Battlefield 3 (PC): Review Round-up

Battlefield 3 is nearly upon us, and a day ahead of the release reviews have started to pour out for the PC version of the game. People’s expectations are high for the first true sequel to Battlefield, but can it measure up? Let’s see what the critics say.

For the short version, reviewers tend to agree that while Battlefield 3 excels in multiplayer – which is good, considering that’s what it was famous for – it falls short in almost every way in the singleplayer and co-op campaigns. Things holding back the solo experience include apparently incredibly poor AI, bothersome and uninteresting quick time events, and more.

For the person going into Battlefield 3 purely for the competitive multiplayer experience, however, it looks as if Battlefield 3 is a winner. Here’s what a few critics have said, ordered from lowest to highest score:

Joystiq – 4.5/5 (Read full review)

In a way, your choice should be simple. If solo play is your primary motivator, then it’s hard to recommend Battlefield 3 as anything more than an audio-visual treat. The times where Battlefield 3 does its damnedest to go toe-to-toe with Call of Duty are the times it stumbles the hardest. But when DICE is doing what it’s always done best, Battlefield 3 is a uniquely mesmerizing multiplayer game with a seemingly endless number of ways to feel like a success. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s the best Battlefield game, and that’s saying a lot.

IGN – 9/10 (Read full review)

When you shut down Battlefield 3 and let the Frostbite 2-powered dust settle, it certainly has some problems. But DICE’s adoration of and expertise with the online experience permeates every aspect of its multiplayer. Regardless of the narrative missteps or the occasional glitches, Battlefield 3 offers an unforgettable, world-class multiplayer suite that’s sure to excite shooter fans, whether they fired their first bullet in Battlefield 1942 or have just now heeded Battlefield’s call of duty.

1UP – A- (Read full review)

Battlefield 3 is a game that’s informed, not bound, by both its predecessors and its competition. It takes what made the series great in earlier games and marries it to the innovations from more recent BF titles. The single-player and co-op campaigns both have their issues, but the multiplayer component is worth the price of entry alone.

Game Informer – 9.5/10 (Read full review)

Battlefield fans hoping for the most polished entry in the series won’t be disappointed by this massive sequel. Multiplayer maintains the high level of quality DICE is known for, and the campaign is the best in franchise history. Outside of the annoying Battlelog and a tacked-on, uninspired co-op mode consisting of six short standalone missions, the only downside to Battlefield 3 is the lack of substantial changes to the multiplayer formula. However, that shouldn’t stop longtime fans and newcomers from enjoying one of the best FPS experiences in gaming.