Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

100 or More Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Great multiplayer"

Battlefield 3 for Xbox 360 is a FPS designed by EA DICE. A sequel by nature to the battlefield 2 that came out some years ago, it bears more resemblance to the humorous series known as Battlefield: Bad Company. It's somewhat dull and frustrating campaign might be a bust for anyone without internet access, but for those that do, Battlefield represents one of the most exciting and explosive online shooting experiences out there.

During the campaign you play as a US Marine who has been detained by the CIA for shooting your commanding officer. Your character claims that there will be a nuclear attack on New York City and that his actions were a direct effort to stop it. The cutscenes of your interrogation prompt memories that lead back to your missions.

The missions themselves aren't terribly interesting. The characters are dull, the objectives bland, the level designs linear, and the events that tie into the story seem randomized and not directly linked together. In addition, some of the levels can be increasingly frustrating for players who want to try their hand at the hardest difficulty, while others are a breeze. Unlike most shooters, the campaign doesn't get more difficult as it goes on, but rather is more like randomized hills of controller-smashing frustration.

However, Battlefield isn't known for it's campaign, it's known for it's explosive and competitive virtual battlefields. There are few games that can deliver the excitement and strategy that Battlefield 3 can. The maps are large and expertly laid out, allowing for a number of different strategies. The unlocks come at well timed intervals, and you always feel like you have something new. The six cooperative missions are a nice addition, though there's not enough of them to warrant a purchase.

The amount of customization in the game is incredible. From the wide array of camos to the vast amount of weapons, Battlefield 3 provides you with a number of ways to shoot your enemy, and look good while doing it.

The technical aspects of the game set it apart. The graphics are beautiful, especially for maps as big as those in the game. The Frostbite 2 engine allows for visually stunning destructibility while keeping the frame rate going strong. There are almost no bugs in multiplayer, and the action runs along smoothly. The sound effects are some of the best you'll find in any game on the market, making the battlefield even more intense.

Campaign - 3/10
Multiplayer - 10/10
Graphics - 9.5/10
Sound - 10/10
Content - 8.5/10
Gameplay - 9.5/10