War is hell ... and since I don't have a clever segway to offer, I'm just gonna say that Battlefield 3 is pretty intense. Normally I don't play first-person shooters, it's not that I have anything against them - in fact I'm quite good at them - they're just not my weapon of choice (no pun intended). So in spite of that fact, I picked up a copy of Battlefield 3 last Tuesday and after beating the main campaign, I am very impressed.
Firstly, let me say that I have never played a single Call of Duty game - ever. It was kind of a cross between Mom wouldn't give them to me, and I was interested in other things. So I really have no way to judge this video game to console FPS standards. And beyond that, I can neither confirm nor deny if this is better than COD. But according to video game standards, this is a stellar title.
In Battlefield 3's main campaign you play as Sargent Henry Blackburn and other soldiers as they try to avert disaster and stop the power hungry terrorist group known as the PLR. While the main draw of the Battlefield series has been their Multi-player modes, DICE has offered a compelling, and sometimes moving single-player experience. The story is multi-layered, and offers a degree of suspense and (for lack of a better word) wonderment, that films and Tom Clancy books could very well envy. Character development is surprisingly deep for a game about shooting stuff, and the change of perspective from one soldier to another is a constant reminder that you are a part of a team, and that war affects everyone.
Co-operation. That's the name of the game around here! Whether you've played in teams or in co-op nowadays, you know that Battlefield is all about teamwork. And in the game you aren't the only one repelling the PLR and their plans, you are always with a highly trained war machine to help you through the way. This time around you're not the stereotypical rookie in the unit, you and your fellow Marines are all equal, and equally lethal. Frostbite 2 has the ability to churn out some crazy-smart A.I. and when coupled with beautiful animations, your squad-mates may have you wondering if you're still playing offline. My A.I. buddies never really seemed to get in the way much, except when they would get right on top of me for being in their cover before they did. Sometimes I worried that they would blow through the firefight without me, but DICE has found a nice balance between helpful and harmful A.I.
Gunplay is essential to any shooter, and DICE has polished this staple to a near sheen. Though I would have rather played this with a mouse and keyboard, I found it rather easy to adjust. Given, that is, after a trip to the settings menu.
Getting frostbite may suck, but if it looks as good as this game, I want a case every year. Smoke, fire, physics simulation, top notch animation, Frostbite 2 plows through all of this and more while keeping its cool. I could care less about 60 frames-per-second; just get me more of this stuff! Building after building, explosion after explosion. DICE's new engine never ceases to amaze. I know this could hurt my future as a writer, but I can't come up with enough words to describe how in-depth and beautiful the graphics are in this game. It's that great.
O Battlefield 3, shall I compare thee to an exploding grenade? Your blast can kill my enemies, but your shrapnel could end up inside of me.
With any great game there are bound to be some issues, like a well-tossed grenade and getting pointy pieces of metal in your chest. Battlefield 3 has a few graphical issues, namely graphical pop-up. Walking up to an enemy can change whole models and textures. Which is kind of funny considering the biggest thing they promoted was the game's graphics. One time I saw a puddle of blood floating in mid-air. Who knew that the PLR was injecting themselves with helium blood? I also had seen an enemy stuck inside a wall as a level loaded, then he magically teleported back to his spawn position. I always thought you should hide behind cover, but this guy's the future - hiding inside of cover! Nothing more than that, and for the most part it was very well tested.
I don't expect to review Battlefield 3 any time soon. Because at the time of this writing, I don't have an internet connection, and since multiplayer is such an essential part of the Battlefield series. I don't feel comfortable affixing a score onto a game I haven't fully experienced. It honestly would seem like an ignorant and untrustworthy thing to do, and as an honest person I wouldn't want to give it an unjust score.
All-in-all I've had a good time with Battlefield 3, and hopefully I can muster up a Ethernet cord and return to the battlefield.