Battlefield 3 Beta – Kneejerk Response

Michael Futter

The Battlefield 3 Beta is now open and, as we hurtle ever closer to inevitable clash of the military shooters, it’s time to cut through the hype and get a feel for what EA and DICE are bringing to the table. The most important thing about my kneejerk reaction to the beta is that this is my take on things. The beta is open on every platform and you should play it to form your own opinions.

You also need to understand what I look for in a multiplayer experience. I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m not very good at shooters. I tend to die a lot. What draws me back, though, are opportunities to be part of a team and achieve objectives without having the most kills. My favorite multiplayer experiences have been Chromehounds and Killzone 2 and 3. In Chromehounds, I played a Commander and in Killzone 2 and 3, I prefer Engineer and Medic.


My interest in Battlefield 3 and my pre-order for the game was predicated largely on the fact that the series traditionally requires more communication, has a slower pace than competitors and rewards a variety of different roles. The concept of securing and holding strategic positions on large, open maps has always been something that felt right for my play style. Put simply, the Battlefield 3 beta is nothing of what I am looking for.

I downloaded the Beta this morning and played four matches, two as a defender and two as an attacker. The only mode available is Rush, where the attackers advance on sets of two objectives, lay charges and hold off defenders until detonation. There are no vehicles, reinforcement tickets or landmarks to secure (other than the detonation points). Many of the things that make Battlefield different are simply absent from the console beta. My understanding is that the PC beta has a second map with more traditional Battlefield play, but since I would be purchasing the game for XBox 360, I am limiting my comments to that platform.

The map available to console players, Operation Metro, starts in a park area. This is as open as it gets for the Beta. It’s not as claustrophobic as the subway tunnels, but it certainly isn’t as open as one would expect EA and DICE to show off so close to the game’s launch. The game feels faster than past Battlefield titles, emphasizing a run-and-gun mentality. The squad mechanic is currently broken, as our pre-formed squad was split upon starting a new game, with no way to put it back together. Other glitches included the sound dropping out, falling through the map, and resuscitation by teammates simply not working.

Additionally, the teams felt unbalanced, with weapons available to level 1 players feeling more powerful on the attacker side than the defender side. Throughout my time, I was reminded of Battlefield 3’s leading competitor more than prior EA/DICE games. Teammates also indicated that the game felt exactly like Medal of Honor.


Ultimately, what EA and DICE have put on display here feels rushed and completely uncharacteristic for the Battlefield series. Instead of showing gamers how they have perfected their own formula and created a unique game, the Battlefield 3 beta is a “me too” experience, and one that falls far short of the game it tries to emulate.

Again, I encourage everyone to play the beta for themselves. It’s open and it’s free. Form your own opinions. Perhaps you won’t share my concern about how the game is shaping up less than a month from release. We’d be interested to hear your opinions, so drop them in the comments.

Should additional modes and maps become available before the beta ends on October 10th, I’ll update my impressions.

Written by
Mike is the Reviews Editor and former Community Manager for this fine, digital establishment. You can find him crawling through dungeons, cruising the galaxy in the Normandy, and geeking it out around a gaming table.

13 Comments

  1. You must realize that the map/mode chosen for the open beta was selected specifically to draw the CoD crowd in.

    Of course the final game is going to have more maps/modes that cater to the interests you described. The reason the game feels faster is because the mode limits the size/area of the maps to predefined sections. You won’t find that in other modes like conquest and other larger maps. As I stated earlier, this map/mode was chosen specifically to grab the attention of CoD players, who will then read up more on the game and may even buy it. Everything you liked about the old Battlefields will be in the full game. I just hope you realize that

    And the guns on both sides are pretty much the exact same, the game(at least the early weapons) is balanced fine.

    • If the intent was to capture the CoD audience, it’s failing miserably. It has not only alienated the CoD core, but has gotten gamers interested in Battlefield’s more tactical nature to cancel their pre-orders.

      Regardless of your personal opinion of the beta, which you are clearly entitled to, it is largely being regarded as a huge blunder. Battlefield 3 needs to be the best Battlefield game to succeed. By trying to be something its not and doing it so poorly, they’ve only hurt the brand.

      • your exactly right Michael. the intent was clearly to grab COD fans. not only did that fail miserably, but they ticked off the fans of previous battlefield installments that pre-ordered the game. fans went out in droves to cancel pre-ordersg (including me). cause its obvious EA and Dice care more about sales than the core audience who buys there game. The beta was a blunder and a failure all in one

        • They played this wrong. The info about the installed high res textures should have been available BEFORE the beta launched.

          They should have also been up front about the purpose of the beta and the reasons for choosing the map/mode.

  2. No this map was chosen to show the new frostbite engine in all its ‘glory’. EA/DICE have jumped the shark now with the BF series, they have slated their competition, claiming to offer something ‘Above the Call’; instead they have served up a re-skinned BFBC2 really. There is very little in the way of team play, running and gunning is the order of the day.

    • Try running and gunning in a map I’m on…you’ll get murked.

  3. To your point about this feeling faster than previous Battlefield titles:

    This is faster paced than Battlefield 2 but on par with Bad Company 2. Just based off this beta, I would call this Bad Company 3, not just Battlefield 3.

    I agree with the rest of your comments, though. I hope and pray the glitches are fixed before the release.

    Personally, I can’t wait! My pre-order is paid in full.

  4. Everyone’s opinion is wrong! Only mine is right! Dark Souls FTW!

  5. @MichaelFutter…YOUR PLAYING IT WRONG! ;)

  6. @mmmfutter, Ditto!

  7. I Loved Battlefield 2 and am an avid MW. Player, mostly on the side of Infinity Ward. I have to say I “was” excited for BF3 till I played the beta. It was lacking or just overhyped. I even had it payed off and put my money on Rage. I know its just a beta but if your going to grab my attention, you have to do better! Been there done that feeling not going away after playing it

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