Will Tuttle, Editor in Chief: Well, the day we've been waiting for all these years is finally here, as we got to spend some quality time playing Battlefield 3 multiplayer. The word on the street is that developer DICE has changed up the classes for the latest entry in the long-running shooter series. Mike, can you detail what players can expect when the beta launches in September?
Mike Sharkey, News Editor: Yup, we were among the first to get our hands on Battlefield 3's multiplayer, playing Rush mode in the upcoming shooter's Paris map. Evidently, the Russians and Parisians aren't getting along in the next Battlefield, and the U.S. Marines are tasked to step in. And yes, the word on the street is bond: DICE decided to combine the Assault class -- AKA the game's frontline cannon fodder -- with the Medic class. It's the biggest of the studio's class tweaks, but DICE also gave the Support class' LMG a deployable bipod for more stability and better accuracy, and the Recon class (love 'em or hate 'em) got nerfed a bit, with more gun sway and a heavier barrel swing on sniper rifles (goodbye, quickscoping!). And Snipers can now hold their breath to zero in on enemy heads.
Will Tuttle: As someone who likes playing the Recon class, I both love and hate those changes. Of course, I wasn't one of those jerks who just hung back and sniped constantly -- I always equipped my pistol and made my way up to where the real action was. I noticed that as I played Battlefield 3, I earned some experience point for laying down fire on my enemies. What's the deal with that, anyway?
Mike Sharkey: That's a very cool new feature DICE has incorporated into Battlefield 3: suppression. Unload on an enemy's position, and they will become suppressed, limiting their peripheral vision with a blurring effect. An icon will also appear above the suppressed enemy, allowing your team to see which enemies are pinned down -- the perfect indicator of foes that are ripe for flanking. And with the Support class' bipod-enabled LMG, which can be mounted on cover, they become a suppressing machine, racking up XP in an all-new way. Just be aware that while you're laying down cover, you have an indicator above your head, making you a target for the enemy. Overall, suppression serves as a clear indicator that DICE intends to even further differentiate itself from (cue the Imperial March) Call of Duty as a team-oriented first-person shooter.
Will Tuttle: What did you think of the multiplayer mode and map we played? I know I was really impressed by the way it changed as we made our way from one area to the next.
Mike Sharkey: The map itself opened in a sunny park in Paris, filled with paths, footbridges, trees, and shrubberies (Ni!). We were playing on pimped-out PCs with the game at maxed-out settings, and the level of detail was stunning. Our first of three core objectives was to take out a Russian comm center. Once the enemy's communication system was down, we took the battle underground into the metro, going from a bright, wide-open environment into a dark system of tunnels lit only by our flashlights and gunfire. The transition was striking and the perfect example of Frostbite 2's abilities to seamlessly render varied environments on the fly. It was classic Battlefield Rush, cranked up to 11.
The overused Spinal Tap reference is fitting, because the game also sounded amazing. Lay down suppressive fire with your LMG, and your ears will ring with the sound of pitch-perfect machine-gun fire that makes you (or at least, made me) want to scream like Rambo. The only things missing were the vehicles. DICE isn't ready to unleash its full arsenal just yet -- but when the time comes, look out. Battlefield 3 is shaping up to be one helluva military FPS!
