The Battlefield 3 beta is now live for all those who pre-ordered the game on Origin or picked up the Medal of Honor Limited Edition.
It looks spectacular on any platform and that's without considering the 38 percent performance boost provided by NVIDIA's Battlefield 3 specific drivers on PC, recommended by DICE itself.
If you're one of the lucky few to have access to the Battlefield 3 multiplayer offering right now then put down your controller, if you can, and let us know what you think.
Does the FPS live up to all the excited chatter surrounding it or is it just another military shooter to add to the pile?
As always let us know in the comments section below and we'll pick out the best reader opinions for a follow-up article next week.
Comments
66 comments so far...
Chief Predz on 27 Sep '11 said:
There's no doubting the graphics are top notch (especially the Campaign) but the 10 minute beta video for me looked boring.
I dont think MW3 has anything to worry about (multiplayer-wise)
farmer_boy on 27 Sep '11 said:
I had MOH, yet still no keys or access to the download?
cam123 on 27 Sep '11 said:
Well, I have the PS3 Beta and..
I dont know whether its just me or down to the market being so oversaturated with FPS games in the last 4 years but I found it quite boring and stale.
COD4's success really killed the FPS genre for me, don't get me wrong I loved COD4 but with the mediocre FPS games being released so frequently I have lost interest in the genre. No buy for me, anyone else agree?
KesMonkey on 27 Sep '11 said:
MW3 should be worried. Very worried.
Can a game be worried?
MANYOO4EVA on 27 Sep '11 said:
I found the gamplay to be the same generic gameplay as the COD and BFBC games.
I wasn't blown away by the video and it wa abit boring.
Still probably buy it though but not blown as I was originally expected to be.
Also I thinkg Gears of War 3 is gonna take a large share of the MP action this next year or so. That game is just awesome.
Chief Predz on 27 Sep '11 said:
Haha well no a game can't be worried but...you know what i'm saying!
In all fairness i've never been into Battlefield, its been CoD all the way for me since the 1st one.
toaplan on 27 Sep '11 said:
DICE already have a reputation for delivering decent multiplayer, so the multiplayer beta isn't that big of a deal. What I'm really hoping for, is a great single-player campaign (with those awesome Nvidia-optimized PC graphics). That's an area where DICE could do better. And it looks like they will, this time.
KesMonkey on 27 Sep '11 said:
To be honest, I'm not even talking about the gameplay. Bad Company 2 sold about half as many copies as Black Ops, which was quite impressive. BC2 was the biggest selling of all the BF games. But the hype for BF3 is so massive, that it will surely do much much better than BC2. Add to that the fact that so many people seem to be jumping from the CoD ship, and you have an interesting situation. If BF3's sales don't exceed those of MW3, it will surely come damn close.
wwinterj on 27 Sep '11 said:
I seem to be one of the very few who doesn't care for either Battlefield or COD.
A beta been hyped is just silly also. The only reason I'm making this comment is because CVG like many other game sites ram this rubbish down our throats. I do admit that if I had to choose between the two Battlefield seems the best option.
metallicorphan on 27 Sep '11 said:
yeah i had MoH:LE and i have not received a code,and i have heard its no use complaining because its all done by computer
SOLE CATCHER on 27 Sep '11 said:
Just been playing BF3 BETA on XBOX, and I will gladly admit I've always preferd Battlefield over COD, maily due to the scale of the maps that allow a sniper to be a sniper. Anyway back to the beta, looks absolutly stunning! The lighting effects add a whole new element to the game, either being able to blind an enemy with your tourch in the dark tunnels of the subway, or when you emerge from the subway being temporarily blinded by the bright outside world, There are blatently a few glitches to work out such as occasionaly not being able to aim down your sight or sprint, but thats what a beta is for working out the bugs. Great work again DICE, well done.
sibear on 27 Sep '11 said:
Worth the hype all the way. The gameplay is super smooth and seems a little bit quicker than previous titles. The unlock system is gonna take forever to get through. Those who haven't got your codes for xbox; they are being slow to get out. I got mine at 5.35pm. The did tweet that if you don't receive your code by now to go to support.ea.com and they will sort it. The only prob is the servers are stuggling...
JOEuk91 on 27 Sep '11 said:
I've been playing the Beta for a few hours now and I cant seem to shake the feeling that the 'Operation Metro' map is aimed squarely at fans of Call of Duty, maybe its the absence of vehicles, but the map layout is very close quarters especially when it progresses underground into the Metro. I never thought I would die on the spot where I spawned in a Battlefield game or see 5 people in the same place at once. It seems DICE have made this map (and the open Beta) to entice COD fans to BF3, but I'm sure the rest of the maps in the full game wont be so leaned towards Call of Duty's close combat style of play (especially after seeing the Caspian Border map),
I'm not criticising Call of Duty, but I'm just saying the map clearly seems to be trying to make a point that Battlefield 3 is competing with COD when it shouldnt, it should be a Battlefield game with large open maps, not have close combat like the Metro map does, but like I said, I'm sure this is just to get Call of Duty players interested and isnt representative of the full game.
That aside though, it looks and sounds incredible and the destruction is impressive.
charliecheswick on 27 Sep '11 said:
I had access to the early beta,as i bought MoH for the 360....HOWEVER
,due to selling said 360 last month,my chuffin' code won't work on PS3. 
Oh well,i can just about wait until Thursday. Alongside Zelda SS,biggest game of the year for me.
NEO_SUPERMAN on 27 Sep '11 said:
What's with all the screen tearing?
Is this the PS3?
FlimFlam on 27 Sep '11 said:
I'm not sure how starting a discussion on whether or not the game appears to be worth the hype can be labelled as 'ramming rubbish down our throats'?
KMakawa on 27 Sep '11 said:
If you mean random flashing colors on your screen, thats the game.. its apart of the game.
HarryJack on 27 Sep '11 said:
The only reason why this beta is that amazing yet is because only people with MOH can play it... and nobody bought that game! Plus the EA servers are s**t
DCS1987 on 27 Sep '11 said:
I found the beta fun and I've preordered the game already. I'm not concerned about hype or CoD vs. Battlefield 'debates'; the game is smooth, well balanced and a good mix of twitch and tactical shooters. If you aren't too high brow to enjoy an FPS these days, give it a look.
higgins78 on 27 Sep '11 said:
THIS/YOU are the problem with why the videogames industry has become stale and un-innovative barring the Wii. To quote you..."I found the gamplay to be the same generic gameplay as the COD and BFBC games, it was a bit boring, STILL probably but it though". WTF!? You already stated you find it generic and boring so then why would you buy it...just to fit in? People it appears will eat whatever is thrown in the troff...
FurtiveFerret on 27 Sep '11 said:
Anyone who has moh le just search on the store then it pops up! Woop not played yet tho cry!
KK-Headcharge78 on 27 Sep '11 said:
I love it when people use the term 'generic fps' what the f**k are you on about, does it sound clever? like you may have a clue? It doesn't it's a buzz term. So BF might not be riding the innovation wave (where is this by the way?) and if you think it is the same as COD, MOH or Homefront get to specsavers or were you looking for some car racing? It's great fun probably why manyoo and millions of others are gonna buy it. If people don't like the military FPS genre then give it up telling those that do still enjoy it and p**s off.
Oh and KesMonkey I believe BFBC2 sold circa 9 million and Black Ops was 25 million
2K6NathanW on 27 Sep '11 said:
I have the Playstation 3 Beta and I have to say, I am impressed so far. Graphics don't live up to the Hype created however, they are good though.
The Game plays allot like Bad Company with added animations and effects. The gun recoil is a great addition, allowing a player to take cover after taking damage instead of getting killed all the time.
The overall game is very fun to play, you will love it, even if your a CoD fan. A verY balanced game. Thums up from me!
Laughlyn on 27 Sep '11 said:
i heard very similar 'boring' 'stale' comments on teh alpha i mean ffs the alpha barely had any users, teh beta is seeding very slowly so not many folk are going to be online, also take into account its a work/school night so not many folk gonan be up late. its bound to be a bit thin on the. i'd say give it till teh codes have been sent out and come thursday when rest of us have attempted to download it several times due to server crashing i'm sure this weekend the beta will be rammed.
i love bad co 2, if it wa sjust that with better weapons and graphics i'd be happy, Cod has been doing it but without better graphics since cod4. i always prefered the gamestyle of battlefield than cod. i've got it pre-ordered, am looking forward to it and it's a day one purchase for me, teh demo of bad co 2 was played to death when that was releasedEA are going right way to get word of mouth out early to take more of MW3's thunder. Activision just go on teh CoD tag to sell coipies so no demo/beta from them. hopefully after this they may stop just fobbing off players with poorly done games for a quick buck and actually put an effort in
The Bossman on 27 Sep '11 said:
I've played the BETA for most of today, and it outplays COD easily. I'm a big COD player, I play COD4 every day but BF3 trounces COD currently. The sheer amount of carnage going on at any one time is amazing, even on PS3 it looks pretty decent. I love how you can rank up in a BETA and unlock new weapons, it's excellent. Super hyped for BF3s release now, I think I'll pick it up on PS3 first, not at full price though, then on PC at Xmas. I'm uploading BF3 gameplay to Youtube as I type, it says 52 mins remaining.
eXciSioNz on 27 Sep '11 said:
tbh its the same as what the BF3 fanboys are saying about MW3, same s**t different disk, i wont rush for this game.
nezzko on 27 Sep '11 said:
Some really sour Sallys today!
Anyhoo, the beta is exactly what i expected of it, a slightly unfinished version of BF3 in Rush mode.
Oh, that's a good thing by the way
appyday on 27 Sep '11 said:
i had a few games and really enjoyed it. it does need that extra level of sheen it will no doubt get before release but the beta stands proud.
the only issue i have is that by including the option to go prone snipers are a bloody nightmare, and once you get inside the metro station they are almost impossible to hit/see while lying down at the far end of the map and just take you out as you enter....
although to level it out using prone while defending adds an extra level of protection in your favour....
looking forward to the finished product.
appyday on 27 Sep '11 said:
i had a few games and really enjoyed it. it does need that extra level of sheen it will no doubt get before release but the beta stands proud.
the only issue i have is that by including the option to go prone snipers are a bloody nightmare, and once you get inside the metro station they are almost impossible to hit/see while lying down at the far end of the map and just take you out as you enter....
although to level it out using prone while defending adds an extra level of protection in your favour....
looking forward to the finished product.
pRM8 on 28 Sep '11 said:
The map in the beta is Operation Metro, a rush map that was used in the alpha. Not unlike BFBC2 or MW2 but with more destruction and some better graphics. Still a few annoyances regarding movement and the fact you have to be in-game and actually spawned to be able to p**s about with the options etc which seems f**king stupid.
Once (if) they roll out the bigger more open maps in different modes then I'm prepared to be blown away however.
mkwuk on 28 Sep '11 said:
I was going to post something similar. I've been playing it all afternoon and I'm enjoying it a lot - but it is a tight map with no vehicles and that suggests they're trying to entice COD players.
Aside from the expected glitches here and there, the only other thing that niggles is me slightly is allowing players to go prone. I know it adds realism and all that, but I kinda liked that you couldn't do it in previous games, feels a bit cheap when you get killed 10 times in a round by a sniper hiding under a bush.
mincedbeef on 28 Sep '11 said:
I've been playing the PC version all evening.....decent but the 'Rush' mode that makes up the beta is just a crappy carbon copy of typical console action that BFBC2 was albeit with much better graphics. (even though BFBC2 was fairly impressive)
I'm hoping that the conquest modes with bigger maps and vehicles add to a better game and sway it more in the direction of the real Battlefield games. The Rush mode only attracts johnny rambo run and gunners who refuse to work as a team, don't flinch with team kills and generally just run around like headless chickens. The worst thing about this game mode is that it creates severe choke points on the map and when people spawn they just run in a straight line for the overlay of their target MCOM.
If that's happening on the PC version, I don't even want to imagine how much worse the 7 year olds are on PS3. At least the battle log system is pretty good, if a little dis-jointed.
The Bossman on 28 Sep '11 said:
My BF3 gameplay:
-> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBkiJYARI7k <-
smeg666 on 28 Sep '11 said:
this is not representative of the final code..this is the beta and as far as betas go this is damn fine..very smooth online and its going to be so much fun.although graphically its not a patch on the hi-end pc versions its still head and shoulders above anything else on consoles at the moment.brilliant and i think i may have just lost the rest of my life to this beast..
Rhyno on 28 Sep '11 said:
The gameplay super smooth, unlikely.... Xbox users in Australia & NZ cant even play on xbox360 and the ps3 has some graphic glitches like none other..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G2JZvJFhZk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVMNHAxHgbU
2 Videos i took this morning
Old Skool Gamer on 28 Sep '11 said:
The person in the video was shooting his own teammates!
Looks same old, same old.
SuperMrLoki on 28 Sep '11 said:
I.........
CANT...........
WAIT...................
SuperMrLoki on 28 Sep '11 said:
As this is a BETA, Let the guys know so this issue can be resolved, simples
b4db0y on 28 Sep '11 said:
you had to register the game on origin with your ea account and the bf3 beta key will be sent out shortly after, i read it on EA's forums
cheesebiscuit on 28 Sep '11 said:
Well basically, the beta is not fantastic. It just doesn't feel like a battlefield game, almost like a cross between COD and MOH. The map is clearly aimed at COD players to try to entice them into the game, its very much a close quarters bottleneck with little room for flanking etc and you find yourself getting killed a lot. The graphics (360) are clearly not finished (have a close look at details in the corridors) and floating rubble is pretty common. One of my main issues with the current beta is that the weapon damage is pretty inconsistent, sometimes it takes an entire clip to kill someone, others take 3 bullets, same goes for when people shoot at me.
Also i am yet to seem a team win an entire round, this map is crazily favoured towards the defenders.
jezza... on 28 Sep '11 said:
In terms of gameplay it feels more akin to medal of honour than bad company which isnt necessarily a bad thing.
But while it took some getting used to and learning the map took a few playthroughs I am really starting to enjoy it,what really pays off is the immersion factor,the sound of gunfire across the map,crawling through a bush towards the enemy.
But the coolest bit for me is when there is no gunfire to be heard,just keeping your eyes peeled for an enemy in near silence.
Awesome.
KK-Headcharge78 on 28 Sep '11 said:
This has always been my fear for BF this time round, so desperate are EA to attract the COD crowd (for which I am also one of I guess) that the games 'feel' changes to accomodate the more run and gun nature of the COD series. I don't want that, I don't need 2 CODs and moves like the inclusion of smaller maps (could be for technical reasons I guess) team deathmatch coupled with the nature of the marketing around the game are potential signals of this point. Thing is they don't need to be like COD they need to craft a game which is so engaging it makes people put other games down. I haven't played the Beta but have had a previous hands on, hopefully my fears and cheesebiscuits points are not realised in the final game.
TheLastDodo on 28 Sep '11 said:
Do not listen to the people that say it's like CoD.
If anything it feels like a mix of BFBC2 and the new MoH, it has not turned into a CoD run n gun style shooter, the maps are still long and wide with plenty of cover and foliage for snipers to hide in, the only thing missing really is destructible environments, they don't come into play until it's time to take the final M-COM.
The sound is incredible (especially for grenades), the graphics are pretty good (like a polished BFBC2), the guns are satisfying to use (lot smoother than BFBC2), my only gripe is screen tear, it's not game ruining but it's certainly noticeable.
The Bossman on 28 Sep '11 said:
I experienced a few glitches in the BETA on the first day, one MASSIVE glitch was when you're outside, if you're crawling on the floor near a wall in a specific section, you can crawl UNDER the map. I was looking around and could see the blue sky through the floor and floating tufts of grass. I have it recorded in a rather long 25 min vid on my hard drive. If you're standing on it, half of your body is hidden under the ground, could be a camping hot spot, and a very unfair one at that, but it is just a BETA. Also in the vid currently uploaded there's a floating piece of glass in the air in the subway near the elevators, I look at it numerous times in the vid.
kirankara on 28 Sep '11 said:
beta with glitches, stop the news!!!!
kirankara on 28 Sep '11 said:
they are clearly going to implement a variety of maps im guessing, with some more suited to close quarters combat, and others more suited to vehicles.
I worry a bit about the screen tear, but hey it is a beta , and that should be much improved, although im guessing not perfect by time of release
JOEuk91 on 28 Sep '11 said:
I agree with you about going prone, but I think it has its pros and cons. In Bad Company 2 you would die alot when you try and crouch behind cover because you have not gone low enough, which isnt very realistic since your reaction would be to hit the ground and get as low as possible, so I like that you're able to do it in BF3. On the other hand though is people being so easily hidden by doing it.
But hey, eye for an eye, I think it makes the game more intense during firefights with both teams crawling around cover as bullets fly.
WHITEyy118 on 28 Sep '11 said:
No offense to anyone that's said it but it's obvious that the beta is to entice COD players, as expected. That's old news.
As for this article. Are you joking? It's hardly just another shooter, just look at what they've (DICE) done. They have built a new engine and from the beta it''s looking really good. Then you have COD, not much has changed but it has the huge fanbase. What can be said for the other FPS's??
EvilWaterman on 29 Sep '11 said:
In MW3 you can call in an airstrike, in BF3 you ARE the air strike!
That is all.
chunkyboymania on 29 Sep '11 said:
It's really hard to judge this based on just one infantry only map but like others it felt slightly underwhelming to me.
The controls don't feel as smooth as BC2 did in my opinion. It just felt a bit twitchy for my liking which meant I was constantly readjusting my aim. To be far however I am out of practice and I'm sure once I have tinkered with the control settings it will feel more natural.
In terms of graphics I think it looks marginally better than BC2. The lighting is beautiful at points (loved the sun-drenched park and flashlights) which is the significant improvement however the textures are pretty rough in places, on the 360 anyway. Some of the exterior building looked great but character models were fairly standard even though the animation is much improved.
Didn't really get to test out destruction 3.0 either which will hopefully be more prominent in other maps. In fact I think DICE should have included another map in the beta as Battlefield differentiates itself from most other shooters with its large scale vehicle based maps. For me the close quarters Metro beta has raised more questions than answers and it would have been reassuring to blow up some buildings in a tank.
I have no doubt that the final game will be awesome even though on consoles Frostbite 2 seems more of a tentative step than the giant leap forward I had (unrealistically) hoped for.
Padua on 30 Sep '11 said:
Just another shooter for me.
I hate being sucked in by hype - when will I learn better 
I was seriously underwhelmed. It looked like a very poor Beta - there were phenomenal bugs. Funniest thing I saw was a dead guy sliding past me on his back, along the floor, up some steps and over some ticket gates at the Metro
Another time I just crouched by a bush and the screen started jumping up and down until i stood up again.
There were more memorable glitches for me than highlights. Nothing blew me away. Whilst the engine is pretty it looked damn unstable and its less than two months to launch date!
I put my Resistance 3 disk in after to soothe my bleeding eyes
and had new found respect for it!
roguezink on 30 Sep '11 said:
In a similar vein to what people are saying here, BF2 is a tight well balanced shooter. Playing the BF3 Beta is like taking a step backward. Yes, it looks good - as good as BF2, but with less than a month to go the Beta is in a really bad state. When I played the BFBC2 demo it was pretty much the finished atricle. This BF3 beta is way more incomplete. I know they say it's not final quality, but in less than a month, there is too much to do here.
Glitches are all over the place, in animations, scenery, lighting, player models to name a few. Even things that worked fine in BFBC2 are broke. The Defibs didnt work 9 times out of 10!
I love BFBC2 and have played it all year, but as supporter of the franchise, I'm a bit worried. So newbies playing the Beta are gong to be well put off.
It would be good to get word from Dice on hte fixes, as i only feel the more people play the more they will rack up in bugs at the moment!
k3v1n on 30 Sep '11 said:
Downloaded it and played it all last night. Was really looking forward to playing this.
However, I'm now finding myself bored with it already.
I'm not too sure what it is to be honest. There's plenty of guns and unlocks. But, i sometimes find myself shooting a player at close range and they burst a few shots and I'm dead.
I never played Battlefield 2, but i bought Bad company 2 and i was hooked and realized what it has over COD. Now i just feel like theres nothing new to the table.
Just feels like another shooter to be honest. Gonna buy it anyway.
chunkyboymania on 30 Sep '11 said:
Just been back on for a few games and I can't believe how glitchy it was this time. I kept falling through the floor when going prone and textures were popping in and out constantly. Also I had a look around and some of the textures seriously looked sub PS2 standard.
It seems to me that DICE made a game engine that is truly next gen with the right hardware but on our current consoles it runs like a 3 legged dog. I'm sure the glitches are fixable but so close to release it may require patches in the future. A bit gutting really as I think the game would be smoother and look better overall running the old Frostbite engine.
mincedbeef on 30 Sep '11 said:
You are aware that the beta version is an old build and uses a tweaked alpha version?
Sammy_bham on 30 Sep '11 said:
very dissapointed.
to point where i might cancel my pre-order.
ive played a lot of betas in my time, and the end result has never been too far from the beta.
if thats correct for this... then on console at least, this is a fail (in my opinion)
ctrols are clunky, graphics are well.... terrible. gameplay seems glitchy, clunky and barely playable.
by major high hopes for this have been dashed.
ive even deleted it.
ZeroTime on 30 Sep '11 said:
Quoted for emphasis. The Bad Company 2 beta was just as abysmal on numerous accounts.
chunkyboymania on 30 Sep '11 said:
Really? Why would EA release an older alpha build for a public beta test so close to the games release? Surely it would make most sense to release the latest build even if the main objective is to test the servers. Not saying I won't buy it still but this is the worst marketing for the game possible so I will need to be convinced by reviews now. Does the beta not concern you considering how glitchy it is?
mincedbeef on 1 Oct '11 said:
They release an older build for the beta because it wasn't created last week....it would have taken months to get it ready and uses a build that was ready at that time. It also enables them to continue polishing the latest build. Its really more of a server loading test......the 'alpha' enabled them to do a controlled loading exercise with a select amount of users, the beta then takes it to the next level with an increased userbase......then the game goes live and the multiplayer count increases again.
With the release only 4 weeks away, DICE will be hoping that their QA had already identified the bugs by now, and that the final polish is now being applied. Only the last minute bugs that have slipped through the net or the ones that have caused bigger problems through the lifecycle of the product should be outstanding now. There is realistically only a couple of weeks available for fixes now before the game is pressed and goes gold. Like I said the beta is testing out the network performance with realistic loading through the PC server networks and console portals on a scale that network simulation tools could never achieve.
You really think that DICE should use a recent build and that it takes a couple of days to extract a portion of the game, installer, partial network infrastructure that supports it for 3 completely different systems and that the purpose of it is to identify problems so they have no time whatsoever to fix, test and QA them again? Its the same deal with demos and the reason you will often see the disclaimer of 'This game does not represent the final product' or words to that effect. I find it quite amusing that people are whining about bugs to be honest and some people even comparing the beta to games that are already at retail. If you're not sure about the game or don't believe me then wait for some reviews after the game's release before commiting.
I'm playing the PC version and the only problem I've seen is falling under the scenery near the MCON on the 'Metro' map. (It happens occasionally and not every game) I believe Dice have acknowledged that as a bug carried forward from the alpha and already fixed in their latest build. So no, I have no concerns and am confident DICE will deliver a great game.
Sent from my Asus Transformer using Tapatalk.
DEXTER30 on 1 Oct '11 said:
Ive got the beta, must admit the hype makes this out to be a amazing game that breaks new ground, However on playing the multi player it didnt blow me away I was very disappointed.The presentation and sound is slick. The graphics are a bit of a letdown too I must admit watching clips on youtube the graphics looked amazing but this must have been run on a high end PC as the ps3 graphics are no where near as slick, I would say that Modern Warefare 2 still has better graphics and multiplayer runs smoother too. The aiming system takes alot of getting used too I found this hard to get to grips with too. I have a few gripes hopefully this will be ironed out on release.....not sure if this will be a COD beater. COD has a arcade feel to it, Battlefield is a more realistic simulation we will just have to wait and see!!
palmer830 on 1 Oct '11 said:
i have been playing the multiplayer for a few days now, and cant get enough. I forget that i'm just playing it on 1 level as the different areas make it out to be 3. I then this morning watched a couple of MW3 videos and it looks so arcadey, unrealistic and for the first time since playing Call of Duty 2, im considering skipping it cause i dont know when i will have time to play it as BF3 will be taking up all my time!!
wishface on 1 Oct '11 said:
I'd love to comment, but the beta won't work. Everytime i select multiplayer it gives me an error.
Good work EA, release a demo that doesn't work.
ZeroTime on 1 Oct '11 said:
Can't tell if trolling or oblivious.
Beta ? demo.
rmorgan779 on 3 Oct '11 said:
i dont agree with graphics part but i to am underwhelmed bfc2 was much better game
FlimFlam on 3 Oct '11 said:
Had a good session last night and thought I would weigh in with my impressions...
Firstly, it is as buggy as hell. But anyone who doesn't understand how these things work, this is old code. Right now they are crunching like mad getting it ready for launch. They knew they would be doing a beta, but it was assembled some time back I would imagine, created to test specific things out in the wild. Glitches etc will have been being worked on for ages, and the version at DICE HQ I would wager is quite far removed from what we are playing now. As someone else pointed out, Bad Company 2 was also in a similar state at beta stage. It's a BETA i.e. not a demo, not finished code.
The sound is incredible. Would have loved to have been in on the recording sessions for this one! Truly examplary sound design.
Graphics are a little underwhelming in truth, but again I expect this is something that will have been working on since the beta was assembled.
It feels good to play. Great feedback on weapons, it's responsive, and i'm loving the 'vault' over low obstacles, keeps everything flowing nicely. Prone is a welcome addition, and overdue if you ask me... adds another dimension to the game.
They should have used a real Battlefield map though, vehicles, large, open spaces and pockets of fierce combat in more built up areas. The selling point of Battlefield is it's far greater emphasis on tactics and teamwork, so putting a close quarters map on the beta is not really giving a fair representation of what BF is about. It's an opportunity squandered for EA, as the feeling I am getting from friends and forum posters is that they are ready for change, COD has become stale, so EA offer us... COD with glitches! Those in the know are aware of how BF really works, but I feel the choice of map and comparitive roughness of DICE's game may have actually done more harm than good in terms of snaring the 'casuals'.
Still, for me personally I had tremendous fun with it, and look forward to the full release.
Warrior24_7 on 4 Oct '11 said:
One word...UNDERWHELMED! The game has been MASSIVELY overhyped! I'm new to the BF franchise and came in open minded and free from the biases I hear and read so often. I have the PS3 beta and I can honestly say that it IS NOT the best looking game on the system (as claimed), both friend and foe look the same, and you get stuck in the ground and can't get out (you can shoot and be shot, but can't move) as well as some other bugs I've encountered. So far, the game seems to be just another FPS in a crowded genre. MW3 has nothing to fear from this game at all. I actually heard a "little kid" calling another "little kid", a "kid". Yep, it's gonna be that type of game!! Still being open minded, I'm waiting to see what the rest of the game has to offer, but do I feel the need to go out and buy it right away...Nope! I may even wait until it goes on sale and all of the bugs are worked out of it.