* Best Graphics 2011 * Best Sound 2011 * Best Multiplayer 2011

Bullets whizzing by your head with a few grenades tossed in the mix and don't forget the mass explosions, this is Battlefield 3. The highly anticipated AAA shooter that keeps the action going with no time to stop for a breath, but in a battlefield when do you really.

Battlefield 3 picks up from the get go. No time is wasted getting the player into the action. Don't expect any push-over tutorial levels, this time you're going to learn on the fly. Battlefield 3 revolves around US Marine, Staff Sergeant Henry "Black" Blackburn whom you meet in an interrogation room paraphrasing the events of the last week. Set in the near future of 2014, you head out with your team to preventing a nuclear strike from a mad man in The Big Apple. The storyline is highly immerse and enjoyable. I love how DICE kept the pace up while keeping you excited for the next level. Creativity and diversity are also shown as you travel to Iran, Russia and several other countries to prevent these nuclear strikes. Battlefield 3 doesn't believe in dull moments, so expect to be on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

The battlefield is a dreadful place and the Frostbite 2 engine gives you that visual stimuli with a dose of realism. Nothing better then watching the cover you've been hiding behind crumble under heavy enemy fire. Every little detail has been added right down to the various boxes and containers that you can read perfectly. The textures are rich and noticeable right down to the fatigues the soldiers wear. Battlefield looks so good, it's almost touchable. The colors are lush and everything is has the right hue, saturation, all coloured inside the lines. The only downfall really is for the Xbox 360 owners, where you are mandated to download a 1.5gb HD texture pack if you want to bring the graphics up to par with the other versions of the game. Not too great, if you're starved for HD space. Without the textures installed the main portion of the game looks the same, although when you get up for a close inspection, things (mainly the environments) are insolubly low-res.

The scientific breakdown of the audio is also a thing of beauty. Not only does Battlefield 3 capture the sound of war in crisp audio, it makes an impact. Consistency is key and not a moment is wasted bringing to life the action via the soundtrack or personal chatter between soldiers. Additionally if you're one of the lucky ones with a 7.1 surround system, expect the walls to be shaking, because Battlefield 3 is on the top of the tech tree with its separation, delivery and technology."

The A.I has also been improved making each battle more challenging. However, it's still beatable if you pay close attention to your squad and the enemies. Hard is more of a true challenge for the shooter veterans, also even if you have your Battlefield strips expect some frustration on a few objectives. Making the A.I. "tougher" is your combatants enhanced precision. This makes you really watch when you pop out of cover to riddle your quicktime nemesis with sweet hot fury... and it'll make you feel so much better when you do. For the most part Battlefield 3 is a solid experience, although I encountered a few glitches. The most memorable being when my teammate suddenly dropped dead at a checkpoint and another squad showed up in their place a few minutes later.

Something you've all been probably waiting for especially after 'BF: Bad Company 2' is the online multiplayer. With 2 modes available, Battlefield doesn't disappoint, yet again. First lets get to the co-op which runs parallel to the main campaign and is again just as intriguing at the single, but its short with only 6 levels with a marginal boost in the games' difficulty. In Co-op your enemies deal more damage per bullet, though i guess your partner being able to revive you is a balancing tool.

Following the co-op, I have to ask "what do you get when you place two 16 player teams against one another. Pure awesomeness! The 16 player online multiplayer featuring all the returning modes from 'Bad Company 2;' Conquest, Rush, Squad Rush, Team Deathmatch, and Squad Deathmatch is outstanding. The online component alone will keep you playing endlessly as you unlock new weapons, add-ons and other awards. Adding more customization (I'm really excited for this) customizing how your solider looks. From what fatigues they'll wear all the way to his dog tags. Much like 'Bad Company 2' there is tones to unlock wrapped around the magic of the Frostbite Engine. This is how you do competitive mulitiplayer.

With a powerful new engine, amazing graphics, and gameplay Battlefield 3 lives up to its much hyped anticipation. Boasting hours-and-hours of unlockables, you can be sure that you will be playing this game from sunset to sunrise without notice. Battlefield 3's multiplayer itself is enough of an incentive to purchase this game with the campaign just adding to the awesomeness. So lace up your boots, strap that helmet on, and keep your head down it's going to be a bumpy ride. Hooah!

Campaign is interesting and exciting The A.I. is more of a challenge, better aim Co-op has been added and is excellent The multiplayer is outstanding The Frostbite Engine wins again! Amazing graphics Excellent level of detail Sometimes your squad is useless Add-ons for every weapon are separately unlocked Co-Op could have been a little longer Why oh why? -- HD texture pack install Quote: "With a powerful new engine, amazing graphics, and gameplay Battlefield 3 lives up to its much hyped anticipation. Boasting hours-and-hours of unlockables, you can be sure that you will be playing this game from sunset to sunrise without notice. " Reviewed by John Bechtel | 11.03.11

Similar Games: COD: Modern Warfare 2 (9.0) | BFBC2: Vietnam DLC (9.0) | Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (9.0)