It delivers scorching multiplayer, fitting of its decade-long pedigree
of famously expansive big-team battles, but stumbles over a generic
single-player campaign that feels like a different game.
While DICE may not deliver a memorable story here, it doesn't need to
when Battlefield 3's online warfare raises every bar imaginable,
delivering one of the best multiplayer experiences of the year. I doubt
Battlefield purists will complain much about the campaign, honestly; I
know you're enlisting in this battle to bring down entire armies online. From the beaches of Kharg Island to the hills of Damavand Peak,
Battlefield 3's multiplayer maps provide an immediate sense of scale.
Everything about their design screams size, personalization, and the
need to take creative initiative to succeed. Choose to pop headshots
from the prone position, spin barrel rolls in a jet outfitted with
personal unlocks, or see how many dog tags you can knife from your
opponents; Battlefield 3's multiplayer is about the freedom of choice.
The online fight feels like a geography lesson (in a good way).
Depending on the game mode, each map utilizes a different area or shifts
wider and wider as gameplay progresses. You might not see half of a map
like Caspian Border or Seine Crossing during your first few Rush
matches. Yes, certain areas feel empty and repeated map elements like
shipping crates conjure deja vu, but the sense of scope is exhilarating.
Where many online shooters teach you the nooks and crannies of every
map, Battlefield 3 is a wide sandbox that encourages variety and
exploration. Battlefield 3 shines in matches with 63 other players,
where every bullet has a new enemy's name on it.
Is the gameplay balanced? Battlefield 3's online teeter-totter comes
down to personal preference. I've been pinned down at my spawn point in
Operation Metro by a dozen, well-stocked snipers and I've taken over an
entire conquest map single-handedly. I'm no Maverick in a jet, so I
learned to rain down hellfire from a chopper. For any class or tactic
that doesn't work, like a painter's palette, Battlefield 3 offers
alternatives. All four streamlined classes (Soldier, Engineer, Assault,
and Recon) get their own problem-solving unlocks, so leveling each one
is paramount to sitting on top of the leaderboards.
Battlefield 3's rewards and progression will keep you coming back to its
online rumble for a long time. From adding heat-seeking missiles to an
Anti-Aircraft Tank to simply changing camouflage, there's always a
carrot dangling just out of reach -- if you can wrangle the score to
earn it. While the newly implemented Team Deathmatch modes encourage
high kills and low deaths, Battlefield remains a team-based game where
you can sit atop the scoreboard no matter how many times you've died.
Heal an injured teammate, resupply a sniper, or make sure a tank gets
fixed up, Battlefield is about working towards the greater good and it's
just as refreshing now as it was in 2002 -- all while looking
outstanding on PC.
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