Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Review

Overall Score: 9.3/10  

Genre: First Person Shooter

Systems: Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3

Release Date: October 25, 2011

Developer/Publisher: Dice / Electronic Arts

If you've played any of the Battlefield games in the past then you know that multiplayer is where it's at. They have also advertised the crap out of the single player campaign, and from what they've shown it looks great. But is it? No..... No it's not. That's why I'm reviewing the multiplayer seperately, because I feel like it deserves it. They recommend you install the multiplayer to your hard disk for better graphics. It's only 1.5 GB of space so it's definitely worth it. The Xbox 360 version comes with two DVD's, one with multiplayer and co-op and the other with the single player campaign. You need an online pass code to access multiplayer and co-op. This comes free with a bran new purchase of the game. If you buy the game used or rent it you'll have to buy a code on-line for $10, thanks EA!, NOT! You need to download the on-line pass after typing it in, it's very small but WOW, so many downloads.


Gameplay: 9.5/10


First of all let me tell you, this isn't Call of Duty. This isn't a run and gun shooter. It works very well for Call of Duty but Battlefield is more squad based. In order to do well, and I don't mean just get a lot of kills but to actually arm objectives and capture points, you need to work with your team and squad. You can browse for a specific server or choose Quick Match. You need to plan every move very carefully. Know your surroundings and know where your team mates are. You can be in a squad of up to four people. The bonus of having a squad is that you can spawn to their location.

There are five game modes: Conquest, Rush, Team Deathmatch, Squad Deathmatch, and Squad Rush. In Conquest there are spots/flags on the map that each team tries to control. You receive points for capturing and keeping these flags. The team that achieves the score needed to win first wins. In Rush the map is broken into sections. You play one section at a time. The teams are broken into defenders and attackers. The attackers try to arm the M-COM stations and the defenders try to stop them from doing so. There are two M-COM stations in each section. Team Deathmatch or TDM is pretty self explanatory. There are two teams and the team with the highest number kills wins. Squad Deathmatch is the same as regular Team Deathmatch except you're in a squad of four and you're playing against a squad of four. This is cool because it focuses heavily on team work within your squad. Squad Rush is very similar to regular Rush except everything is smaller. Smaller maps, only two squads facing each other, and only one M-COM station instead of two.

It comes with nine maps ranging from mountainous regions with wide open plains to city streets with huge buildings everywhere. Aside from the tactical squad based gameplay, another thing that makes battlefield stand out is the vehicles. They range from Jets to Tanks to Jeeps with mounted guns. Every type of vehicle is up-gradable with things like shooting out a puff of smoke to hide yourself or having improved armor. I came across many annoying glitches such as trying to vault over a ledge but getting stuck on an invisible wall only to be shot dead because of it.

Their are four kits to play with: Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon. The Assault kit consists of Assault Rifles, Med Kits, and Defibrillators. The Engineer kit consists of Sub-Machine Guns, Anti-Tank Weapons, and Vehicle Repair. The Support kit consists of Light Machine Guns (the big ones), Ammo Resupply, and C4. The Recon kit consists of Sniper Rifles, Mobile Spawn Points, and Motion Sensors. Each kit can be customized to suit your playing style. You unlock new equipment, guns, scopes, etc. for each kit by playing with that kit. There are some guns that are unlocked for every kit such as shotguns. There are so many unlocks that it can seem overwhelming at times. Your soldier gains levels as well.

On occasion I found myself having to spawn at my base while attacking in Rush. This is bad because when there is no vehicle to drive you have to run a very long distance. This is the only downside to the huge maps. Like in the Bad Company games there is bullet drop. This means you need to aim above peoples heads when firing from a long distance. A cool new thing they did in this one is that you can spawn directly into vehicles that are in your base. Some other additions include the ability to go prone and snipers have a glare off their scopes so they can't hide as easily.


Graphics: 9/10


The destructibility is the best I've ever seen. Do yourself a favor and get in a tank and blow a building apart, if their are enemies in that building you will get major kills and points. Granted I haven't gotten my hands on Modern Warfare 3 yet, but this is the best looking online shooter I've played to date. Explosions look great and will explode your mind with amazement! Character animation is great especially when leaping over ledges. Detail on guns and vehicles looks fantastic. Maps also look amazing with great detail, and it's fun to blow up trees.


Sound: 9.5/10


The sound is incredible! Surround sound or a good pair of headphones only heightens the already awesome experience. Helicopters and jets flying overhead, tanks rolling out, and non-stop gunfire and explosions give you a feeling of being smack in the middle of war. Explosions sound oh, so good! Very realistic sound effects. Gunfire echos down narrow corridors. One complaint, I've had many instances, particularly when in a tank, where some of the sound cuts out. I'm sure this will be addressed in a patch.

All in all this game is a great triple A title that has a lot to love. It's hard to ignore the battle between this game and Modern Warfare 3, I suggest we play both! Why not? I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a great online experience. So go blow some stuff up! It's Fun!


If you like this game you might also enjoy:

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2

video credit: http://www.youtube.com/user/Battlefield?v=eedRhcpOsuU&feature=pyv&ad=16610629540&kw=battlefield%203#p/u/3/FRqfFfuVuNE

Video By: sumner152

all photo credit: gamespot