“Battlefield 3” is finally out, and fans of the series can’t tell you how long they’ve been waiting for this installment.
Talking about the single player specifically, unfortunately, this game is very average. You play as Sgt. Blackburn, who is being interrogated by the CIA and is forced to go through flashbacks of the recent past. Eventually, you learn of the existence of a nuke that’s set to go off in New York City and that has to be stopped.
Sound familiar? It should, because it’s also the plot device used by “Call of Duty: Black Ops” that came out just last year. “Battlefield 3” is noticeably more similar to “Call of Duty” (its main competition) and actually initiated an ad campaign called “above the call,” obviously poking at “Call of Duty”’s success. The two games are set to be released only two weeks apart from each other, so it’ll be interesting to see how “Call of Duty” responds.
But it isn’t like being sat down in a nondescript interrogation room and being forced to relive the past is a new and fresh idea: this cliché was just as worn-out when “Black Ops” used it last year. This weak story mixed with unintelligent AI is _not_ a good mix.
Just because the game can be mediocre at times doesn’t at all mean that there aren’t instances where the game clearly shines. There are several scenes that are just amazing experiences, thanks to the difficulty of getting to that situation (if playing on “hard”), thanks to the stunning graphics offered by EA’s new Frostbite 2.0 engine, and oddly enough the great quality of the sound in this game. It’s like the feeling you get from being on the runway about to take off in a jet — the suspense and then actual sights and sounds of liftoff. Battles where the sound of bullets literally whizzing by your ear, leading the charge on a massive assault with tens of tanks across a barren dessert, even being crushed under a building and still managing to survive: all of these experiences highlight the amazing feelings those goosebump-inducing moments of the game.
The multiplayer is the real story with “Battlefield 3,” though. This is what diehard fans of the series and those new gamers who have never played will both probably enjoy the most. This game offers an experience unlike any other because it’s realistic and because it’s not just about the kills. The most popular game mode, “Rush,” is all about maintaining or destroying two main positions and these games can go on and on. From foot soldiers to tanks to jets and more, Battlefield offers a “total war” experience that is all its own.
2011 is and will be known as a year for a trilogy of popular games: “Gears of War 3,” “Resistance 3,” “Killzone 3,” “Uncharted 3,” “Modern Warfare 3” (which is just around the corner) and “Battlefield 3.” The good news for us gamers who are fans of these series is that these companies love to please, and to milk a series dry, and they’ll keep making these games as long as we keep showing our support. I’m certainly not complaining, because “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Many people’s favorite genre of video game is First-Person-Shooters, after all, and they have to get their fix somewhere. “Battlefield 3” may be just the game you’re looking for.
