This might seem like it's a little short for you solo-mode aficionados, but it's probably better to think of the campaign as an extra special bonus to Battlefield 3's brilliant multiplayer than an individual selling point. The campaign will probably take you about 7-10 hours to complete, depending on the mode that you choose and the number of pizza rolls that you consume while playing. It's obvious that DICE has taken a few of its cues from Infinity Ward and Treyarch regarding campaign creation, but in the process, they may have created a Xerox that's dull and washed out. It even uses the flashback-while-being-interrogated storytelling that we all saw in Black Ops. (Suitcase nukes? Again?)Īctually, if I'm being honest, the campaign plays more like a Call of Duty sequel than a Battlefield title, and that's a bad thing. Sure, you get tossed into a vehicle from time to time, and those moments are brilliant, but it doesn't make up for the overly clichéd storyline. Instead of the fast-paced, wide open vehicle-based maps, players are treated to a slow-moving, cramped, often tedious campaign.
It's not an exaggeration to say that it feels like a completely different game. After screwing around in a few multiplayer games, I dove into the campaign and, I must admit, it was a little disorienting.
For those who truly value impressive visuals, it's obvious that the PC is currently the only real option.īattlefield 3's single-player campaign could use a little work though. BF3 really shows off what the next generation of consoles graphics might look like while simultaneously becoming the benchmark for any/all future graphics.
The graphics on the PS3 are perfectly acceptable by current standards-they obviously rank up there with Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2-but when you compare the graphics with a semi-powerful computer, it becomes painfully obvious that this generation of consoles is nearing the end of its life cycle. Like a Victoria's Secret model who desperately needs a breath mint.Īnd, unfortunately for console gamers, the engine is severely encumbered by the PS3's hardware. In fact, on any other game, I probably wouldn't have even noticed, but BF3 is so damn pretty that normal problems seem somehow accentuated. They've plagued every single developer since the beginning of time, and they're obviously not going away any time soon.
However, it's almost unfair to expect BF3 to be free from these types of problems.
I also noticed a few broken textures, and some pretty intense clipping from time to time. However, even given the power of Battlefield 3's Frostbite 2 engine, it would be a fierce exaggeration to call the game "photorealistic." It's not uncommon, on both the PS3 and PC, for sprites (especially sand bags, for some reason) to be seen floating several feet above the ground. All of the screenshots and teaser trailers that have been creeping onto the internet over the last year don't even do justice to what you'll see when you actually sit down and play it. It feels like EA has ushered us all into a new era of graphical capability. The first thing that you need to know about BF3-and this should come as no surprise-is that it looks amazing.
However, now that Battlefield 3 has finally been shrink-wrapped for the public, the roles have been reversed again the PC is the platform of choice for BF3, and everything else is a distant second. On the console side, connecting was relatively easy, and the graphics were about as good as we all expected. But when EA finally let players get their hands on the beta, the roles were reversed on the PC side, textures were broken or missing, clipping was a problem, and EA's Battlelog was glitchy and often impossible to operate. Now, I'll admit that I prefer my first-person shooters with a side of keyboard/mouse, but I was genuinely interested to see how Battlefield 3 would fair on the PS3 I assumed that consoles would get the PC version's table scraps. However, Battlefield 3 is the type of proper sequel that its predecessor deserves and, more importantly, it's been built primarily for the PC. Sure, BF2 was meant to be a sequel to Battlefield 1942, but aside from the spacious maps and vehicle-based play, the two had very little in common certainly not enough to justify official sequel status.
When Battlefield 2 hit the shelves, I thought it was a little odd that it had a "2" in the title.