Today we have a post from our partners over at OurTiempo.com
Please, please, please correct me if I’m wrong, but Battlefield has always touted itself as being the First Person Shooter (FPS) for the strategically minded. Isn’t that the rip Battlefield fans make on Call of Duty? Or at least that is what my friends who play like to say. Yep, I think I should be honest, I’m not a fan. Maybe it’s because I can’t seem to play well. But you don’t need to be a fan to be fair. So let’s jump into this Beta!
The only game you get with the download (hey, it is free) is Rush; a “capture the flag” mode where you destroy an enemy base. The map is huge as expected, and you fight in a large park, an underground subway and an open street flanked by buildings. I have always admired what Battlefield wants to be as their vision has never been small. This is suppose to be the grand Godfather of FPS, a massive battle with a real sense of team based combat. Maybe that is my main problem with the Beta. As I was playing solo and no one had their headsets on. The whole thing turned into a big free-for-all.
In the subway, this worked fine. I learned fast, not to rush the objective but rather sit back and snipe from a distance the poor souls that did. You can rack up a body count fast this way as most people playing seemed to be just running around and all you need to do is find a good spot, wait, and pick them off. But outside I was a sitting duck. I got spawn killed on several occasions and when I didn’t, I was hit while running for cover or just as I ducked against a wall.
There are issues with the Beta that need to be addressed regardless of “if” you can enjoy this game or not. I saw other players duck up and down in the ground and walk through a rock or two. The match making was fast though and you are able to get into the action quickly. The weapon customization is there; close to Call of Duty but far from complete (can an hermano get a claymore please). The controls and your soldier avatar move smoothly in fact better than I had seen in past Battlefield games. The graphics are great as expected, and your ability to blow up walls, structures and almost everything you see is awesome. I did notice that every tree that was hit with a grenade or rocket just snapped and fell over at the base. It would have been cool to see more realistic physics here, but someday that will come.
It is easy to see how B3 could be loads of fun with a big group all coordinating their strategies. I know my lack of friends in-game attributed to my being killed constantly. All in all though, if the Beta is any indication of the full game and you’re a fan of Battlefield, I imagine you will be happy. I’ve never found Battlefield easy to play, which is what I like about Call of Duty. While B3 doesn’t look like a huge improvement on the franchise, it doesn’t look like a step back. If you’ve never played, this is definitely worth the free download. As for me, I’ll be sitting back waiting for Modern Warfare 3 and will let the market decide.
| Jose Cruz is a Puerto Rican/Irish multi-city/multi-hat guru at OurTiempo.com. An online entrepreneur, Jose is the in house editor and writer. With a background in politics and a career that includes a law degree, the Clinton White House and managing and developing websites geared at the Latino community, his tastes are as diverse as his work. Just at home diving into a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza to munching on a Fish Taco in East LA. Twitter: @JoseCruz2000 |
