Battlefield 3 was one of the most anticipated games of the year, and with over 1.3 million pre-orders and over 8 million people joining in on the open beta, it was sure to be a hit. Now that all the dust has settled, and the game has been out for a couple of weeks, does it live up to the hype?

This game packs a serious punch. From the explosive campaign to the downright pandemonium of the multiplayer, Battlefield 3 recreates the classic Battlefield feeling of each player being one part to a massive conflict.
Although the focal point of the Battlefield experience is the multiplayer, the campaign is worth a play-through, if only to brush up on for the full scale war that’s happening online. The story seems a bit stale, borrowing pages from other first-person shooter games of recent memory. If you’ve picked up any of the last three Call of Duty titles [excluding Modern Warfare 3] the plot will be familiar.

Without giving too much away, there’s a dictator, nuclear devices and famous cities being brought to their knees. Same old, same old. Battlefield developer DICE has gone in a much more serious direction with the story, however. This is a departure from previous titles that were lighthearted and less focused. All things considered, BF3’s campaign is tight, and filled with tense dialogue and satisfying destruction, and come on, what is a Battlefield game without destruction?

Multiplayer is where this game really shines. With nine maps ranging from the urban Operation: Metro, to the wide open landscape of Caspian Border, variety is definitely something DICE was striving for. There are no new game modes, but that’s hardly a problem when the old game modes still work. With the current batch of maps, there’s something for everybody. Conquest works for players who like the strategy of objective-based game play and the chaos of Team Deathmatch. Rush is geared towards players who like the downright pandemonium of 24 players [64 on PC] fighting, one team attacking and one team defending. On the Seine Crossing map, Rush games can get extremely hectic thanks to well placed choke points.

What sets BF3 apart from other games in the genre is the little nuances that really add to the experience, and the incredible amount of detail that has been put into balancing gameplay. Now that the player has the ability to go prone, snipers have a scope glint to give a clue as to where they’re hiding. Jets have been added, so there are stinger missiles specifically for taking out jets.

BF3 includes four classes, each slightly tweaked from previous titles. Assault players have been combined with medic, support now has mortars, recon can now lay down mobile spawn points, and engineers can use robots capable of repairing friendly vehicles and disarming explosives on objectives. Along with this, there is a completely new system of attachment unlocks. Attachments are unlocked with each individual weapon depending on the amount of points scored while using it. This lets players use their own style of play and only unlock attachments for the gear that they use.

Overall, while Battlefield 3 hasn’t done much innovation in the way of first-person shooter campaigns, DICE has set a new standard for multiplayer. With the huge maps, a variety of vehicles and hundreds of unlockables, Battlefield 3 will keep an avid shooter fan busy for a long time.

Overall: A-

Story: The campaign recycles an old formula. While it is fun, it seems very familiar. If you’re looking to buy this game solely for the campaign, don’t waste the $60.

Gameplay: Online, this game offers the full-scale experience of being part of a massive conflict. The gameplay is fluid, funneling the player directly to the action while still giving them the freedom to play the way they want.

Graphics: Easily the best graphics in a modern military game. Textures are rich and detailed, and the environments are wide open and breathtaking. You’ll spend a lot of time staring at trees in this game.

Sound: Whether it’s bullets whizzing past your ear, a mortar strike behind you or the quiet music that plays signaling the end of the round, this game delivers. Excellent sound design makes the players’ hearing as much of an asset as quick reaction time.

Replay value: The campaign is worth one play through and that’s it. Multiplayer, however, will keep you coming back for more.