First-person military shooters are a very divisive genre. While the “Modern Warfare” series seems to be the reigning champ, the latest “Battlefield” entry could easily swipe plenty of fans. The single-player campaign draws you in from the first breath. Experienced as a series of flashbacks, you’ll follow Staff Sgt. Henry Blackburn as he relives missions in the Iraq-Iran region of the Middle East and uncovers a terrorist plot. Dice developers did an impeccable job of building a strong emotional attachment to Blackburn. There are a few other playable characters: a Russian operative, a fighter pilot and a tank operator. Each of these segments is chock-full of action and offers up alternative views of the story.
When it comes to gameplay, “Battlefield 3” is very similar to previous incarnations, though it looks and sounds a so much better. Navigating the missions is relatively easy since they are fairly linear, but surviving is another story entirely. The enemies manage to score plenty of lucky kills that could leave you wanting to chuck your controller.
| ‘Battlefield 3’ |
| » Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, PC |
| » Price: $59.99 |
| » Rating: 4 out of 5 stars |
Dice has worked magic with its new graphics engine to create jaw-dropping visuals. A majority of the time it is used for subtle lighting — while playing, take a few seconds to appreciate just how realistic the light appears … when you aren’t getting shot at — however, there are standout set pieces that involve massive explosions that will leave you saying “Wow” over and over.
“Battlefield 3” is loaded with tons of weapons and each one is crafted in glorious detail, from the look to the sounds. Bullets will whiz by and really make you want to dive for cover. The sheer cacophony of war in the streets nearly gives you auditory overload during some of the large-scale firefights.
Now let’s be frank, most gamers really only care about the multiplayer part of this game. The beautiful graphics and tight controls carry over, but so does the ridiculous challenge of spotting enemies before they see you. At least all of the game modes are interesting and require plenty of teamwork to win.
The game’s only flaw is that the co-op mode can only be played online, which requires an online pass code. There’s no lugging this game to a friend’s place if he or she isn’t willing to purchase the code.
“Battlefield 3” has set the bar pretty high, and it easily stands as one of the year’s best shooters.
