Cert: 16+
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC,
Genre: First Person Shooter
Watch the Plot Trailer and Gameplay Trailer
The Battlefield franchise has spent ten years steadily building up a cult following and this year’s Battlefield 3 is set to become the king of online shooters.
First, the bad news. The single player, and to a lesser extent the co-op, is a genuine let down. It feels ripped straight from the playbook of Call of Duty; the interrogation premise which Battlefield’s plot story revolves around was notably featured in last year’s Black Ops. The campaign is a confined on-the-rails affair which depends excessively on scripted sequences and quick time events. Considering open ended sandbox warfare is what makes Battlefield so special it’s puzzling why the developers couldn’t turn this into a compelling single-player experience. Then again, no one has ever bought a Battlefield game for the single-player.
Battlefield online is an all together different affair and it’s best played with friends. The destructible environments, player classes and the sheer number of vehicles you can control (there’s even jets) make for an open ended strategic battle which can quickly turn into mayhem. Planes fall out of the sky, helicopters crash through buildings, tanks get taken out by lone troopers wielding RPGs and so on. The sound is first rate and the rat-a-tat of guns in the distance and the boom of missiles echoes across the room like something from a Michael Bay movie when played over 5.1 The Frostbite 2 engine results in a colourful and vibrant looking game but it’s not perfect; the console version suffers from numerous clipping issues and textures in the distance pop in and out of view with alarming frequency. It’s not enough to ‘ruin’ the experiences but the curious visual effects are noticeable.
PC gamers playing the graphically superior 64 player version of Battlefield 3 might scoff at their console peasants but DICE have done their level best to smarten up the Xbox and Playstation iterations of the game. There’s a dizzying array of stats and information, linked to a Battlefield 3 online website, which should satisfy die-hard players. The console versions even includes a server browser (a staple of PC multiplayer) which allows players to choose from a variety of maps and game types.
This is a game that rookies can learn to play in an hour or two but spends months trying to master. Expect it to do great things.
Rent or Buy: Buy
Graphics: 4/5
Game Play: 4/5
Replay Value: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Review By: Bryan Collins
