Gamescon - Battlefield 3

DICE has released plenty of footage so far for its anticipated shooter Battlefield 3, but was also holding quite a bit of content back for the Gamescom 2011 Expo. At the show they finally unveiled the 64 player PC based multiplayer suit as well as the games new two player co-operative mode.

The co-op was shows on the Playstation 3 but will give us an example of what to expect when the game hits the Xbox 360 on the same day. I have heard the usual note that the console version isn’t quite as detailed as its PC counterpart but it’s still very solid from what I’ve heard. The mission shown was to snatch an informant from the clutches of a hostile foe. To do this both players had to infiltrate a heavily guarded building and find the target while staying as undetected a possible. Both players were armed with a silenced pistol and the DICE team members explained that it is possible to get through the whole building without being detected – although this will take a lot of team work. It’s possible to mark your targets in Co-op like the multiplayer aspect of Battlefield 2 which gives your partner a heads up on any hostile forces you may encounter.  It’s necessary to coordinate your tactics well in order to shoot down two separate targets or clear rooms without tripping the alarm. Cameras will also try their hardest to detect you but a swift shot from your gun will stop them before they spot you.

After you have stealthily secured the informant you will need to run to a row of waiting personnel carriers. These will take be used as a convoy through the night time city streets. Grenades will regularly half the progress of these vehicles and at times you’ll need to get out and do some dirty work yourself. The weapons on show had thermal scopes to help identify enemies through crowded balconies and smoke. It’s supposed to be a challenging fire-fight that forces you to work for each kill.

When you are downed your partner can revive you but this requires time and close proximity. In a close quarter combat area this can be a touch situation to find yourself in as the several seconds it takes for you to revive you teammate might be the difference between success and defeat. If one of you dies the game ends so these moments need to be planned as the bleed out time isn’t long enough for you to dawdle around. One advantage is the down partner can still aim and shoot with their pistol to assist in cover fire during the revival period.

The most exciting point raised at Gamescon was the 64 player Conquest mode on Caspian Border. The combat space was enormous and featured rolling hills, small forested areas and rocks. On the ground this gave for some thrilling gunfights as these battles can break out from anywhere. The distance of sight meant that many players spotted their enemies from long distances and plotted their take downs with precision.

Conquest mode for those of you who don’t know involves you capturing bases and holding these points across a map while another team attempts to capture them from you. The longer you hold a camp the more points you rack up and the better you team score. The size of the maps in Battlefield 2 allowed for between three and five camps but Battlefield 3 looks too increase this again.

Another great addition to the standard matches are the inclusion of vehicles. Much like the last Battlefield game this includes tanks, helicopters, armoured personnel carriers and now Jets (at least in the PC version). The controls for each vehicle require some learning and are not exactly pick up and play elements for these games. You won’t be able to jump in a tank and dominate the map. This means that those who put in the effort will reap the rewards and is a game design that DICE are very fond of.

The range of possibilities on a 32 versus 32 match with vehicles and structures is unbelievable. The console version will sit at a 24 player total but will still give gamers a great online experience.

I’m really looking forward to Battlefield 3 and am quietly hoping that DICE knock the smiles of off Activision’s face when they go head to head with Call of Duty in the lead up to Christmas this year.

[Update] DICE have now confirmed that there will not be split-screen co-op on the console versions of Battlefield 3.

"No, you have to be online to do it [co-op]," DICE general manager Karl Magnus Troedsson told the crowds at Gamescom 2011.

The co-op levels will be separate to the main Battlefield 3 campaign. At launch, said Troedsson, there will be six co-op levels to play but different factors will change as time goes on freshening up the experience. Each co-op level should take between 20 and 45 minutes to finish dependant on difficulty setting and your personal ability. When a co-op level is finished you can compare times and scores with your friends.