Battlefield 3

"The Best Battlefield Game Ever"

- DICE

Battlefield 3 is the eleventh installment in the Battlefield Series and was developed by DICE. It is the sequel to Battlefield 2 and was released on October 25, 2011 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

A sequel, Battlefield 4, was developed and released by EA and DICE on October 29, 2013.

Overview
Battlefield 3 was revealed on February 4, 2011 with a teaser trailer called My Life, and was the cover story of the March 2011 issue of GameInformer. The game was first showcased on March 1, 2011 during GDC 2011, which revealed unedited gameplay for the first time. DICE announced shortly after that the development of the PC versions of Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2's Onslaught were cancelled to concentrate on the development of Battlefield 3, stating it would be their biggest Battlefield release yet.

The game includes both singleplayer and co-operative campaigns and features multiplayer gameplay similar to the classic Battlefield 2. Jets made their return as pilotable vehicles, along with prone as an available stance. The PC version is able to support 64 players simultaneously in multiplayer; consoles, however, can only support up to 24 players, resulting in smaller maps. This installment uses a completely new engine, named Frostbite 2, the successor to the Frostbite Engine used in the Bad Company series.

The engine introduced Destruction 3.0, allowing for a much larger range of destructible objects, other then buildings, for more realistic destruction. Audio was another focus for the game. There are audio cues that, for example, will let players know if a tank is moving towards or away from them, or if it is having trouble climbing a slope.

The developers had recorded real life sounds of vehicles and weapons from a military training exercise with their goal being to create "cleaner and brighter audio." As stated by Thomas Danko, voice over producer at DICE: "No FPS ever had this large amount of VO variations for Multi Play, not even close. Over 300 for the "Man down" event alone."

Co-op Campaign
The mode supports two players online (no split screen play), spans six missions, and is a standalone section, separate from the single player game. The missions revolve around minor operations by marines of Snake 6-6 as they encounter the PLR. Missions include ground, air vehicle, as well as tight urban arid warfare, causing players to work together to complete objectives. It is through this that players will eventually unlocked weapons for multiplayer.



Co-op gameplay first debuted at EA's Gamescom 2011 Conference. It featured DICE general manager Karl Magnus-Troedsson and EA Games executive vice president Patrick Soderlund demoing the mission Exfiltration. The gameplay showcased the new thermal weapons, smarter A.I., teammate reviving, and spot mechanic from Bad Company 2.

David Spinnier, lead co-op designer stated that the levels have randomized elements that change each time a co-op level is played, making it a different experience every time. He also said that the missions will be shorter, to aid replayability.

Glitches and Bugs
Like other Installments in the series, Battlefield suffered from many glitches and bugs upon its release, pertaining to the campaign, multiplayer, and co-op game modes. They are detailed on the Battlefield Series Glitches and Bugs page.

Downloadable Content
Battlefield 3 features many downloadable content in the form of promotional offers, short cuts, expansions, etc.

Exclusive Pre-orders
Players who pre-ordered the Battlefield 3 Limited Edition from worldwide select retailers got exclusive access to eight multiplayer dog-tags and SPECACT skins. They were released on the PlayStation store on January 16, 2012 in a bundle for $2.99 or 240 Microsoft points and were released a week later to the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Promotional Offers
Many Battlefield 3 Promotional Offers were given out following the game's release that gave players specialized dog-tags for use. They were used to promote upcoming games and movies as well being rewards for the community completing challenges set by DICE.

Vehicle and Weapon Shortcut Packs
On March 30, 2012, along with the 1.04 update, DICE released 10 Kit Shortcut packs for weapons and vehicles. They unlock all: weapons, attachments, gadgets, and vehicle perks.

Physical Warfare Pack
The Battlefield 3: Physical Warfare Pack is a weapons pack available to anyone who pre-ordered Battlefield 3 Limited Edition from select retailers. It was later made free on the PlayStation Store on December 15 and later for the Xbox 360 and PC on December 20.

Back to Karkand
Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand is available for free to anyone who preordered the game. It is a multiplayer expansion based on Battlefield 2. It was released on December 6, 2011.

Close Quarters
On March 7, 2012, Battlefield 3: Close Quarters was announced to be released in June which would then be followed up by two other map packs. It was released on June 4, 2012 for Premium Members.

Armored Kill
On March 7, 2012, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill was announced along with two other expansions. It was released on September 4, 2012 for PS3 Premium Members.

Aftermath
On May 30, 2012, Battlefield 3: Aftermath was revealed through a leaked fact sheet pertaining to Battlefield Premium. It was officially revealed to be released before End Game at the EA Press Conference in December 2012 at E3 2012. It was released on November 27, 2012 for PS3 Premium Members.

End Game
Battlefield 3's fifth expansion pack, Battlefield 3: End Game was announced on March 7, 2012 and was released a year later on March 5, 2013 for PS3 Premium Members.

Battlefield Premium
Battlefield Premium was revealed on May 30, 2012 through a leaked fact sheet. The package was revealed to be released on June 4, 2012 for a onetime cost of US$49.99/£39.99/€49.99/AU$79.99.

Novel
The novelization of the game, Battlefield 3: The Russian, written by respected author Andy McNab, takes place in the same universe as the game. Despite this, there are noticeable differences in the story, as well as mainly depicting the events via Dimitri "Dima" Mayakovsky's perspective, in contrast to Henry Blackburn's point of view mainly used in the game, hence the title.

Marketing
In a similar fashion to Battlefield: Bad Company and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3 was heavily marketed since it's official announcement, thanks to a marketing budget of nearly US$200 million from owner Electronic Arts.

The first set of trailers after the Teaser Trailer was the introduction of the Fault Line series, starting with the Battlefield 3: Gameplay Trailer and ending with the full twelve minute Battlefield 3: Fault Line Gameplay Trailer, as well as a developer commentary by Patrick Bach and being the setting of the Battlefield 3: My Life Trailer, which has commonly been shown as a TV advert during popular TV events such as the FA Cup final in the United Kingdom.

During E3 2011, the Thunder Run trailer was unveiled, alongside two gameplay trailers set on the multiplayer map Operation Métro. Following the huge success of the three trailers after E3, a new trailer, the Caspian Border gameplay trailer, was released after being shown at Gamescom 2011, showcasing jet and vehicle gameplay.

In late September 2011, during the build-up to the Open Beta, a new trailer, set to the rap song "99 Problems" by artist Jay-Z, was revealed to be a new TV ad. The final three trailers for the game were released in the week before its release - a multiplayer trailer, a story trailer, and a live-action/gameplay trailer - each being well received by the gaming community. In the live-action/gameplay trailer, a new tagline was introduced - "Is it real? Or is it Battlefield 3?"

Limited Edition
The Battlefield 3 Limited Edition was formally announced at GDC 2011. A post on the Battlefield Blog confirmed that it would include early access to Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand (see below), at no extra cost.

People who pre-ordered via the EA Store received a unique version of the 870 Combat shotgun and an exclusive beret for use in Battlefield Play4Free, although the unique shotgun only differs aesthetically, and stats-wise is exactly the same as the normal 870 Combat available from the game's store.

Also, pre-ordering from EA's Origin Digital Download or Gamestop included the Physical Warfare Pack, the Back to Karkand expansion, and pre-loading the game, which meant the game could be downloaded before release and played as soon as it is released. 48 hour early access to the Beta was also granted to everybody who pre-ordered the Limited Edition from the EA Store.

Anyone who also owned a new copy of the Limited edition was given early access to the Mass Effect 3 demo in January 2012.

Premium Edition
Battlefield 3 Premium Edition was announced on August 14, 2012 at Gamescom 2012. It is set to be released in September 2012 at a price of $69.99/€69.99.

It includes Battlefield 3, Battlefield Premium along with all of the service's features, and the Multiplayer head start kit. The head start also includes access to 15 more weapons in advanced along with gadgets and vehicle upgrades.

Premium Edition also released almost a year after the initial release of the game which sparked controversy similar to the ultimate edition of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. It allows for players to purchase previous content in the game for a much lower price making other players feel cheated.

Open Beta
An Open Beta for Battlefield 3, announced at E3 2011, ran across the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC starting September 29, 2011 and ending October 10, 2011. The maps featured were Operation Métro and gamemode Rush (the same as in the Alpha trial), and Caspian Border in 64-player Conquest gamemode (PC only). DICE, during the announcement of the Beta, stated that there would be no level or unlock cap in the Beta, allowing players to unlock any weapon in the game.

Owners of Medal of Honor: Limited Edition and Medal of Honor: Tier 1 Edition, as well customers who pre-ordered Battlefield 3 on EA's Origin service, got 48-hour early access to the beta. This early access was originally intended to be a closed beta for owners of the special editions of Medal of Honor, although for an unknown reason this was changed to the early access.

Criticism
The marketing from certain senior EA executives and staff hasn't been met without some criticism. A number of high-level EA staff began attacking main rivals Activision and, in particular, the Call of Duty series, saying, on several occasions, that Battlefield 3 would soundly defeat the Call of Duty franchise, or words to that effect.

However, Activision employees, including publishing boss Eric Hirshberg, responded negatively to these statements, saying EA's attitude was bad for the industry as a whole.

PS3 Owners vs EA Lawsuit
At Sony's E3 2011 press conference, EA announced that for all PlayStation 3 players, each new copy of Battlefield 3 would come with a free code of Battlefield 1943. This resulted in many to buy/pre-order the game, greatly boosting the game's overall sales. It was later revealed that EA and DICE had decided to retract their offer, stating that many of those who had pre-ordered Battlefield 3 already owned Battlefield 1943 and had been playing it for years.

To compensate for this, EA and Sony announced that all PSN users would get a week early access to Back to Karkand. In spite of this, several PlayStation 3 owners filed a class action lawsuit against EA. Edelson McGuire, head of the group, alleged that EA ”misled and profited from thousands of their customers by making a promise that they could not keep". EA has since apologized for this and later issued codes for PS3 users to download Battlefield 1943 (now expired) in response to the lawsuit, and also kept the one-week early access deal for not only Back to Karkand but all future expansions for the game as well.

Reception
Battlefield 3 has received mostly positive reviews from critics at launch. The game currently holds scores in Metacritic of 89, 85 and 84 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, respectively. It also holds scores in GameRankings of 86.82% for PC, 84.71% for PlayStation 3 and 84.80% for Xbox 360. Critics praised the game's nice graphics, realistic audio and enjoyable multiplayer. It was criticized, however for its many bugs, glitches, and boring singleplayer campaign. DICE moved quickly, however, and the game is now practically bug-free.

GameSpot gave the game an 8.5 out of 10, saying that "Battlefield 3 may not offer much beyond the multiplayer, but there are so many ways to contribute and feel like a powerful soldier that after hours and hours of playing, all you'll want to do is play more."

IGN gave the game a 9 out of 10, saying that "Regardless of the narrative missteps or the occasional glitches, Battlefield 3 offers an unforgettable, world-class multiplayer suite that's sure to excite shooter fans, whether they fired their first bullet in Battlefield 1942 or have just now heeded Battlefield's call of duty."

GameSpy gave the game a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars, saying that "It would be a shame for such an amazing interactive entertainment experience to be marred by technical issues. In the long run, though, it won't matter, because once players step out of that troop carrier and see the sun shining in their eyes like never before -- once they see the light -- they'll understand what a special game Battlefield 3 is."

Trivia

 * The Marine on the cover of Battlefield 3 is portrayed by Dennis Lennartsson, who also portrayed the U.S. Army soldier on Bad Company 2's cover art.
 * One lighting probe from Frostbite 2's lighting system contains more lighting information than an entire level from Bad Company 2.
 * This is the first non-EA Sports game to utilize ANT, an animation program that powers EA games like FIFA, to create realistic third person animations and smoother transitions for AI and multiplayer characters.
 * Sounds such as weapons firing is unique in different environments, angles, and distances.
 * A developer's console is present.
 * "Fault Line Series - Episode 1: Bad Part of Town" was released the morning of March 2, 2011; 1 day after a reveal event by EA and DICE showcasing 15 minutes of gameplay.[17]
 * Unlike previous installments, weapon reloading differs when a changed magazine is empty or when it still has rounds in it.
 * When Battlefield 3 got 800,000 likes on Facebook, the 12 minute, full-length trailer originally supposed to be uploaded on April 17 was released early. The producer's commentary was released on April 22.
 * According to a GamersSpot article, the dinosaur at the beginning of the E3 demo and Thunder Run trailer was placed in response to a 4chan thread in which a supposed Activision sales manager wondered why their Call of Duty game didn't sell as well on PC as it did on consoles, with several responses saying it was due to a lack of dinosaurs. Gustav Halling, a gameplay designer for Back to Karkand, tweeted about it.
 * A tweet by senior gameplay designer Alan Kertz stated the detail in the shell casings are different based on US and RU weapons. He later tweeted that shotguns and personal defense weapons would be all-kit weapons.
 * Vaulting, and the player being able to see their own legs and arms, was inspired by Mirror's Edge, a game that was also developed by DICE
 * On the back of the online pass in the Battlefield 3 case, there was a possible teaser for a new Medal of Honor game. This was later revealed to be Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
 * Battlefield 3 is considered illegal to own or sell in Iran due to the game's portrayal of U.S. forces invading the country, though, even with the ban, it is still a very popular game with many Iranians.
 * Players who own Battlefield 3 will automatically unlock the Swedish SOG Spec Op soldier in Medal of Honor: Warfighter and a bonus Daniel Defense Mk18 for that particular soldier.
 * For the credits of the game, the song "Another Man" by John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers can be heard after the Battlefield 3 theme finishes playing.
 * On April 2012, Tomas Danko, the voiceover producer for Battlefield 3, hinted of an easter egg that could only be heard when a player on the US side has spotted a mobile AA vehicle from a certain distance.
 * The easter egg was finally found on July 2013 by a YouTube commentator named "JackFrags", who took a set of audio files containing:

The audio files refer to an enemy "Goldfarb" being spotted. This is a reference to a former DICE employee named David Goldfarb, who was the story writer for Battlefield 3.