5 Awesome Things About Battlefield 3 (From A CoD Player’s Perspective)

I’m not alone in thinking that the Call of Duty games have gone downhill. Patrick and Daniel are on the same page with me on that. After watching the trailers and reading up on both Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3, I needed to make a decision. To be honest, it really wasn’t a tough one. Having analyzed the videos for the new CoD, all I saw was a CoD 4 that looked slightly better. Conversely, I participated in the Battlefield 3 beta and it piqued my interest. There was some deliberation, but I finally caved and picked up Battlefield 3 so that I’d have something to play with most of the people on my friends list. After playing through it for about twenty hours, I found that I actually liked a lot of the game’s features.

 The Sound

I played CoD so much that I could tell by sound alone which gun was shooting, even if there was a perk being used or if it had a silencer on it. Playing Battlefield forced me to experience new sound effects I’d never heard before: bullets ricocheting off of surfaces, walls crumbling, and grenades clinking off said walls or sliding across the ground. It actually let me know that bullets were getting closer to me simply through audial information. I sat there thinking, “Wow this is awesome, I don’t even mind that I just got killed.” I remember being able to hear grenades in the CoD games. All of the franchise’s weapons sound very different (they sounded really off in the new CoD zombie maps though). In Battlefield, it was not so much the weapon’s sounds, it was more small reactionary sound effects that really stood out for me and helped draw me into the game’s overall experience.

 The Graphics

This was the first thing I noticed while playing the Beta. The graphics were surpringly good, much better than what I had experienced in the CoD trailers. One effect that really stood out for me was muzzle flash. Given that the maps are bigger and it’s alot easier to hide, being able to see this is a great advantage, especially if you’re using a scope and you can’t see a distant enemy on your radar. Being able to pick out the individual tracers as they zip by, or even the rocket trail, was awesome. I also noticed that you can see the head of the rocket just before it comes into your space, resulting in an explosive connection. The burning wrecks spewing smoke have their own heat signature on infrared. Once again – a lot like the game’s sound – it’s the little graphical details that really stand out for me.

The Spawning System

One of my main complaints with the CoD games was problems with spawning; especially spawn camping. So when I first noticed that the opponent’s spawn was blocked off in Battlefield 3 with a ten second execution limit for straying into their zone, I said to myself, “About time!” I also liked that when you drop a spawning beacon (if it’s feasable on the map), it’ll parachute you in, as opposed to spawning right at the spot where trolls like to wait. Squad spawning is really handy as well, not only promoting team work but also getting you right into the action and helping out your buddies right away. One of the best things, I think, is that it spawns you not right on top of the guy but behind him and to the side a bit so you have a clear line of fire and don’t mess up his shot or catch the bullets being thrown his way.

The Extra Gadgets

There are tactical lights, laser sights, different muzzles, grips and so much more. I wasn’t to thrilled to see the grenade launcher attachment; it caused me to reminisce about the damn noob toob weilders in CoD. Thankfully, they’re pretty balanced; you shoot a tube at me and I can respond with an RPG. All these extras add something new that I haven’t encountered in a shooter before. The game’s variety keeps it feeling fresh; Battlefield 3 keeps giving me all kinds of cool new features that I just have to try. Also, depending on the map or the situation, you can customize your attachments. This was awesome and changed up the match’s play dynamic and kept me on my toes.

The Vehicles

I remember when CoD had vehicles.  In particular, the tanks in World at War provoked  a lot of colourful language from yours truly. They were one of the few things that I truly hated about that game. The vehicles in BF3, however, add a whole other element to the game. It really makes it seem like you’re in a warzone. Not only that, but if you’ve got a player with some experience driving them, it can really help your team out.  It adds a completely different aspect to the game; whether in the air or on the ground, it’s not just other infantry you have to worry about.

Note to CoD fans: I readily admit that I haven’t played the new CoD yet. I have, however, seen every video for both BF3 and MW3 that has ever come out, even the most recent ones.  Couple that with the countless hours I’ve spent with COD since well before the original Modern Warfare, and I’ve got to say I’m confident in my decision to switch directions and go for BF3.

For the rest of you readers… what are favourite parts of BF3 so far?

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