compared to the previous two installments, I don’t know. I came on board the Battlefield juggernaut late in the game, with the release of Bad Company 2. So impressed with Bad Company 2 was I, that I purchased the original Bad Company as well. Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but it had class. I’ve played all the Call of Duty games – with the exception of the latest – and all the major Medal of Honor games, so I’m a bit of a fan of this whole military shooter thing.It’s not that Battlefield 3’s single player campaign is necessarily bad, it’s just that it’s frustrating and fails to engage you in any way what so ever. You feel like you’re just going through the motions and this is never a good thing. And there’s ample of those annoying little moments when the game does it’s best to remind you that you’re actually playing a game rather than having an experience. Essentially it sucks the fun out of it, without adding any sense of real world simulation.It’s a pity, but it’s not a game killer. Rather, it’s the future and I think EA and DICE know this. The game itself comes on two disks. One is the campaign and one is the multiplayer. It’s the multiplayer disk that will give the most joy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Battlefield 4 came with only online functionality, because that’s where the game shines, and like the tactical lights in the game, it’s shines so bright it blinds the competition into obscurity.Battlefield 3’s winning formula is centered on the decision to make the game squad based. This has it’s pros and cons, but if you’re playing regularly online with friends, it’s all pros. The only real con is if you find yourself in a squad that doesn’t care to b a squad or in no squad at all.But if you’re in a squad that works as a squad, uses the different classes to maximum benefit, then you’re in for a wild ride. The maps are all different and you have the usual assortment of vehicles on the larger maps, and predominantly infantry based battles on the smaller maps. It’s a nice mix that keeps everything interesting and farces you to be creative with your character selection.The maps themselves are just stunning – not just visually, but well designed, making for tight battles with an intensity rarely seen in gaming. With so many angles to shoot down, corners and door ways to hide in and dark areas to lurk, playing tactically is essential.Snipers will find plenty of places to ruin your day, but they won’t survive unmolested for long. The maps are so well balanced that unless your team are completely incompetent, you’ll have a fighting chance in most games you play.As with any online shooter worth it’s salt these days, it’s the progression of unlocks that are a huge factor in keeping us coming back night after night, and whilst things are a little different from Bad Company 2, leveling up is addictive as crack cocaine.So good solid game-play, on maps that are a joy to play, but can be a bastard to master, Battlefield 3’s online component sounds like to perfect game.Not quite. The destruction that made Bad Company stand out from the crowd has been reduced somewhat. The destruction on some maps has already occurred before you gets there, and occasionally you’ll get your tank trapped by a parked car that you just can’t seem to roll over or push out of the way.There is enough destruction to keep things interesting, but a few fans my be disappointed, though this is far more evident in the single player campaign.
In essence if you’re an online gamer and you like military shooters, Battlefield 3 is the only game you’re going to need for the next 12 months.