Seems pretty cool. If it weren't for the battleog/origin nonsense and connection problems, this game would be great.
Straight up, the GAME BREAKING problems with this game.
Origin is a crap portal. It's slow, it's more shop than game platform library.
But what's worse is this idiotic Battlelog system. Yes the stat side of things is very impressive and cool... but why the F*** am I being forced to launch the game from my battlelog account through my web browser?
Is there a problem with it being always-online even for singleplay? Sure I guess, but that doesn't even touch on the real problem with this system.
It is SLOW. Try joining a multiplayer server and it takes its time loading. This also means that absolutely nothing remains preloaded when you try switching to another server.
What makes it worse is it buys into that lazy method of forcing gamers to dig into their modem's software to open up TCP/UDP ports, otherwise it's likely you won't ever be able to join a server. Whatr's worse still is even with those opened up (and an up to date firmware), you can still be rejected because this is such a poorly implemented piece of code in the game.
I have all the Premium content yet it refuses to let me join any server running Premium maps. Brilliant right? Look around for tech support examples and there are people suggesting you update Punkbuster, etc..
Another flaw.,.. they're still using PunkBuster... it was a great anti-cheat system back in 2003, not 2013.
And then you come across people recommending you update your ATI drivers, if you're running an ATI card... how do graphics drivers solve a connection-rejection problem with trying to join a server?
It's this kind of half-arsed tech support (and those kind of suggestions did originate from official tech support) that should really destroy a game's reputation.
From what I've played of BF3 it seems like several steps in the right direction, it's just horribly restrictive and punishing to you, the legit, paying customer.
I was very tempted to rate this a 4.5... because a game of this quality sporting such insultingly obstructive DRM... it's disgraceful.
And any BF fanboy that thinks this kind of thing is okay is an absolute moron. Not speaking up about this kind of developer/publisher stupidity means it's going to get worse with BF4, then BF5.... and you'll deserve what you get.
I waited until I could grab BF3 at a nice cheap price while on special... even with that, these connectivity problems make me feel like I've been ripped.
Thus far I have spent more time watching battlelog fail to connect to servers than actually play the game. And considering it's been out for what... year and a half, almost 2? BF4 almost ready for beta... and this is something they still haven't fixed? Well done Dice, you're living up to being an EA production house.
(and as a side note, I have a premium connection, so that ain't the problem, and technically my rig is so disgustingly fast enough that there is no real load time when trying to join a server as far as loading the actual game. but it's the principle)
And as for the single play campaiign? It's a rail shooter. It's a CoD style rail shooter. When you're with NPC's you follow exactly what they want you to do, when they want you to do it, and no sooner. When you're on your own, you have waypoint to hold your hand so that there is absolutely no thought or choice involved. Enemy AI, even if you're providing cove from a roof to NPC's on the ground, will automatically come out shooting at you first. And I mean "YOU". Unless you play HARD mode, you have to live with aim assist, and the only thing that really defines the game as HARD is you have insta deaths galore thanks to the increased headshotting the enemy bots always seem to go for. Blow up some cars, whatever new enemies are spawning behind it know exactly where you are. You're a bullet magnet.
It's not as shamelessly lazy a campaign as CoD, but it's still a rail piece of crap. Story wise... again, typical war propaganda nonsense for twens that will never deal with real conflict in their lives, or have any experience with real quality story telling. This is an average CoD quality blockbuster story, but by movie or book standards... even comic standards... it's a bit retarded.
Plenty of dumb grunt moments, arrogant command/spook moments... and plenty of "if you're a coach potato, this will be an adrenaline rush for you."
It's incredibly pretty, despite the excessive dirty lense effect you have to deal with all the time. But the story is not up to the quality of the visuals.
If you found the CoD storyline exciting and thrilling, you'll love this. But if you can appreciate how much bullsh** war propaganda is behind it, you'll not care.
I didn't think much of the BFBC2 story, but it was better and a little more adult than this.
I know their are twits like this in the field in the American armed forces... boys with no life experience before being given a gun to go kill people... but this kind of story suggests that that's what they're all like, and even that it's a mark of pride and excellence in their service to their country.
More idiotic, misguided honoring the troops crap.
I'd like to like this game a lot. The core mechanics of it are actually really good. Movement is probably the best in a BF game to date... it felt really good and fluid. Weapon response and movement down the sights, great. Even vehicle control is... still not spectacular, but slightly improved from BFBC2.
It'd be nice if they made a real game at some point. A single play campaign that is entirely up to tactics and skill... no aim assist for the easy modes, no warypoints to guide you to exactly where you need to go. How about a real taste of soldiering? Where nobody is going to help show you exactly what yo do while you're in the middle of a warzone!?!
I know it'll never happen, but still, it would be nice if that core level of game design and mechanics could be complimented by a storyline that did it all justice... AND a connectivity system that didn't punish you for BUYING the game.