Exhilarating online multiplayer gameplay with an arsenal of weapons & vehicles, topped off with innovative graphics
If you enjoyed online FPS (first person shooter games), this is THE game for you to pit your skills against others around the world. This 3rd installation of the BF3 series focuses on realism and simulation rather than simply plain action that is offered in most FPS games. The ways character moves and those subtle gestures are completely changing the ways character modeling in FPS shooters just a precursor of the kind of FPS franchises to come; BF3 sets the bar in terms of the future of FPS realism and gaming.
The realism is quadruple. Firstly, weapons are highly reactive to recoil, accuracy, role and posture of the character being played. What do I mean by this? Basically, each weapon has a unique 'feel' to it, bearing varying accuracy, speed and erm, 'power'. In addition, each weapons, if used more often and result in a certain number of enemy kills, will unlock modifications for it. Modifications range from viewfinders, scopes, muzzles, ammunition and flashlights. Each modification significantly improves the weapons with disadvantages of course; i.e. suppressors unleash low velocity rounds, hence the bullets travel less distances due to gravity.
Secondly, when it comes to vehicles, kills from these beasts results in unlocks as well. From buggies, to amphibious vehicles, and tanks to jets, each vehicle bear various unlocks and improvements such as infrared smokescreen, better armor, and improved maneuverability. The movement of the vehicles are subjected to various environmental factors such as wind and weather, but most importantly for land vehicles, terrain topography. But nothing beats the fun of having multiple kills from a barrage of tank shells.
Thirdly, environmental effects are key in the dynamics of realism. The way concrete chips off the walls from bullet sprays, buildings collapse from tank shells, mortars and jet missiles, and how explosions, dust and smoke obscure vision, are just a few worth mentioning. It feels so surreal, that it almost seems incredibly like a 'lived experience'. Lastly and of course, all the above factor is underpinned by the technological revolution of the erm, Frostbite 2 engine. Its life-like color palette, perspective of vision and blur effects completely revolutionized the future of gaming graphics. Words could not embody what I feel when playing such a game. And being a female, honestly, I find it too realistic that it scares the **** out of me. A picture speaks a thousand words; type 'Battlefield 3 thunder run' in YouTube and check out the video for yourself. Its the actual gameplay footage, and of course, play it in 1080p for better clarity. Heck even gamespot has a 'reality TV series' titled "The Controller" (find it in YouTube).
Critiques of the game would be the short-lived single player campaign and lack of vehicle practice such as jets, which is available only in the multiplayer mode. Due to the rampant piracy of games worldwide, the adoption of 'Origin' service instead of Steam, is ridiculous as finding servers, co-op modes and even single-player campaign modes are enacted through a web browser, and Origin is still in the beta stage, thus bugs and rare server disconnections are found. But mostly, its the login server in Origin that determines if the gameplay is still 'valid' in the sense that, if you are playing campaign or Co-op mode, once you are disconnected from the login server in Origin, you will be disconnected from the game. Such stringent anti-piracy mechanisms hinder gameplay to the extent of single player gaming. One might wonder if Diablo 3's persistent online connection being the pre-requisite for even single player gaming would cause frustrations in the near future. But BF3's Origin server, already is dishing out the tell-tale signs of annoyance and frustration. Furthermore, your browser has to be installed with the latest 'mods' for the BF3 server search to run, and I cannot imagine if your browser has toolbars and links open, which may slow down certain PC's.
Picture yourself rolling down a sloped grassy hill in a buggy, surrounded with around 20+ individuals and complemented with a hovering helicopter with a jet swerving past by... all in a massive multiplayer gaming universe. Indeed it is exhilarating, take one from me, I was so thrilled by the sheer massiveness and scale of online gameplay that it takes draws you in from your very first weapon unlock! Server-wise, you'll find a huge list of servers to choose, from 24 player maps, to 64 player maps; 32vs32 omg.
The forms of realism that BF3 embodies in terms of weapon and character customizability, the loads of unlocks of weapons and vehicles, and topped off with the ultra-realistic graphics, BF3 paves the road for future online FPS gaming. Although the single-player campaign could easily be completed within 3-4hours, its storyline is innovative and throws you into the realism of warfare straight away. Co-op modes add to the amount of unlocks available for multiplayer and what more fun, than a co-op mode campaign with friends? This game is the deal right here in terms of realistic massive online FPS gaming, and it is worth every penny in your wallet; and not many games pack this much replay value :) Amidst the Origin server troubles and browser-based menu interface, this game still raises the bar exponentially for multiplayer FPS gaming, and its immersiveness and realism is unquestionably a pinnacle in its class. Moreover, the passion and dedication by the developers is undoubtedly reflected in the game's clinical execution of gameplay dynamics and realism.
Frankly, its the best multiplayer FPS game that I've experienced thus far, but this review was made before 'Modern Warfare 3' (MW3) however, given BF3's specialization in multiplayer gaming, I confidently posit that BF3 will still outshine MW3 in the multiplayer aspect, whereas MW3 may take the cake in single-player campaigns, storyline and plot. However, when it comes to game replay value and the best bang-for-the-buck, the multiplayer experience will still outshine the former and given BF3's experience in the field of multiplayer FPS gaming, its unquestionably the winner.
Disclaimer: again, this review was done before MW3. Suppose MW3 developers place substantial efforts in multiplayer gaming, perhaps the favour may tilt towards the other end, but history tells me that BF3 has a larger field of play for multiplayer expertise and gaming. Cheers~