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Battlefield 3: Close Quarters DLC
Available on PC (Reviewed), PS3 & XBox 360
EA and DICE where proud parents to send
over code to check out Close Quarters, the new DLC for the Battlefield 3
franchise. After playing around with the game and the modes and battling
through the different maps, I say proud they should be.
If you’re a premium member then you would be getting all the DLC as it
comes out, ahead of non-Premium members. Some of the DLC that is coming
down the pike for Battlefield 3 is expanding the game to just mind
blowing maps and extras and tactical situations that just make the game
all the more interesting.
The latest DLC “Close
Quarters” is one of a few planned DLC packs. This one as the name
implies, Close Quarters is the second themed expansion pack for
Battlefield 3, and rather than expansive maps, and city fighting, the
maps brings opposing forces in close and personal with indoor
environments; from single level structures to multi-level structures and
garage levels.
With “Close Quarters” you get four new maps and two new game play types
and some nifty new weapons.
The two new game modes are Conquest Domination and Gun Master. It is
based on Conquest, but things happen a lot faster here. The time goes
even faster when more of a team is on a flag. Teams fight over the
flags, and as the game progresses the team that has the least flags is
in trouble. One respawn ticket is taken away every few seconds. As the
other team takes casualties and they have to revive and respawn, this
takes away even more respawn tickets. When there are no more respawns
that team that is out of them, is the one defeated.
Gun Master is the other
game mode. The two teams fight it out in this gun heavy mode. All
players start out with the same weapon, and advance during the game,
after earning a couple kills the next weapon unlocks for that player.
This is displayed by a meter in game and during respawns.
Ah and then of course the maps. All of the maps have been designed to
exploit different tactical issues. Some players may not give a hairy
hankie and will just continue to try to play as they normally do, and
yes they do I have seen it. As they rush head long crazy through the
map. Do they take others out even in these new maps? Yes they do. But
when a team starts coming together with supporting fire and moving
together in mutual support and clearing areas, those other types of
players quickly become toast.
That in itself is the
real trick; I know the frantic crazy close in battles that these maps
had been meant to bring forth. Can you enjoy them without thinking
tactical and going deeper into the game? Sure, but oh man, when a team
starts clicking and working together it is phenomenal.
Each one of the maps has their own sets of tactical challenges, whether
or not the designers meant it to be as tactically challenging as some
areas are, I do not know but I applaud them in the designs.
Donya Fortress offers some interesting tactical challenges. With
multiple indoor and outdoor levels, small rooms and wide open kill box
areas. Some of the lower levels and dark basements are perfect for a
tactical light.
Operation 925 is the
next map, a multi-level indoor map. Filled with a bottom level parking
garage, again darkened areas offer some danger points. The parking level
also has cars spaced out that can be utilized for cover. There are board
rooms and meeting areas and a front lobby. Long hallways give little
cover other than the small offices that you can duck into as needed.
Walkways and stairwells also offer up some tactical tension. The
stairwells here near the front offer up subtle but nail biting tactical
issues. The stairway has a turn between floors. At one point I fell in
with a team of other players and as we mounted the stairs each of us
stacked up and provided cover for our zones depending on our positions.
It was one hell of an experience. With that blind turn, Player one at
the top of the line covered our direct front, Number two covered number
one and the top row of stairs, and so on. Tail end Charlie covered our
backs and a good thing too as an enemy came around the corner and was
cut down in short order. We moved on up and continued.
Scrap Metal is the next map. With interior dark warehouse fighting, full
of close in places and all sorts of warehouse items for cover. Then also
on the roof tops, bright and clear sight lines all around and all the
way to another warehouse.
Ziba tower is the next
one, with plenty of windows and rooms. This place looks like a swank
penthouse or some corporate getaway penthouse. There are plenty of
larger rooms and adjoining rooms. Several points of interest on the map
offer challenges since there are multiple approaches to many of the
areas.
There is some Battlefield 3 players that may not like that Battlefield 3
brought some of these styles of maps to the fray, kind of Call Of Duty
Duty looks…DICE has put a lot into the game with the weapons balances
and patches over time and has done a darn good job of it. Why not cover
the different types of battle a war would bring? The title of the
franchise says it all. It is Battlefield…throwing the player different
battle situations and environments, just like the real world…only with
respawns….
The overall lighting effects in this new set of maps is really well
done, with shafts of light in some areas, slow embers from recent burned
out husks of cars in another, surrounded by the dark foreboding
atmosphere of a underground car park.
Then of course there is
the massive destruction that takes place. Walls and items burst and
shatter, exploding in a cascade of debris from gunfire and explosions.
This tends to make things even more chaotic in a gun battle. It also
changes the environment a bit. Furniture, fixtures, walls and windows,
almost nothing is spared from damage effects. A plaster wall that a
player seeks refuge behind can be blasted and nod this forms holes and
large parts of the wall can then be eliminated. You can then fire
through the holes because you can now see into other rooms and it offers
a lot of tactical and interesting situations as the environment and ever
so slight site lines change.
One strange little incident which I have not been able to re-create as
of yet, was that I got stuck in some of the environment. I tried jumping
in place a few times and just opening up with my weapon. I soon became
unstuck…it was odd indeed.
Battlefield 3 Close
Quarters does its job well. Expanding on an already excellent game and
bringing a different flavor to it. The expanding of the Battlefield and
situations keep things fresh and interesting and things look like they
can only get better with even more expansions coming down the pike.
For now Battlefield 3 Close Quarters brings even more frantic gun
battles and some very welcome tactical challenges for players to
overcome and to exploit.
Have fun, play games…
Join the Battle!
Edwin Millheim
Impulse Gamer
BUY here!
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