Reluctantly getting off the aforementioned cushy couch (what, you didnt read our impressions on Mass Effect 3?), I met up with Jiggsy of Guide to Awesome Living and took part in Battlefield 3’s co-op mode. As the wait for BF3 was six hours, I didn’t even make it to the PAX booth for a quick peak at what was on offer; I’m told the demo — called Exfiltration — was the same offered at this year’s Gamescom.
Now, full disclosure here – I have Battlefield 2 on my gamertag simply because I had to entertain an 18 year old kid at my house last year. It’s a game on my pile of shame; I haven’t had a chance to get to it properly, but I think I might make some room and quick. While I can’t really compare this new version to its predecessor, I definitely can compare it to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Uh-oh, I hear you say — I mentioned that OTHER game. Before the flame war commences, I won’t be nominating a winning franchise from the two.
Jiggsy and I ran through a building, taking out enemies (clumsily, I might add…and that’s all my fault), on the search for our extraction target. Once found, we ushered him out of the place and into a waiting vehicle, escorting it halfway across town, clearing out enemies ahead of our convoy.
I love the atmosphere of MW2, but it constantly felt over the top. I’m well aware BF2 was praised for its realism, but I truly was astonished by this upcoming title. It was action packed, but extremely realisitic. The lighting effects were truly amazing; I let my teammate linger bleeding on the ground at one point simply to take a moment to look around. Sorry, Jiggsy.
In short, even though we didn’t make it to the end of the demo (I ran through a gate we blew with C4…right into out-of-bounds instadeath), I was definitely wanting more after the ten or fifteen minutes that I played. The cooperative mode is reported to be tougher than the single-player campaign, and rightfully so — you’ve got two able bodied brains at the ready to diffuse a situation.
In short, co-op mode reminded me of Modern Warfare 2‘s Spec Ops, but I defintitely had a sense BF3 allows for more freedom of choice. Most of the Spec Ops missions felt as if they had one sure-fire way of winning; deterring from that solution often meant you’d be pitted against insurmountable odds. I know I definitely made big mistakes through Exfiltration, but I was able to use some quick thinking, weapon changes, and cover in order to get back on track.
Bring on Battlefield 3, guys — you’ve made a new fan.
Want to see what I experienced in my PS3 playthrough? Check out this video from Gamescom. More full disclosure: these guys are better at BF3 than me.
https://youtu.be/AnGuiNmmFSY
…though, I do know all the words to “Rude Boy.”
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
