Battlefield 3 lives up to franchise expectations and continues to be a leader in the genre.
THE GOOD
-Addicting multiplayer
-Superb level design
-Balanced vehicle/infantry abilities
-Stunning visual and audio
THE BAD
-Gameplay bugs and glitches
-Boring single player campaign
OVERVIEW
The Battlefield franchise is known throughout the industry for it's epic sized combat. Battlefield 3 continues the legacy combining massive environments, a wide assortment of vehicles and keeping the teamwork mentality at the forefront. Well, this is at least a true statement as far as the online multiplayer is concerned. The dull single player campaign is another story. But let's face it, you're buying this game for the competitive player vs player experience anyways. Although it would have been nice to see every aspect of BF3 get the same amount of attention as the multiplayer.
The story in Battlefield 3 takes place in 2014 where America's involvement is increasing in the Middle East. Most of this tale is retold by the main protagonist, Sergeant Henry Blackburn, to a couple of CIA agents. A detained Blackburn, through a series of flashbacks, explains his actions prior to being arrested.
Battlefield 3 does a fairly good enough job presenting Blackburn's adventure. The dialog is decently scripted and the characters are believable. The problem is that it's the same ho-hum Middle Eastern conflict story that's been told a thousand times before. Middle Eastern terrorists acquire weapons of mass destruction and the heroes have to save the day, blah, blah, blah.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay-wise the campaign limits you to the full capability offered in the successful multiplayer mode. Only certain weapons are available, class abilities are non-existent and besides one tank mission, the vehicles feel more like an on-rails shooting mini-game. Additionally, the enemy and allied AI is all over the place. The AI is either spot on making it feel like another person is playing beside you or leaving you scratching your head and wondering what they are thinking. Overall, the entire single player feels like an empty shell and actually felt more like the developers where obligated to throw this in last minute.
The co-op mode is a little more interesting. This feature allows you and friend to return to various spots in the campaign with completely different objectives. Most of these are fun with a notable flying mission which lets you pilot an attack helicopter while providing land support to the troops below. What's neat is the fact that the points you earn can be used to unlock various mulitplayer weapons. Unfortunately, there are only six short lived missions and since the point value for some of the more power items is really high you end up having to play each of these co-op levels over and over again.
Thankfully, the half-hearted attempts in the campaign and co-op modes can be easily overlooked by the incredible multiplayer experience. The enormous combat zones are crafted in such a way that really makes you feel like you're involved in a epic war-like scenario. Another cool feature is the fact that almost every structure in the game can be altered which adds another layer to your tactical strategy. For instance, a pesky sniper is picking off your team from a well fortified tower. What do you do? Why not request some tank support to shoot out the tower. It's this kind of level modification that goes a long way in making each time you play unique and fun.
Conquest (territory control) and Rush (attacker/defender) are the most popular ways to play with the Xbox Live community supporting up to 24 players in a single match. Once in a game you'll be divided into smaller squads of up to four people. You can switch squads at any time and teammate respawning is available. This is a really nice feature because it guarantees that you are always fighting with your friends and not having to make that long trek to engage in the heat of battle again.
Team Deathmatch for most shooters is typically the most popular game type. This really isn't the case in Battlefield 3. This variant loses on some of the strategic aspects presented in Conquest and Rush and focuses more on racking up kills faster than your opponent. This is still a fun way to play even though the "random respawn" can be a little sketchy at times. The squad based version of Team Deathmatch ends up being a little better in that you have the option to respawn with your squad and that four separate teams are battling against each other.
Ultimately, Battlefield 3's multiplayer thrives in large combat areas where an emphasis on team work is paramount. There are four unique classes and each can contribute to the war effort in a large and positive way; especially when used together. The Assault class is your basic type warrior with assault rifles and grenade launchers in your arsenal. This character also doubles as the medic of the group dropping first aid packs and wielding defibrillators to tickle hearts back to life. The Engineer is the ultimate vehicle repairer and neutralizer with his welding torch, anti-tank mines and rocket launchers. The Support infantry units carry heavy machine guns to lay down tons of covering fire and is also your squad's one-stop shop for ammunition replenishment. Lastly, the Recon soldier does an excellent job sniping and locating the enemy from afar.
Vehicles can usually ruin a game if they are grossly overpowered. Thankfully, Battlefield 3 went to great lengths in this department making it balanced and a lot of fun. Tanks, helicopters, and even jets are available to you based on the map you're playing. All the vehicles come equipped with multiple seats which let's you not only carry a small team swiftly behind enemy lines but also support that infantry with strong fire power too. It would have been helpful to have a practice arena to learn how to use each vehicle; especially the aircraft. This is why you should definitely know who's driving the vehicle your in because that person may be taking you to a swift and utter demise.
The highly addictive multiplayer is unfortunately littered with glitches and other technical flaws. These annoyances include respawning issues, characters phasing through walls and the frequent team placement problems. Most of these setbacks are mild in nature but there are a few moderate issues that end up changing the game in a negative way. The developer's debugging team failed greatly in this department.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The superior graphics engine and outstanding level design create a dynamic and epic atmosphere. Imagine you and your friends engaged in a small gun battle when all of a sudden tank shells and helicopter rounds fill the air. The realistic presentation is uncanny and done really well.
The story dialog and voice acting works pretty good in BF3. What's really impressive is the in-game sound effects. Blowing up an eager tank with strategically placed mines to gunning down an enemy jet, the audio is absolutely stunning. Additionally, the crude sound clips that soldiers say under certain situations are hilarious.
CONCLUSION
Battlefield 3 is a game meant to be enjoyed with friends and the rest of the online community. The levels are vast, the combat is exhilarating and the emphasis on teamwork really makes this game standout from the crowd. Although this game is filled with a few glitches and a boring single player campaign, it is still a first person shooter worth checking out. If you are a fan of online shooters, enjoy large scale battles and a system that rewards the team player, then this game is definitely a must have. Battlefield 3 lives up to franchise expectations and continues to be a leader in the genre.