Though far from perfect, Batlefield 3 demonstrates a level of realism on the warzone that is unmatched.This is true war
Keep in mind for a moment what war simulator means. Is Call of Duty really a war simulator, for example> Not particularly, and Call of Duty really isnt trying to. Call of Duty developers aim instead to create an explosive, arcadey, all out war, summer blockbuster movie feel. Call of Duty, therefore, is a very different kind of war game and is very good at what it does...... and when Battlefield 3 occassionally tries to mimic their style they dont really succeed. But then there is what Battlefield 3 does best. Its not making a war movie, its making a war EXPERIENCE. In this regard, Battlefield 3 is not just a video game. It really is a simulator. Everything from the sights of gigantic, tank filled landscapes and helicopter filled skies, to the sounds of the sudden SWOOSH of the rocket launcher shot that JUST missed your head and the pounding of your rifle....you will be hard pressed to find a game that feels more like war.
If you want to know how multiplayer is, well really its just a better version of what Bad Company 2 was like. You already heard about the small class changes im sure. What you might not know is actually how much you can customnize your weapons. Its not like Black Ops weapon customization, but it offers many unlockable choices for your gun that bad company 2 didnt have at all. This new depth in weapon customization, together with the plethora of awards, upgrades, and ways to get points, makes this one of the deepest and most rewarding console online experiences money can buy. Maps here are stunning by the way. There is a map or two way too big for 24 player matches, but most of the maps find a perfect balance between being big and open but being small enough to keep the action going. They also happen to look stunningly detailed.
Single player, you may have already heard about. The plot is practically nonexistent, and the campaign feels nothing like a Battlefield game. In trying to be the most cinematic Battlefield campaign ever, its also the one thats the most restricting to your free will. Half the game plays itself with cutscenes and what i like to call "interactive cutscenes", which are basically turret-only segments and ones where you press the button the game tells you to. BUT BUT BUT!!! Let me tell you though, once again! Even here, you will be hard pressed to find a military shooter campaign that feels more gritty and realistic. Just like multiplayer makes you feel at war, so too does the campaign. The campaign is not good for it dull story or mediocre AI, but for the war experience it gives you that not even Call of Duty's better scripted campaign can match. When in one level you are covertly crawling through the night time, terrorist filled streets, with lights glaring in your face, rats biting at your fingers, and yells echoing against building walls......THATS BATTLEFIELD.
In the end, is this a good game? Refer to the question I asked from the begginning.....is plot THAT important? Does Battlefield HAVE to tell a good story to be a good game? If you answer no.......then I cant recommend this game enough. Call of Duty is good at what it does and I respect that. But this game is true war.