BF3 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
BATTLEFIELD 3 MULTIPLAYER
BATTLEFIELD 3 SINGLEPLAYER
BATTLEFIELD 3 GAME MODES
BATTLEFIELD 3 RIBBONS
BATTLEFIELD 3 MEDALS
DICE has released the third episode in their Fault Line trailer series, showcasing a lot more singleplayer gameplay than before. The trailer shows first person melee combat that we spoke about before, and finally, some large-scale urban combat. Finally, the trailer announces that a “full 12 minute reveal” will be out on April 17.
Battlefield fans expecting to get Battlefield 3 on the Xbox 360 and PS3 were somewhat disappointed that BF3 will only support 24 players, compared to 64 on the PC. Naturally, consoles are somewhat limited in their hardware, so it wasn’t a big surprise that they ultimately support less players than the PC counterpart.
Now DICE developer Johan Andersson tweeted that consoles simply can’t handle over 24 players in Battlefield 3, saying “The consoles are 5-6 years old, can’t handle it. PC on the other hand can“. The tweet was later deleted.
It’s not all console games that are limited to 24 players of course, many support up to 32 players, and the first person shooter MAG on the PS3 famously supported up to 256 players at once. However, considering the advanced Frostbite 2 engine, its destruction, large environments and many vehicles, it’s not comparable to most other console games.
DICE has previously said that they tested Battlefield 3 with 128 players and that the game technically supports up to 256 players at once on PC. However, according to DICE, that many players simply wasn’t fun. We think quite a few Battlefield fans would disagree 
Knifing in previous Battlefield games was almost an art, you had to know when to select the knife in order to get a knife kill, otherwise you were in big trouble , as you had to shift back to your gun, and in the time that took, you were pretty much dead. In the last Battlefield game (Bad Company 2), knifing was just about pressing a button, something the games took cue from Modern Warfare.
While it’s easier to just hit a button and knife someone, it also requires a lot less craft and expertise to pull off. In earlier Battlefiled games, such as Battlefiled 2, the knife had a weapon slot, and had to be equipped before it could be used, meaning it required a lot more skill. In Bad Company 2, knifing is mostly done by instinct — you get close to someone and just hit a button. We’re not against simplifying certain aspects of gaming and making it accessible, but some times, it can get too simple to a point where not much is required from players to do something.
This simplified method of knifing is most likely due to the fact that Bad Company 2 started on consoles first, which have limited amount of buttons and controls, not to mention console players are generally used to a lot simpler interfaces and less demanding gameplay.
We’d love to see the knife system from Battlefield 2 and 2142 return to Battlefield 3, even if it only returns to the PC version of the game. We would be thrilled if Battlefield 3 actually required some skills than most current games like Call of Duty, which, sadly, have been somewhat simplified and dumbed down because their main platforms are consoles.
According to news site “Cerfy“, who was present at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, and had a chance to play Battlefield 3, and they’ve revealed an interesting take on melee combat in Battlefield 3. Specifically, according to the source, it was possible to use the mouse to punch with either hand, and to block punches as well. Note that only the singleplayer portion of the game was on display, so this might have been a “cinematic” or a quick time event, something which many games of late have featured, where you are required to counter the enemy without any other options.
We still don’t know a lot about the singleplayer besides the few trailers we’ve seen. But we know absolutely nothing about the multiplayer part, and it’s unlikely something like quick time events will find their way into fast the paced multiplayer component.
It’s been known for a while that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Battlefield 3 will only support 24 players, and according to new details revealed at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo a few days ago, console maps will be physically smaller as well. This doesn’t come as a big surprise, considering the limitations of console hardware, and of course, the 24 player limit. There’s no reason to have huge 64 player maps with only 24 players.
Battlefield has always had different map size dependent on the player size, with almost every map in Battlefield 2 and 2142 having a 16, 32, and 64 player version. One thing that’s still uncertain: how will this affect jets and air combat in the console versions of Battlefield 3?
Game analyst Micheal Pachter of Wedbush Securities, a man known in the game industry for his analysis and for his predictions — sometimes good predictions, sometimes bad — recently spoke with IndustryGamers, where he addressed a question regarding Battlefield 3, and whether Battlefiled 3 might top the upcoming Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Pachter dismissed the notion, saying:
“There is no prayer that Battlefield 3 will top the next Call of Duty, silly question. EA is trying to gain share incrementally, and I’m sure that if it is a great game, Battlefield 3 will sell 25 – 35% more copies than the last version. It would have to sell around 300% more than the last version to topple Call of Duty.”
The Call of Duty franchise is by far the best selling FPS franchise today, with Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops selling over 10 million copies each. Pachter said that there’s a possibility of both games gaining market share, but he still expected to see Call of Duty top Battlefield 3.
Of course, this being a Battlefield 3 site, our opinion is somewhat biased, but we think Pachter undermines the Battlefield franchise — the previous game, Bad Company 2, sold 5 million copies. Battlefield 3 is set to be bigger, more expansive and with a greater marketing budget than Bad Company 2, not to mention the entire Battlefield fan base behind it.
According to the latest issue of PlayStation Magazine (UK edition), Battlefield 3 developer DICE is looking into the possibility of supporting 3D on the PlayStation 3, in addition to PlayStation Move — the PS3 motion controller — support as well. We already know that Battlefield 3 supports 3D on PCs, but adding console support for the PS3 would be a first in the series.
We still haven’t received many details on the console versions of Battlefield 3 — which is set to hit the PS3 and Xbox 360, in addition to PC. So far we only know that the multiplayer will be limited to 24 players on consoles, while PC will feature up to 64 players.
Finally, after a few weeks of work and testing, we’re launching a brand new version of BF3Blog.com, a complete redesign! As you can see, we’ve gone with a darker layout, with a great new background. On the more technical side, we’ve now included proper comment threading so you can correctly reply to other comments.
In the next few days, we’ll be updating our fast-growing forum as well, and we’ll be expanding the site with new features.
Tell us what you think of the new site, and if you have any suggestions (or feature requests), let us know!
Thanks,
BF3Blog team
We’ve had a few requests from our readers who wish to know what kind of guns we’d like to see in Battlefield 3, and of course, we couldn’t resist putting together a top ten. As with anything regarding Battlefield 3, there are huge speculations regarding what kind of weapons would be featured in the game — so far developer DICE has only confirmed that the game will include more unlocks than Bad Company 2, which itself had the most unlocks of any Battlefield game. Here’s the top 10 weapons we’d love to see in Battlefield 3:
The classic, standard rifle for the US factions. The M4 is based on the M16 and has been the standard issued assault rifle for the US military for years. Safe to say, no first person shooter would feel at home without the M4.
The P90 was originally featured as an unlock in Battlefield 2, and despite its good reputation, it’s not a gun we see often in shooters. Which is the biggest reason we’d love to see it return in Battlefield 3. What sets the P90 apart from other SMG, besides its awesome, futuristic looks, is that it sports a 50 round magazine which holds custom, armor piercing ammunition.
The HK G36 was an unlock in Battlefield 2, and quickly became the most loved and hated weapon in the game. The G36 was the most accurate and deadly assault rifle in the game, for which many Medics loved it, and everyone else hated. It pretty much made the Assault class useless. The German-made rifle has several versions, including a carbine and LMG version.
The Dragunov SVD is one of the most widely used semi automatic sniper rifles in the world, and was featured in several Battlefield games, although it was missed in Bad Company 2. It’s a classic sniper rifle that would serve as a great base gun before any unclocks.
The MP5 has been used for decades all over the world, and is known for its maneuverability and is a favorite among SWAT teams and special forces units. The MP5 was last seen in Battlefield 2 as the standard SMG for the anti-tank class, and we’d love to see it reprising its role in BF3.
The M95 is a popular sniper rifle in Battlefield games, especially for its .50 caliber bullets, which can penetrate cockpit glass of helicopters and cars. The M95 is widely expected to return in Battlefield 3, and will most likely be an unlockable weapon.
The Glock 17 (and many of its variants), are the most widely used hand guns among police and special forces around the world, and we’re surprised that it still hasn’t found its way into the Battlefield games.
Sure, we’ve seen different varieties of the AK-47 in Battlefield games, like the AK 101, the AEK 971 and the AKS 74U. But for once, we wish to see a plain version of the rifle, the good old AK-47, which is still to date the most popular rifle in the world.
The notorious rifle also known as “AWP” in Counter-Strike, made its first appearance in Battlefield 2, and quickly became the most popular sniper rifle. The rifle is known for its high reliability and accuracy, and we’d love to see it in BF3.
By far the most interesting hand gun in the world, a gun that’s been featured in many games but never in the Battlefield franchise, is the famous Desert Eagle, a .50 or .45 caliber handgun that really packs a punch. It has been a favorite among gamers in other first person shooters for a long time. For once, we wish to see this iconic gun in Battlefield 3.
We know we’re gonna catch some flak for this one, but the Claymore added a new level of gameplay in Battlefiled 2, where especially defenders could use it t protect certain areas. Of course, it was abused to to a point where “Claymore spamming” became a common Battlefield 2 phrase. It also offered snipers to cover their six, which has since been replaced by the “motion sensor” gadget in Bad Company 2, which is kinda lame — we’d prefer the Claymore. Without the spamming.
DICE has released part 2 of the “Fault Line” trailer, where we get a glimpse of a single player mission. This time, it’s set on a roof top where your team has come under sniper fire and must take out the enemy. The next episode is set for March 30.