By Francis A. Wilson —

I was recently fortunate enough to get a hold of a copy of “Battlefield 3,” and I must say that it was, for the most part, awesome.

Battlefield is a first person shooter first developed by the Swedish company EA Digital Illusions CE. Their first entry in the franchise was Battlefield 1942 which debuted in 2002 for the computer console. They primarily stayed in their computer comfort zone, but quickly adapted to changing times by adding personal console gaming to their resume.

The first game to come out for personal gaming consoles was “Battlefield 2: Modern Combat.” EA Digital Illusions CE has had a long and illustrious career, and “Battlefield 3” is a shining example of their dedication to excellence. However, was it really that great?

Let us go through what I consider to be the pros of “Battlefield 3,” shall we; what few of them that I could glean out of my playing time. Initially I beta tested this title, and had mixed thoughts and many concerns.

Upon popping this title into my tenth Xbox 360, I immediately notice the graphic update. The graphics are stunning to say the least. It was almost scary to see such realistic graphics in a first person shooter like this.

Needless to say it was a pleasant surprise. There was one problem, however, and that was the ability to see specs of dust, and dirt on the screen. It was a little distracting at times, but a minor nuisance.

The gameplay was phenomenal. Running through the streets of war trodden third world countries never felt so real and so fluid. The motion capture came out great. This is crucial because it makes evading hordes of enemies much easier. Finally I can run fast, hop over obstacles, and not get caught up with lag ridden mechanics. Hurdles and obstacles are a thing of the past, because vaulting makes quick work of them.

Vaulting has become one of my new favorite mechanics. And I know what you’re thinking, “well is it the kind of vaulting we have come to expect from ‘Gears of War’?”

And the short answer is no! It is the one stop shop kind of vaulting that you would expect a soldier would be capable of doing in real life. It is about time we are able to mimic such maneuvers properly in a first person shooter.

I almost forgot one of the best parts of this game. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it, and later checked my achievements page to confirm that there aren’t any collectables. Or at the very least “Battlefield 3” is not one of those first person shooters that has an over emphasized view on collectables.

I personally hate them, and wish they wouldn’t be so much of a bane for me. I really can’t help going and collecting them all. It is like a compulsion now, and “Battlefield 3” is a refreshing change from that hideous compulsive grind. But as far as pros go, that was about it.

The gameplay was a little slow for my liking. Having a team is nice and all; especially when their artificial intelligence is too spectacular, but having to wait for their slow digital bodies to catch up in order to progress the gameplay is really annoying.

We as gamers are action starved, and expect a level of intensity that “Battlefield 3” just doesn’t provide. However, if you are a “Battlefield” veteran I am sure you are already used to this. It just was a pain for me, but this type of gameplay is a staple of the “Battlefield” franchise which makes it unique and sets it apart from other first person shooters in the genre.

“Battlefield 3” may be stunning and well designed, but it suffers from one crucial flaw. This game has been brought to us by EA. And as any real gamer will know, EA is notorious for being a complete pain in the neck. They have been known to close down servers on popular games. They have always had a problem linking their website and their games together; if anyone has ever played “Skate” you know this is true.

But the real kicker is the product code nonsensical trend that EA seems to love so much. The multiplayer portion of the game is not only on a separate disc; which is a pain in itself, but it also requires a product code in order to be able to use it. So forget about buying it second hand, forget about borrowing it from a friend, and forget about renting it. This little addition to the game is a horrible money grubbing plot whose sole design is to ruin frugal gamers’ life.

And to think, the fiscally responsible ones are to be punished. This recent trend of micro marketing is a crime, and a crime in which EA has fully endorsed and absorbed into its regular operations. What a shame.

To be honest, “Battlefield: Bad Company 2” was better in my opinion. But then again I am not a “Battlefield” fanboy so whose opinion really matters. If you were going to buy it, I am sure you are still going to buy it. But be warned, “Battlefield 3” just doesn’t seem to live up to the hype.