Large Game Worlds

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Battlefield 3 - Impressions

I have recently had a chance to play a few hours of the new Battlefield 3 game created by DICE. This has been welcomed warmly by reviewers but has also had a few issues with its multiplayer offerings since launch. My verdict is that at least from what I’ve played the shooter is fantastic. I am only a few levels into the campaign but I have also experienced the new co-operative offerings and several runs with the open multiplayer. I am pleased to say that the Battlefield 3 experience has lived up to my high expectations regarding it’s multiplayer portion but I still find the campaign a little disjointed.

The whole game has a rich landscape of subways, trains, open countryside and sprawling cities.. The weapons feel heavy and powerful and the sounds of war really immerse the players. Visually the whole package is very impressive with a decaying world affected by explosions, vehicles and gunshots. The whole Frostbite 2.0 engine runs very well and gives the destruction and add scale that even Bad Company 2 lacked.

I will mention though that the campaign once again follows a linear route that keeps you very much on the rails to make sure you see all the large cinematic scenes. The game runs nicely but I could see the campaign becoming a bore the further you get through it. The player is really pushed from one set piece to the next. Cutscenes are nicely presented and seem to hold the story quite well but I can only really speak of this from the first couple of missions. The whole campaign world feels dangerous though as you and your squad dive from cover to cover as rubble falls around your feet. The soldiers carry themselves realistically and their movement portray an active feeling of despair and danger.

The campaign seems a little unoriginally and I get the impression that DICE know their main advantages over COD is their brilliant multiplayer. It is a shame that single player shooters are slowly becoming less and less important then their online competition. DICE have always been known for their multiplayer offering which is really where the bulk of this game should be played. Co-op is fun and pits you and a friend against hordes of enemies with various objectives offset from the single player campaign. These seem like a bit of fun but never grabbed me like the online multiplayer did. This could be quite fun if you and your friend are tactically minded and want to organise their level exploration and enemy takedowns.

The online multiplayer is the main focus for millions of gamers that have picked this up. I really must say that this is gorgeous and has been tweaked since the Beta last month. I’ve played several matches now on a variety of different maps. I have to tell you now that the map designs are fluid which helps keep the action moving, they are actually some of the best maps – both large and small – that I have ever played. DICE have once again proved that they can handle their own in the online space and the variety of games on offer will keep players coming back to this for many months to come. Some of the maps are the largest ever available on console games and have spots for snipers, close up combat and of course heavy weapons and vehicles. The addition of jets is also a nice touch.

Those of you who have played the Bad Company 2 online multiplayer will be familiar with the Rush and Conquest modes as well as the controls and vehicular combat. The main additions are scope/sight glare and support fire. The game seems relatively fair and I have not yet experienced the camping issues that have plagued Bad Company 2 recently. Unlocks return alongside character progress but you can now also customise your soldiers suit and camouflage.

The multiplayer portion lives up to the reputation DICE have and extends the co-operative nature of previous outings. I would be surprised to find people jumping ship to Modern Warfare 3 when it is released next week. Battlefield 3 has a great deal of depth and should be a must have game for any online FPS fans. If you are a single player gamer only then I would suggest that you rent this first to make sure it has enough quality and depth for you to pay out the full £40.00.

As I’m sure most of you are aware the Battlefield 3 release has been plagued by drop-outs and server issues but I only noticed this on one of the occasions I picked this up. DICE recently made several changes and improvements to their online system to combat these issues which should make the server availability much quicker, decrease lag issues and help lots with the general game stability.

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Final Fantasy XIII-2 Save Extras

When Final Fantasy XIII-2 begins the game summarizes the events from Final Fantasy XIII to get newcomers up to speed. If you have played the original game and still have your save then this can be imported for some bonus storytelling. The save will allow players to digest the scene with different characters narrating the story.  

At the same time it has been confirmed that each character will have four different slots for equipped item and a maximum load they can each carry. You can split these points up any way you like for defensive gear or stat boosting accessories, but can’t exceed the specified limit.

Monsters will now have decorative items that change how they look in battle. Players can by weapons, armor, items, and monster training goods from Chocolina; a merchant who has the ability to travel through time too. Monsters can grow by purchasing items while Noel, Serah and the other playable characters will use the Crystarium system. This time though it will only have one path. The path will be set out but the player can still decide which areas each character can specialise in.

The developer said that they feel there is almost zero difference between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. It was also confirmed that 90% of the scenes use real time rendering instead of pre-rendered video. Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes out on December 15 in Japan and January for the rest of us.

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