I jumped into the first match of the Battlefield 3 beta and my first thought was, “Where’s the battlefield?” Instead of the vast landscapes typically associated with Battlefield mutli-player maps, I found myself in an enclosed and underground subway system. The attacking team had fought their way through the Paris park and were now traveling underground to a different part of the city. The narrow tunnels, hallways, and train-cars felt quite claustrophobic when compared to the openness of past Battlefield installments. At first, I wasn’t a fan of the map, Operation Metro. I thought DICE had drifted from the formula that separated Battlefield from other FPSs: Large scale battlefields + vehicles + destructible environments = fun. The map they chose to represent Battlefield 3 does not follow this formula, and yet, after spending 5+ hours with the beta, I understand why they chose it.
The Battlefield 3 beta allows you to play Rush Mode on the Operation Metro map. There is an attacking team and a defending team. The defending team has two bases that they must protect from the attacking team, as it is there objective to destroy these bases. If the defending team keeps the attacking team at bay for a long enough period of time, the defending team wins. However, if the attacking team destroys these bases, the defending team must retreat and protect two more bases at a different location on the level. There are four sets of bases, and if the attacking team destroys them all, they win. If they can’t destroy all the bases, the defending team wins.
The first bases in Operation Metro are placed in a park. The attacking team must rush to the bases across the park to destroy them. If the attacking team destroys these, the defending team sets up bases in the Metro, an underground train system under Paris. If the team destroys these, two more bases are established in a higher part of the Metro. And if these are destroyed, the defending team has one last time to hold off the attacking team as they establish two new bases in a downtown area of Paris.
Playing through the Operation Metro map, I thought DICE and EA had chosen this level to appeal to and convert Call of Duty fans. Call of Duty maps have a tendency to be linear, tight in terms of space, and enclosed. However, Call of Duty maps also have the sniper levels, maps where there is plenty of open space, even if it isn’t on the scale of games like Battlefield: Bad Company 2. What better way to entice CoD fans than by offering them a level that will be familiar in terms of design? Frankly, while playing, I was disappointed in the level design. Battlefield is about action on an epic scale, and this experience is robbed from the player when 50% of the game takes place underground.
However, as I played, I found myself switching classes as the level changed. While in the park, I found myself playing the recon class. Whether on the defense of attacking team, I found that I made the biggest contribution to my team as a sniper. If the action moved into Metro, I would switch to the assault class. The assault class was perfect for the long stretches of narrow hallways and tunnels. If the attacking team made it to the final set of bases above ground in downtown Paris, I would switch to the support class. This allowed me to cover my teammates, while attracting the attention of the enemy. There was more to this level than I originally thought.
This feature concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to read our final thoughts on the Battlefield 3 beta.
