Wait- there's single player?
Note: This review is based on a retail copy of Battlefield 3: Limited Edition for PS3.
Battlefield 3 is a first-person modern military shooter for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC platforms. While not actually the third game in the Battlefield series, it is considered the direct sequel to the highly successful Battlefield 2, released back in 2005.
When thinking about audio, Battlefield games have some of the best sounds in any shooter, and Battlefield 3 is no exception. Sound design is great, with powerful gunshots, heavy footsteps and impressive sound effects to match the realistic destruction provided by the Frostbite 2 engine. Audio sublimely compliments the visual presentation of epic firefights and collapsing buildings all around you in Battlefield 3.
On the single-player front, Battlefield 3 continues to trend of declining quality of offline modes in modern military shooters. With a totally unforgettable (not to mention almost plagiarizing) plot about a soldier who has seen too much retelling events in an interrogation room, coupled with forgettable shooting gallery set pieces, you've got a recipe for a total bore. Battlefield 3's campaign is repetitive and generic. It's also short, just like this review of the single-player portion of the game.
Battlefield 3 really shines with its multiplayer, bringing game modes both new and old to all-new maps. The loadouts and classes have been simplified compared to the slew of pre-set class roles in Battlefield 2, but it's for the best, encouraging more role-focused customization than ever. Players will shoot, drive and fly their way to ranking up, unlocking more guns, gadgets and weapon attachments as they progress. Destruction, while not nearly as present as in Bad Company 2, is still used cleverly in combat situations, and vehicles provide a neat dynamic that forces teamwork upon players to get rid of threats. Not only is the gameplay satisfying and fun even without a sense of progression, but progression is there to supplement the game, not the other way around (as it should). Weapons sound and feel realistic, and combat is brutal. Battlefield 3 provides a rush of adrenaline unlike any other game as you capture flags and arm charges knowing that enemies will come for you. Objective-based teamplay is king, as it provides a far more rewarding gameplay experience than that found in the more "meatgrinder" multiplayer games such as Modern Warfare 3.
My biggest gripe about Battlefield 3 is that the netcode can at times be extremely shoddy. My internet is by no means great, but I've had tons of lag issues in Battlefield 3 that I had literally never before experienced in the previous Battlefield game, Bad Company 2. Infrequent hit-detection and rubber-banding movement issues pop up from time-to-time and really sour the experience.
In the end, Battlefield 3 delivers immensely satisfying and intense multiplayer fun, and you'll still feel like you got your money's worth without even touching the single-player mode.
