PC Requirements
Minimum requirements for Battlefield 3
- OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7
- Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or Althon X2 2.7 Ghz
- RAM: 2GB
- Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card, ATI Radeon 3870 or higher, Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or higher.
- Graphics card memory: 512 MB
- Sound card: DirectX compatible sound card
- Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version
Recommended system requirements for Battlefield 3
- OS: Windows 7 64-bit
- Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
- RAM: 4GB
- Graphics card: DirectX 11 Nvidia or AMD ATI card, Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 or ATI Radeon 6950
- Graphics card memory: 1 GB
- Sound card: DirectX compatible sound card
- Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version
Review System Specifications
- OS: Windows 7 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i5 2500k quad core (4.0ghz OC)
- RAM: 8GB
- Graphics Card: XFX Radeon 6950 2GB
- Hard Drive: WD Black – Raid 0
Battlefield 3 is one of the most anticipated shooters of the year. Powered by Dice’s new Frostbite2 engine, Battlefield 3 looks to be one of the most graphically advanced PC games to date. This is the first true sequel to Battlefield 2, with the last two releases in the Battlefield franchise being in the Bad Company storyline. So, does Dice deliver the multiplayer gameplay that die-hard fans desire? Or will a conventional, rehashed campaign prevent it from delivering the best first person shooter experience.
Battlefield 3’s campaign story might sound familiar. A madman who desires world domination has acquired weapons of mass destruction and is planning to detonate them around the world. You play as Sergeant Blackburn, a marine who is being interrogated during the campaign’s events. As each event is dissected throughout the conversations between the CIA and Blackburn, you will play through them as the games single player missions. Sadly, the campaign is nothing new or innovative. There are a couple of graphically pleasing missions that do make it a worthwhile experience, but overall the story is predicable and has been told before in movies and even rival games of the same genre.
Some missions can be tiresome, but frequent checkpoints do help with this. You will find that using checkpoints will become an event that happens quite often, as death in the campaign is unforgiving. You will die and you will die often! Unfortunately your r squad AI isn’t as skilled or as intelligent as you might be. With most missions, you will need to progress in the game yourself and it may feel as though your squad is merely along for the ride. Band of Brothers this is not as they leave you hanging more often than you will desire.
Dice’s Frostbite2 game engine is acclaimed to be bleeding edge with a great sense of scale and massive destruction. Yet in the campaign, most large-scale environmental destruction is scripted. Graphically it is jaw dropping, but gameplay wise you will be guided through it. This scripted, linear gameplay is also used when engaging in hand-to-hand combat sequences. Certain keyboard keys or mouse buttons will flash on the screen to perform a move or to dodge an enemy blow. If you don’t press the key in time then it is game over. I felt that this reduced the sense of realism in the game and really ‘dumbed’ down the events throughout the campaign. Why they included Quick Time Events in a PC game of this nature is beyond me.
Overall, the campaign has a ‘been there done that’ feel. Aside from a couple of interesting vehicle missions, most of which you only control turrets, the main campaign is lacklustre and chimes in at a dismal 5 to 6 hours in length.
Where Battlefield 3 shines is in its multiplayer. The franchise has been known for its class based warfare and this iteration does not disappoint. This is by far the best Battlefield multiplayer experience to date. All classes and vehicles work and feel better than previous Battlefield games. The air support units can be challenging to master, but using a joystick or gamepad will make them easier to control. Tanks and buggies have been perfected as they feel very realistic and are quite fun to drive.
The multiplayer levelling system is one of a kind and really stands out. You don’t need to top the kill charts to be number one since Battlefield 3 is about teamwork and perfecting each class. Can’t pick someone off as the sniper? Switch to the assault class and heal others for points or replenish teammates with ammunition to make those longer battles last even longer. Weapon upgrades and devices make this experience like no other first person shooter. Each weapon has its own attachments, feel and sound. Combine that with unique weapon recoil, fire rate, and range, and you are sure to find a combination that suits your play style best.
Like most multiplayer experiences, playing with your friends can be fun and rewarding. Teaming up to form squads make this experience like no other FPS for the PC. Being able to respawn at your teammates location keeps you in the action and this can be powerful when capturing flags, or if all four of you want to pile into a tank and create some destruction. Speaking of destruction, practically everything you see in the multiplayer game can be pulverized. This will keep your enemies from camping behind buildings, and it will also keep you on your toes when on the ground.
The multiplayer menu system, or “Battlelog” as EA calls it, can be confusing at first. Initially it seemed to be slightly challenging when trying to search for the best server, but after awhile most experienced PC gamers will be able to find a game that suits their needs. Stat tracking, friends lists, and weapon unlocks are only some of the many features of this tool. Dice and EA have really shown that they can compete with the social aspect of the modern FPS experience.
There is no question that Battlefield 3 for the PC is one of, if not the best, looking games to ever be released. From the environments (e.g. buildings, deserts, etc.) to the water and blast effects, the sense of realism is astonishing. Reports have shown that this game still looks amazing on midrange computers too, so you won’t need the best system to reap the graphical eye pleasing benefits. One downside though is the ‘grey’ colouring to most of the environments. When compared to other games, this quality makes searching for enemies difficult. This can be overlooked though as you can notify teammates when an enemy is spotted (Q Key if you are wondering).
In regards to the audio, the sounds of bullets, tank shells and fighter jets will make you feel as though you are actually in the war zone. These sounds also give you a sense of reference when listening to such things as where a shot came from or the direction of an oncoming tank. Unfortunately, the dull, over acted voice-overs in the campaign are mediocre and the musical accompaniment will only be present a handful of times. This was disappointing as Battlefield 3’s soundtrack was, in my opinion, amazing.
In the end, Battlefield 3 is the experience that PC First Person Shooter gamers are looking for. Sure, as a whole, the game is not perfect, but the feature-rich multiplayer is the king of the genre, and the class-based warfare will keep you coming back. The main campaign does lack innovation, but it is definitely one of the best of the franchise. This game was made for the PC platform and it is apparent with the level of detail in its presentation. If you PC gamer and you just happen to be a die-hard multiplayer first person shooter fan, Battlefield 3 is definitely the game for you.
