Battlefield 3 (commonly abbreviated
BF3) is a
first-person shooter video game developed by
EA Digital Illusions CE and published by
Electronic Arts. It is a direct sequel to 2005's
Battlefield 2, and the twelfth installment in the
Battlefield franchise.
The game was released in North America on 25 October 2011 and in Europe on 28 October 2011 for
Microsoft Windows,
PlayStation 3, and
Xbox 360.
[4] EA Mobile also confirmed a port for the
iOS platform. The game sold 5 million copies in its first week of release,
[5]
and received critical acclaim from most game reviewers. It is the first
game in the series that does not support versions of Windows prior to
Windows Vista as the game only supports
DirectX 10 and 11.
[6] The PC version is exclusive to EA's
Origin platform,
[7] through which PC users also authenticate when connecting to the game.
In campaign mode, players take on the personas of several military roles; a Force Recon Marine, an
F/A-18 weapons system officer, an
M1A2 Abrams tank operator, and a
GRU Spetsnaz operative. The campaign takes place at various locations, from
Iran to New York, and follows the story of Sergeant Henry Blackburn and later, Dimitri Mayakovsky."
Gameplay
Battlefield 3 features the
combined arms
battles that made the series popular across single-player, co-operative
and multiplayer modes. It reintroduces several elements absent from the
Bad Company games, including fighter jets, the
prone position and 64-player battles on PC.
[8][9]
To accommodate the lower player count on consoles, the ground area is
limited for Xbox 360 and PS3, though fly space remains the same.
[10]
During an interview with
Game Informer, EA stated that
Commander Mode is unlikely to be included,
[11] which was met with some criticism on the EA forum.
[12] The game features maps set in
Paris,
Tehran (as well as other locations in
Iran),
Sulaymaniyah,
New York,
Wake Island,
Oman,
Kuwait and other parts of the
Persian Gulf. The maps cover urban streets, metropolitan downtown areas, and open landscapes suited to vehicle combat.
[13] Battlefield 3 introduces the "Battlelog"; a free cross-platform social service with built-in text messaging,
voice communications,
game statistics, and the ability to join games that friends are already
playing (though both players need to be on the same platform).
[14]
Campaign
The game's campaign takes place in the year 2014. The missions are
flashbacks that are part of the interrogation of Staff Sergeant
Blackburn and do not occur in order of events. Chronologically, the
initial sections of the campaign are set near the Iraq-Iran border,
where the US Marine Corps are fighting the People's Liberation and
Resistance (PLR).
[15]
The game later moves into northern Iran, continuing the fight against
the PLR. There is a mission set in the streets of Paris, and another set
in the sewers and subways of New York.
[16]
Cooperative
A demo featuring the new
co-op mode was featured at
Gamescom 2011. DICE
GM Karl Magnus Troedsson confirmed that a
split screen option will not be available in co-op mode.
[17] Battlefield 3's
new Battlelog social network, DICE noted, would be tied to all co-op
matches, allowing players to try to beat friends' scores and to track
their performance.
[18]
It has also been confirmed that participating in co-op mode allows the
player to collect points that unlock additional content that can be used
in multiplayer.
[19]
Multiplayer
Screenshot of the HUD as shown in the fighter jet in Multiplayer Mode.
Battlefield 3's multiplayer matches see players take on one of four roles: Assault, Support, Engineer and Recon. The Assault class focuses on
assault rifles and healing teammates. The Support class focuses on
LMGs
and supplying ammunition. The Engineer class focuses on supporting and
destroying vehicles. The Recon class focuses on sniping and
spotting enemies. The mechanics of the weapons have been changed to utilize the new engine: compatible weapons may have
bipods
attached which can then be deployed when in the prone position or near
suitable scenery, and provide a significant boost to accuracy and recoil
reduction. Suppressive fire from weapons blurs the vision and reduces
the accuracy of those under fire, as well as health regeneration.
[20][21]
The Recon class can put a radio beacon anywhere on the map and all
squad members will be able to spawn on the location of the beacon.
[22]
Several game modes are present, including Conquest, Rush, Squad Deathmatch, Squad Rush and for the first time since
Battlefield 1942, Team Deathmatch. However, more game modes are available through the purchase of extra downloadable content packs.
[23] The PC version of
Battlefield 3 is by default launched via a web browser from the Battlelog web site.
[24] A server browser is present in console versions of the game, however.
[25]
Synopsis
Characters
- Staff Sergeant Henry "Black" Blackburn
- A member of the U.S. Marine Corps 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and the game's main protagonist.
- Sergeant Jonathan "Jono" Miller
- Miller is a tank operator, taking part in an operation against the PLR in order to support the USMC forces in Tehran.[26]
- Lieutenant Jennifer Coleby "Wedge" Hawkins
- Hawkins is an F/A-18 NFO (Naval Flight Officer) responsible for
manning her aircraft's weapon systems while participating in an aerial
operation over Tehran.
- Dimitri "Dima" Mayakovsky
- A GRU operative deployed in Paris and Northern Iran to stop a nuclear threat.
- Solomon
- The game's main antagonist, he works closely with the PLR, Kaffarov and the CIA.
- Private David Montes
- An American Marine who fights together with Sergeant Henry Blackburn, and is also the last surviving member of his squad.
Plot
Set in 2014,
[27] Sgt. Blackburn leads a five-man squad on a mission to find and safely return a US squad investigating a possible
IED in
Sulaymaniyah,
Iraq, whose last known position was a market controlled by a hostile
militia called the PLR. However an earthquake destroys the city during
the firefight with the PLR. Blackburn escapes the ruins with Montes and
other survivors. Several weeks later, the US sends Marines into
Iran. Naval aviator and
F-18 pilot Lt. Hawkins engages fighters over Iran and takes part in an air strike against
Mehrabad Airport. In the aftermath of the air strikes, Blackburn and his squad are sent to
Tehran
to perform battle damage assessment and apprehend the leader of the
PLR, Al-Bashir. While investigating an underground bank vault in the
target's suspected location, Blackburn and his team learn that the PLR
acquired Russian portable nuclear devices, and that two of the three
devices are missing. Being overrun, and requesting back-up, an
M1 Abrams
column led by Sergeant Miller is deployed to extract Blackburn's team.
Miller facilitates Blackburn's helicopter extraction, but is captured
when waiting for the arrival of the Quick Reaction Force. Miller is
promptly executed by Solomon and Al-Bashir, with the event being filmed.
Later, Blackburn and his squad manage to capture Al-Bashir, who
realizes Solomon betrayed him and reveals his plot to detonate the nukes
in Paris and New York, before dying from the wounds he sustained in his
capture. Blackburn's team also gets a lead on an arms dealer, Kaffarov,
who was working with Solomon; however, while pursuing Kaffarov, the
Americans encounter a large Russian force, who are also attempting to
apprehend Kaffarov and are hostile toward the Americans. Almost all of
Blackburn's squad is killed, while a
Spetsnaz team led by Dima assaults Kaffarov's villa. Dima successfully interrogates Kaffarov.
Blackburn arrives at the villa and finds Dima and an unconscious
Kaffarov. Dima reveals Solomon's plot to Blackburn and asks for his
cooperation to prevent a war between their nations. Meanwhile
Blackburn's commanding officer Cole arrives and Blackburn is forced to
shoot his superior. Due to this, Blackburn is captured and interrogated
by agents within the
Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) and explains all of his previous operations to them in
flashbacks. During Blackburn's captivity, Dima's Spetsnaz squad attempts
to stop the attack in Paris but one of the members, Vladimir, is killed
in the process. Dima is unsuccessful and he and Kiril, the other
surviving Spetsnaz, suffer the effects of the nuclear detonation. The
CIA agents do not believe Blackburn's story, since Solomon is a CIA
informant and there is no concrete proof of his involvement in the
terrorist attacks. They instead believe that Russia is responsible for
the attacks and that Dima played Blackburn.
Left with no other option, Blackburn and surviving squad member
Montes break out of captivity to stop the attack in New York. Montes is
shot in the process but Blackburn manages to kill Solomon and recover
the bomb. In the epilogue, having been diagnosed with
radiation poisoning,
Dima writes about the efforts of both him and Blackburn to stop
Solomon's plot and prepares to shoot himself. However, a knock on his
door prompts him to stop.
Development
Battlefield 3's lead platform was originally the
PC until it was switched to
consoles mid-way through development.
[29] The
Xbox 360 version of
Battlefield 3 is shipped on two discs due to the disc size limit;
[30] however, the
PS3 version ships on one
Blu-ray Disc.
Battlefield 3 debuts the new Frostbite 2 engine. This updated
Frostbite engine can realistically portray the destruction of buildings
and scenery to a greater extent than previous versions.
[31] Unlike previous iterations, the new version can also support dense urban areas.
[32]
Battlefield 3 uses a new type of character animation technology called ANT. ANT technology is used in
EA Sports games, such as
FIFA, but for
Battlefield 3
is adapted to create a more realistic soldier, with the ability to
transition into cover and turn the head before the body, as well as
"drag fallen comrades into safety and mount weapons on almost any part
of the terrain".
[13][33]
PlayStation 3 exclusive content
On 6 June 2011, during
Sony's
E3 2011 press conference,
Jack Tretton of
Sony Computer Entertainment of America announced that the PlayStation 3 version of the game would be bundled with a free copy of
Battlefield 1943, however, at launch, the game wasn't included.
[34] EA then said that
Battlefield 3 PlayStation 3 owners would receive timed-exclusive DLC for the game instead.
[35]
On 20 November 2011, Law firm Edelson McGuire took EA to court on
behalf of disappointed gamers. The complaint focuses on EA's
communication of the change of plan, second proposal with early DLC that
had already been announced.
[36]
Shortly after EA was threatened with being taken to court over its
failure to deliver the free game as announced at E3, EA announced they
will offer owners of the PlayStation 3 version of
Battlefield 3 a free downloadable copy of
Battlefield 1943.
[37]
Wii U version
On 7 June 2011, during
Nintendo's
E3 2011 press conference,
John Riccitiello of EA games expressed interest in Nintendo's upcoming system, the
Wii U.
[38] Patrick Liu, the executive producer of
Battlefield 3, stated that
EA DICE currently have no games in development for the Wii U and a port for the console "probably won't happen".
[39]
Beta
The open beta commenced on 29 September 2011, for all platforms,
[40] and ended on 10 October 2011. 48 hour early access was granted to those players who bought the Tier 1 edition of
Medal of Honor or pre-ordered the digital version of
Battlefield 3: Limited Edition through
Origin.
[41]
Sequel
Electronic Arts president Frank Gibeau confirmed the company's
intention to release a sequel during a keynote at the University of
California. His comment was then Tweeted by attendees. "There is going
to be a
Battlefield 4", he said. Afterwards, an EA spokesperson told IGN: "Frank was speaking broadly about the
Battlefield brand – a brand that EA is deeply passionate about and a fan community that EA is committed to." On the eve of
Battlefield 3's launch, DICE told Eurogamer it was the Swedish studio's hope that it would one day get the opportunity to make
Battlefield 4.
"This feels like day one now," executive producer Patrick Bach said.
"It's exciting. The whole Frostbite 2 thing has opened up a big
landscape ahead of us so we can do whatever we want."
[42]
EA has announced that those who pre-order the Limited Edition of
Medal of Honor: Warfighter will gain early access to the
Battlefield 4 beta, which is planned for the fall of 2013.
[43]
Marketing and release
Battlefield 3 was revealed on 3 February 2011, by GameInformer
magazine. A month of GameInformer coverage included information on
building the game and interviews with DICE, as well as three trailers: a
teaser and the first two parts in a series of gameplay from the level
"Fault Line".
[44]
Several other trailers were released showing different aspects of the
game, including both single and multiplayer, as well as emphasizing the
new engine.
[45] On 16 August 2011, co-op gameplay and a "Caspian Border Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer" were shown at
Gamescom 2011 illustrating the co-op mode and the first footage of air combat, respectively.
[18]
Trailer releases also gained momentum in the week before the release
of the game. EA released a multiplayer trailer which showed the variety
of maps available in multiplayer, with short scenes of actual gameplay.
It also featured shots of a map that is included in the "Back to
Karkand"
downloadable content (DLC).
[46] EA also released an official launch trailer, showing off the various missions in the single player.
[47]
EA CEO John Riccitiello stated that
Battlefield 3 is aimed at competing with the
Call of Duty series. "This November, we're launching Battlefield 3. It's going up against the
next Call of Duty,
which is presently the No. 1 game in the game industry," he said, "A
game that last year did $400 million in revenue on day one. Battlefield 3
is designed to take that game down." EA planned on spending over $100
million on a marketing campaign for
Battlefield 3.
[48] Electronic Arts also stated that
Battlefield 3 is a "flat out superior" product to blockbuster
first person shooter Call of Duty.
[49][50] EA has also said it is going on the "offense" in regards to its marketing on
Battlefield 3, saying that it started its campaign early to establish a "beachhead".
[51] Anyone who had watched a trailer for the upcoming film
Act of Valor through the official
Battlefield 3 website could receive free downloadable dogtags for use with any version of the game.
[52]
Pre-order promotion
All pre-orders of the
Limited Edition grant free access to the "Back to Karkand" DLC pack, a reference to the "Strike at Karkand" map (a popular
BF2 map), to include four maps brought over from
Battlefield 2,
10 new weapons, 4 new vehicles, 5 new achievements/trophies, and a new
addition to the series, "Assignments". The maps from the expansion pack
will be: Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, Wake Island, and Sharqi
Peninsula.
[53]
Pre-ordering at selected retailers and Origin included the "Physical
Warfare Pack", granting access to time-based exclusive weapons and
items; including a light machine gun, a sniper rifle accessory, and
armor-piercing ammunition. Also included is launch day access to the
DAO-12 semi-automatic shotgun, which other players can unlock through
game play.
[54] Pre-order at select retailers also provide the "SPECACT Kit Upgrade", the "Dog Tag Pack" and
Battlefield 3 gear for the player's console avatar. Pre-ordering at Origin gave players a shotgun and beret for
Battlefield Play4Free, and 48 hour early access to the
Battlefield 3 beta.
[41]
Originally the "Physical Warfare Pack" was to be exclusive to
pre-orders, but fan reaction to this was negative, causing EA to clarify
that it would be made available to all players for free later in the
year.
[55][56]
On 2 September 2011, a trailer for the Physical Warfare Pack was
released on YouTube showing all the content included within the pack in
action in-game.
[57]
All the content except the "Back to Karkand" pack was available from
day one. The release date for the pack has been announced for 6 December
2011 for the PS3, and a week later for the Xbox 360 and PC.
[58][dated info]
Online Pass
To access the game's online multiplayer mode on consoles, players need to activate an
Online Pass].
New copies of the game include one Online Pass for the original owner
of the game to access the multiplayer; however, if a player buys a used
copy or rents the game, they must purchase an Online Pass separately, or
access a 48 hour trial via the official game site.
When asked why the developers implemented the pass system, game
designer Alan Kertz replied, "because servers cost money, and used games
don't make developers any money."
Some of the Online Pass codes were invalid from the time of purchase,
which EA responded to be telling affected consumers to ask the retailer
for a replacement code.
Downloadable content
Back to Karkand
The first DLC, "Back to Karkand", was announced before launch and was
released on 13 December 2011 for PC and Xbox 360, while PS3 owners
received it a week earlier. It was priced at $15 USD but was free for
all users who purchased the limited edition. It features four maps
remade from
Battlefield 2, three new vehicles and ten new weapons.
Close Quarters
At GDC 2012 DICE revealed it would release three more DLCs priced all
at $15 each. The second DLC, "Close Quarters" arrived in June 2012
featuring four new infantry-oriented maps, ten new weapons, HD
Destruction, ten new assignments, five unique Dogtags, and a new game
mode, Conquest Domination, a Conquest mode adapted for smaller spaces.
Armored Kill
The third DLC, "Armored Kill" arrived on 4 September 2012 for premium
PS3 users and 11 September for Xbox 360 and PC users. The DLC will be
made availabable for Non-premium PS3 and Xbox 360 users on 25 September
2012. Armored Kill is set to include new vehicles, specifically
mentioned are tanks, ATVs, and mobile artillery, as well as new
vehicle-oriented maps and what is called "the biggest map in Battlefield
history".
Aftermath
A DLC titled "Aftermath" was revealed in a trailer for
Battlefield 3
Premium. As of October 2012, it is scheduled for release to PlayStation
3 Premium subscribers on 27 November 2012 and to PC and Xbox 360
Premium subscribers on 4 December 2012. "Aftermath" will be released to
the general public on PlayStation 3 on 11 December 2012, and on PC and
Xbox 360 on 18 December 2012.Aftermath is set to include a multiplayer map in city setting. A video released by
DICE games revealed that there will be a crossbow, with customizable scopes and various
bolts.
End Game
The fifth DLC, "End Game", is scheduled to be released in March 2013.
An EA spokesperson stated in an interview that the expansion involves a "character in the jungle,
Apocalypse Now-style."
[citation needed] At
Gamescom 2012 EA announced that End Game would introduce motorcycles.
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