The $60 drop on Battlefield 3 is definitely for the multiplayer and co-op chunk of the game. But it more than delivers!
Pros: The sound is the number one "wow" factor for me. I was thoroughly impressed with Battlefield Bad Company's sound design, and Battlefield 3's new frostbite engine more than lived up to the standard; with amazing reality engrained in each shot, explosions blasting all around you will you scurry around looking for a new pair of underpants that you just soiled, and the background shots and explosions make you feel like you just enlisted into battle (it also helps to have my Turle Beach surround sound headset glued to my head). This installment in the series adds myriads of new customization: clothing, guns, and vehicles; my favorite of which is the mortor: You literally pull out a life sized mortor and rain destructive shells above your enemies! Jets are an amazing addition to add to your arsenal along with the return of attack and scout helicopters... albeit they are difficult to fly and learn to control effectively. Co-op is fun to play with a friend, and can be challenging to say the least. The overall design, setting, and aesthetics of the maps (multiplayer, co-op and single player) are unforgettable and superlative.
Cons: My major dissapointment to this game is not not really the single player, but the storyline. The single player has some fun gameplay, but the story line is like every other modern military fps baked into one lame, overdone cake. Some of the medals and ribbons from battlefield bc 1 and 2 are not in this one (destruction 2.0 where you had to blow up certain amount of buidlings, structures etc.). Another dissapointment for me, was the fact that a lot of buildings are not destructable; the scale of destruction was overrated in this installment with the exception of cutscenes/linear moments. There are some glitches, although they do not completely break the game. There is a steep learning curve as with most other Battlefield games in general; especially when using the jets and helicopters. The lag is fairly annoiying and sparatically happens, it is head-scratching there is any lag at all considering they have servers. My last concern about this game, is the bullet drop with the snipers: the sniping in battlefield bc 2 is what got me hooked, I loved having to calculate in my head where to shoot and using landmarks to get the beat on enemies.
Overall this game is worth the money considering the minor faults and dissapointments. The slow progression of levels and unlocking tactical and powerful upgrades to your classes will keep you playing all hours into the night, abusing even you family and work (eh screw em, this is your time to shine and have fun... right?) The 9.0 I give this game is basing it off of the multiplayer and co-op. I recommend buying this game, as you won't be dissapointed at the sandbox play style of this installment to the series... Now im off to do some gratuitous liquidation in Kharg Island!!!