By Chase Porter
Staff Writer

With smoke rising from nearby explosions and enemy fire bouncing all around you, Battlefield 3 is sure to get your heart pounding.

As first person shooter games go, Battlefield 3 is almost as good as it gets. Released on Oc.t 25, this game is already looking like one of the best games of the year, not only because of its incredible landscapes and effects but also its almost unlimited possibilities for upgrading your player in multiplayer.

As far as the single player campaign goes, it is great for first person shooter fans who love the intensity the gun battles bring to the table. The only problem with the game is it takes itself too seriously in some aspects. The storyline seems a little bit too fictional to be a serious game. Honestly, the campaign feels like it is trying to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare with all of its conspiracy theories and bomb plots at prominent locations.

“I felt like the campaign was a little too serious to be a Battlefield game and the campaign was kind of short, which was depressing cause the game really starts to pick up towards the end,” senior Jason Reyes said.

Don’t get me wrong, though; in between the campaign’s cliché story there is great action that will last for hours. Not only is the action full of surprises, but the landscapes in which they take place are always large scale in Battlefield. Playing this game, you will be in awe of how much detail was put into every area whether it be the glint of the sun off of nearby cars or the illumination of flares lighting up the nighttime missions.

All in all, the single player campaign is loads of fun and the perfect level of difficulty for any player. The graphics are incredible, making the gameplay that much more enjoyable. The lack of freedom with making decisions in the campaign is a letdown, but the intensity that the game brings makes up for it.

The multiplayer is exactly what long-time fans of the franchise wanted. The Battlefield multiplayer formula is the perfect balance of freedom of choice and game objectives. Players have the ability to choose from four different types of soldiers, and as you rank up within the game more and more weapons and abilities can be unlocked within those four categories.

Vehicles play a large part in the multiplayer, unlike the campaign. When games first start in multiplayer vehicles will be available for use, which are a blast to use if your not very good with just the weapons you are given.

“I love how Battlefield 3 lets you fly jets in multiplayer,” senior Chris Gomez said. “No game has ever let you do that in the multiplayer which was one of the main reasons I bought the game.”

The gameplay is extremely smooth within the multiplayer but the graphics fall a bit short. Also, glitches can appear at anytime during online gameplay, but the game developers are planning on patching these online mishaps.

“Playing multiplayer is loads of fun, but I’ve found my character not being able to do simple things like throw grenades; and other times while playing I’ve been able to see through buildings which just shouldn’t happen,” junior Garrett Choate said.

Other than just a few glitches and a cliché story line in campaign this game definitely sets the bar for up and coming action games. This game is very playable for any level of player, extremely entertaining, and the sounds and graphics make you scared to pop out of cover. Battlefield 3 is an excellent game for any type of player and is a change of pace from previous Battlefield games.