Destructoid: Battlefield 3 Review

For the past few years, Electronic Arts has desperately been attempting to gain a leading share of the first-person shooter market. Games like Medal of Honor and Crysis 2 have been selected as champions to take down Activision and its Call of Duty franchise, but they've never been considered serious threats.

Battlefield 3 represents EA's first real chance at carving out a competing niche. With its huge marketing budget, gorgeous visuals, and an army of fans ready to argue in its honor, this is a game with some serious muscle behind it.

[Aussiegamer]

Jim sterling, hahahahahah.

I still think he is just trolling us.

[Organization XII]

I'm not sure how can you take someone's reviews seriously when he gives Kirby a perfect 10/10.

http://www.destructoid.com/...

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One - 4/10

http://www.destructoid.com/...

Jim Sterling's either a bit too opinionated or a plain out troll.

@Eldorado and you can't deny that Killzone 3 wasn't on par of its predecessor(in other words it sucked). It only had good console visuals - that's all!

[ElDorado]

He gave Killzone 3 a perfect 10.

[DasBunker]

i think the KZ3 review was only for the lulz and to freak people out cuz they were not expecting that

[MostJadedGamer]

Actually that is the reason you can take his reviews seriously. He is the only reviewer I know that actually gives his honest opinion on games, and don't just give games high scores or low scores because everybody else is doing it. Every other professional reviwer I know of just trys to conform to the crowd.

[Optical_Matrix]

He gave Killzone 3 a 10/10. I'm a big Killzone fan, but Killzone 3 shouldn't have released this year. It didn't feel like a significant step compared to Killzone 2. It's as if Sony wanted it out in February 2011 just to bolster the exclusive line up. The multiplayer barely felt any more robust than Killzone 2. It was more like an 8/10. it was a great game, but thats about it. Nothing special in my opinion. Here's hoping Killzone 4 is feature/content rich.

I refuse to read BF3 reviews as well. Too much hype and controversy surrounding the game for me to take any reviews seriously. I loved the Beta, so that's all I need to confirm my purchase (which will arrive at my door tomorrow, 2 days before the UK launch..so please).

[ReservoirDog316]

What do you mean Killzone 3 sucked!? Besides a slow start, it was honestly one of the most entertaining games I played this year. And I was very skeptical about it since it didn't seem to set the world on fire like Killzone 2. The singleplayer changed it up so much that you can just never get bored and the story didn't take itself so seriously.

I highly disagree with you and somewhat agree with Sterling.

And Jim Sterling is just the way he is but he gives his reasons why he gives those scores. He doesn't just say I didn't like it just cause, he gives his reasons. Whether they're as big of an issue as he makes it out to be is up to your tastes but he's his own man. And he uses the entire 10 point scale.

Having said that, the link to his review is dead.

[evrfighter]

if I remember correctly he gave witcher 2 a 5 or 6. That was the last time I visited destructoid

[BlindGuardian]

I'm about two thirds of the single player and I can confirm everything he wrote about it is truth

I don't have a problem with playing another short, corridor single player FPS but something about this one feels off, it's too uninspired, too bland, too much "been there done that" feeling, it has big environments but if you try to move a few steps away from the path you'll get the dreaded "leaving playable area" countdown, most of the stuff you shoot at that's not enemies doesn't react (bottles or civilians), there's an endless mission on an air fighter that mostly plays itself, when big battle take place you can't see anything, you don't know where are the guys shooting at you, and you'll get kill long before you spot them

and the graphics on the 360 are nothing especial, far from Killzone 3 and Crysis 2

[Venjense]

How can you give a game with shit SP more than an 8/10. Why bother making it all, may as well just create more maps and game modes and make it MP only.

[VvKILLAGOOSEvV]

Looks like Jimbo didn't play Team Deathmatch, I swear I run into more enemy players in that mode than I do in CoD...Not joking it's insane.

[rjdofu]

So... Jim Sterling strikes again!

Lucky UC3 has successfully evaded him LOL.

[Clarence]

KZ3 was a let down. I was excited for awhile but that faded after 2weeks. guerrilla games drop the ball.

[Christopher]

In the world of video game reviewers, Jim Sterling is a big wildcard. Sometimes, you never know what her's going to do or say, just don't go in with any set expectations.

[chidori666]

"Jim sterling, hahahahahah. "

Jim Sterling gave an accurate review of a game and make valid points, so please stfu ,people have diferent opinions you troll.

[Aussiegamer]

Good for you champ.

1. take a joke.

2. get a life.

[Anon1974]

I clicked the link. I saw who did the review. I moved on.

[SilentNegotiator]

It's a perfectly legitimate review. The SP is crap and plenty of resources went into it. They could have used those resources to make a more robust MP, but they didn't. And the MP isn't exactly perfect. Having ANYTHING be fought over like it were the sole objective, like tanks, is poor balancing. If there were a decent counter-balance and other options, one thing wouldn't nearly assure victory. Rocket launchers tend to dominate in small areas. Goofy co-op structure with a forced helicopter stage. The terrain is often too noisy to get a good aim on someone. Battlelog over-complicates everything.

There are times I totally disagree with Jim Sterling, (like when he claimed LBP2 lacked re-playability) but Jim hit the nail on the head and drove it in on one swing on this one. Too many things in BF3 have been forgiven to fandom.

[Lovable]

"and an army of fans ready to argue in its honor"

Hahahahaha..that was a good one.

[DasBunker]

reviewer doesnt know how to play the game

"run for a very long time across a huge open space, then bump into a tank and die."

"Tanks are sluggish and alienate one from the atmosphere of the match, while airborne transport is a nightmare to use"

[gamingdroid]

That is actually how I felt playing BC2 minus the tank. Usually it was snipers. BF3 beta was even worse when it came to snipers.

[DasBunker]

"run for a very long time across a huge open space, then bump into a tank and die."

run? why not ride an ATV, another vehicle or spawn on a squadmate? also most of the time tanks are spottable from a fairly distant... learn to sneak around, flank etc..

"Tanks are sluggish and alienate one from the atmosphere of the match, while airborne transport is a nightmare to use"

this is a balance and even a bit of realism thing... air vehicles would be harder to take down if they were easy to pilot..

"snipers"

this isnt call of duty where youre on the undercover of precious walls into safeness.. avoid running like a headless chicken on open field

[gamingdroid]

***avoid running like a headless chicken on open field***

LOL... Open field is all there was, unless you are planning to camp as well!

[Son_Lee]

People bash on this guy because he actually isn't afraid to use the entire review scale. 7.5, when using the ENTIRE scale, is still a very good score. Sure, the game may not be for everyone or do anything new, but it has many redeeming qualities that one can't deny. I wish people could see that the review scale is more than just 7-10.

[Jacks_Medulla]

The way I look at it, the review scale for video games is similar to the grading system of American schools. 10-9 is equivalent to an A, 8.9-8 a B, 7.9-7 a C, etc. Review scores make more sense, to me, when viewed this way; everything below a 6 is just varying in how terrible it is.
As for Sterling, I stopped trusting his reviews once he gave Assassins Creed 2 a 4.5; I don't even enjoy the Assassins Creed games, but I'll admit they deserve scores much Higher than a 4.5. Even if the score was based on the "full scale", a 4.5 is still below average.

[Rage_S90]

This was actually a really well written review. People should read it first before saying olololololol jim sterling.

[radphil]

"People bash on this guy because he actually isn't afraid to use the entire review scale. 7.5, when using the ENTIRE scale"

I would be on the side to agree with it, except that he doesn't admit to some of his bias, when you see him giving Return to Dreamland a perfect 10, bad mouth and made a false generalization of the PC crowd because of a closed mind to piracy(he basically stated it's all the PC Community's fault for piracy), and among other things. From the way he does things, his word just doesn't seem to hold much weight anymore given with how he tends to speak without too much thought.

He can write some long pieces, but 1/2 the time you just question him.

Also just for reference, he gave Payday a 7.5 also, and after having both, BF3 has a much higher quality standard.

[girlwithturn]

Biggest PR doesn't changing quality of simple military shooter.

[GameZenith]

Who cares what reviewers say.

One person's opinion does not equal the true quality of a game.

BF3 is still an superior game to MW3. Why?

- Better Graphics
- Next Gen Engine
- Multiplayer that requires team play and less lone wolf
- 64 Players
- The Use of Vehicles which changes the landscape of the battlefield
- Destruction which changes the landscape of the battlefield

[JeffGUNZ]

other then the engine, you described BFBC2.

That's the problem. It's so much like BC2 that it feels underwhelming.

[gamer234]

do you see why pple like cod, it doesn't boast about graphics but it gives u an interesting campaign, great multilayer experience and simple controls.

[JeffGUNZ]

As I Plan to pass MW3 this year for a while due to my obsession with Gears 3, I do agree with you. COD gets the most important thing right, the fun factor.

[HeavenlySnipes]

I like that Jim didn't give them a pass for poor SP and coop. If the game is MP only (basically) make it that way. It also doesn't help that the console versions are halfassed compared to the PC version. Not saying 64 people could fit on consoles, but the graphical glitches on consoles isn't making it any more appealing to play. I wouldn't give it a 7.5 but a 9+/10 it is not.

[smashcrashbash]

I agree. NO more passes for half @$$ed SP. Either you make the whole thing properly or face the concequences. If people think UC3 should be penalised for a less then stellar MP then BF3 should get penalised for less then stellar SP. Why should they get a free pass and others don't?

[Venjense]

Totally agree, Halo can have a great SP campaign with amazing AI and good MP. Killzone, although botching the story still had a very fun SP because the AI was smart too.

Why should COD and BF get away with whack-a-mole gameplay, that only works when people are blown away by the graphics.

[veChuy]

haha and he is just reviewing the sp

[SJPFTW]

lol its funny how he says BF3 has pop-up and its not as visually good looking as Crysis 2 on consoles. i was like WTF are you smoking? I have bf3 and pop-up is barely noticeable. On crysis 2 it is huge. BF3 is easily the best looking multi-plat shooter on consoles. Dont know if on crack or just trolling

[Hufandpuf]

I don't like Jim. He is the perfect example of a journalist that is too full of himself. I knew the review was doomed the minute I found out he was doing the review and it's funny because by his standards, Kirby and Deadly premonition are his idea of perfect games. He gives 4/10 to ratchet and clank (it couldn't have been THAT bad.

Also, Dtoiders are Jim's slaves. They will agree to ANYTHING he says. I like journalists that are bold, but jim is just random.

[SH0CKW4VE]

maybe he is random because opinions tend to be?

Thought the review was spot on, it did what every other review didnt have the balls to do and cite how crap and short lived the single player is and score it accordingly.

Its basically a graphics showcase, theres nothing engaging about it.

Id give it 7/10 for the good multiplayer but awful campaign and ONLY 6 co-op missions.

And about the base campaign structure, POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT!

your in a room being interogated reliving past battles that you have fought, sound familiar?

[VictoriousB13]

A well written review. Jim Sterling is my favourite game journalist and although I don't agree with him all the time, it's easy to respect his opinion as he always backs it up, which is more than I can say for most N4G users.

[omi25p]

You mean like when he said gears 3 is the best of the 3 then gave it a lower score than the previous 2? Or when he did the exact same thing with Batman Arkham city and resistance 3 and infamous 2.

He is a moron and should be removed from this industry.

MIXELON

I think the points system should be removed completely. Main because of people like jim who abuse it. He uses the points system as a way of bringing attention to his review inorder to get more hits.

I have no problem with any of his reviews but its the fact the reviews dont match the scores and the scores are so clearly used to get hits.

[mixelon]

You do realise that if reviewers added points comparatively based on other games scores they'd have ran out of room on the points scale decades ago. At some point the ratings have to be reeled in and the goalposts have to move constantly.

Same thing is happening to uncharted 3, most reviews are rating it less than U2 but saying U3 is equally good if not better. The quality ceiling and peoples expectations are just increasing.

[VictoriousB13]

At no point in his Gears 3 review did he say it was the best in the series. He made it clear he felt it was the least memorable. Same with his Batman Arkham City review, where he specifically said it doesn't reach the same heights as its predecessor. And he didn't even review Infamous 2 so now you're just pulling things out of your ass.

[radphil]

@Victorious

Read his piracy rant and you'll think otherwise.

He thinks that devs should no longer make ANY games on that platform, because of a few people pirating games.

Yet made no references to people doing the same on consoles, but blamed that on PC community also.

[MidnytRain]

A few people?

[SJPFTW]

pirating on consoles is harder to do and less prevalent.

[radphil]

@MidnytRain

He tried pulling it off as if everyone that games on PC pirates and buys nothing, even though you'll see some devs talk about a huge profit from selling on places like Steam.

[darando]

i guy in college set up a 360 pirating shop, were someone would bring in there 360 and 20 minutes later it was ready to play pirated games.

i know more people who pirate games on console than do pc.

[Zephol]

what!!?? hahahaha

[Zephol]

Lack of repetition? These are crazy. I think they are fanboys of COD

[Motorola]

Yeah cuz anyone who dislikes BF3 is a COD fanboy. amirite

[0neShot]

"With less impressive visuals, horrendous texture pop-in (even after installation) and smaller battles, the Battlefield 3 console experience is a shadow of what is offered on computers and not something I'd recommend. I found the whole game distinctly less fun on the Xbox 360, feeling sterile and looking almost ugly."

So much hype for the HD texture pack and frosbite 2.0 and this is what we get. In this case, BF3 will follow BF2, just another shooter dropping by, waving to COD sitting on the FPS throne and then going away into the realms of oblivion.

[Hufandpuf]

Oblivion!? Wait and see how many players stick to cod when the back to karkand expansion comes out.

[0neShot]

The answer to your question is there will be millions of COD players, please check Major Nelson's stats when MW3 comes out in a few weeks and for the whole of next year. This year with that Karkland expansion you are boasting, BC2 is languishing in top 9 while 3 of the top 5 are all COD titles. Mind you COD MW1 is contesting BF2 for that top9 spot.

[Venjense]

I'm glad I cancelled my pre-order a week ago and got Batman AC. I finally cleared my head of the hype haze and bought one of the best games I've played.....ever.

Console graphics aren't good enough for crap AI, shallow story all wrapped up in 6 hrs and more importantly, I'm tired of pray-and-spray, first to spot gets the kill military shooters MP. I prefer to face my opponent mano-e-mano like in Gears and Reach and see who is more skilled.

[JeffGUNZ]

Agreed 100%. I am so tired of people saying BF3 was going to be the best game ever. It's not. It feels IDENTICAL to BC2. Now that Battleflop 3 has been released, lets start focusing on truely amazing games like batman AC, Gears 3, and UC3.

[Bastion17]

Sad thing is that there was no shitstorm of raging fanboys on DTOIDs comment page of the review...
And I had my popcorn and everything...

[Kahvipannu]

Well, he is propably one of the reviewers who still says what he really thinks.

Not that I agree with him, but opinion is an opinion.

[Ser]

No hits from me, Jimmy boy.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my new copy of Battlefield 3 as I type this.

[floetry101]

He's pretty accurate with his arguments in this review. Battlelog is a poorly implemented server function/social network and it doesn't really nail either. The campaign (as is the case with all Battlefield campaigns) is short, dull and not very reminiscent of online play.

I mean, you can argue your own opinion all you like, but at no point did I think a 7.5 was wrong for this article.

[Asgaro]

Why is it "poorly implemented" as you say?
What are the bugs you encounter?

I love Battlelog because you have a lot more connectivity with friends, the community, and with Dice.

[Ares90]

oh and now millions of people want their money back??

[Kos-Mos]

Dice went "crytek". Poor bastards.

[Clayman]

There's no way BF3 is only a 7.5.. God damnit...

[LilDeja93]

EA and DICE just hyped this game tooo much. Console version seems like a letdown.

[Asgaro]

By seeing 1 more or less negative review, you decide the console version is a fail?

Compared to PC, yes console version is a little worse.
Compared to other console titles, it fits perfectly between the other big budget titles like Uncharted 3.

[ATi_Elite]

I didn't read the review and I'm not gonna read it!

Also i have no idea what system he used as the review but let me tell you I'm enjoying the HELL outta the PC version.

if he thinks it's a 7.5 then that's his opinion. All i know is the servers are jam packed and BF3 PC just might be GOTY!

it's friggin amazing on Ultra! check it out!

[Prcko]

preorder cancelled

[Jihra]

Its the 26 if you don't have it already its in the mail, hf with bf3.

[Jdub895O]

i dont give a crap about these reviews, this game is awesome and should be played by all. It has some minor issues with squad and mic but other than that its fun and addicting.

I just hope they get some private matches up in here.Im not sure if you can setup custom servers with battlelog though.

[Jihra]

Oh Jim Sterling, nvm.

http://i999.photobucket.com...

1H 46M = Complete Review.