Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 is a military shooter by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. Famous for its action-packed online multiplayer and vehicles, the game allows players to control the first-person avatar of a US or Russian soldier in large, detailed environments with many visual and auditory effects.
Primary Mechanics
- Walking, Running, Crouching, Lying Prone, Jumping, Swimming, Parachuting in 3D space
- Firing a primary/secondary/vehicular/gadget/knife weapon (can zoom in with scope/iron sights)
- Driving or piloting multiple vehicles
Moving as a soldier in Battlefield 3 is quick and responsive. Walking allows a player to aim and fire a weapon like one would in real life while running allows the avatars to cover ground fairly quickly (the game allows one to rule forever). Crouching and lying prone will move a player much slower, but give enemies a smaller and more concealed target. A player can run in a zigzag route to avoid a sniper, drop prone to crawl next to a low wall for cover, then get up and run behind the sniper to stab him in the back, all in one fluid motion. The game’s movement mechanics are incredibly realistic and feature much polish with their detailed animations.
Firing a weapon in Battlefield 3 is simple, while the complexities occur in the weapon type itself. Various multiple weapons are available, all with different recoils, fire rates, and “punch” felt when using one. An automatic handgun will fire quickly and lightly while a tank cannon will blast loudly in large intervals. The four classes in the game feature their own specific gadgets that suit different roles, such as the medical kit dropped by the assault class and the ammo kit dropped by the support class.
The vehicles in the game are realistically modeled and simulated (except for unlimited ammo). Tanks move slow and pack bullet-proof armor as well as a destructive main cannon. Jets shoot through the sky at high or low altitudes and can fire multiple rocket types and a machine gun. Jeeps are fragile, quick modes of transportation while APCs are sluggish but pack the most armor of any vehicle.
Spatial Simulation
Battlefield 3 simulates space with its detailed and often very large maps. Buildings can house intense firefights between groups of soldiers but can collapse entirely when hit with tank shells or helicopter rockets. Large fields of grass are populated with many trees and bodies of water, and simulated areas such as a construction site, and filled with similar miscellaneous objects like their real-life counterparts.
Polish
Polish in Battlefield 3 is incredibly well-designed, particularly the audio. The crunches of loud footsteps compliment the sounds of equipment shaking on your back while running. A player would hear his or her avatar’s outfit rub against the ground while crawling. A tinnitus-like ringing occurs after the screen shakes violently when an explosion occurs nearby. Distant gunfire can be heard as jets swoop overhead chasing each other with afterburners. Automatic contextual avatar voices detail what situation they’re currently in, such as “I’m pinned down over here!” or “Grenade, get down!”. Also, the slick animations in the game further place the player into the world of their avatar. Scaling over fences will show the soldier throw his feet over the railing, ejecting out of an air vehicle will have his limbs fighting the air in a sky-diving motion, and backstabbing an enemy will show the avatar’s arms turn the enemy around and stick a knife into its neck while getting backstabbed with turn your camera towards your assassin.
Overall, Battlefield 3 creates a immersive, action-packed world with its responsive controls, detailed simulation of space, and high attention to polish.
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