It's another blistering hot day in the Gulf of Oman, and right now, we're the only thing standing between the US invader and total domination of the map. Those members of our team that aren't dead are pinned down in alleys surrounded by ammo boxes, or fannying around in one of Back to Karkand's new dual-gunned APCs to the north. There are tanks on the bridge to the north-west of the flag, and infantry massing behind them. We're making a decent fist of things, spot-marking the tanks for hypothetical engineers and picking off marines as they leave their base, but we're living on borrowed time.
Every vaguely hazardous cylindrical object in the enemy's possession is now trained on our position. The apartment block we're camped out on feels it first. The corner of the roof goes, then the stairwell building behind us, then the west-facing wall. Still we cling on, inching forward to slot an Assault chap as he makes a run for the flag. Finally the floor gives way, dunking us two stories in a cloud of dust. Stumbling bleary-eyed out of the rubble, we meander up to the nearest silhouette and pull a knife on it, bagging one last kill before the inevitable happens. Victory! Sort of.
Layouts are more generous in their possibilities, with less funnelling than we've come to expect from DICE's latest. The on-disc maps are comparatively large and rigid, with a more obvious range of environmental variables between M-COM stations or flags (Operation Metro takes this to an extreme); Back to Karkand's offerings are more open-plan, breaking down more subtly to accommodate different styles. Gulf of Oman is quite centralised, structured around a single east-west road with buildings to north and south - a good sniping map if you tackle it left to right, a close-quarters affair if you veer up or down.
Strike at Karkand offers a classic alternation between wide-open tank country due south, and digestible urban grids to the north, with a strip of hillside down the west. There's good cover from vehicles, but you've also got more first or second storey camping spots to worry about. At one point we managed to hold off a squad with tank support by going prone in a shop front near the flag, elevated marginally out of direct damaging range.
22 comments so far...
Doctorrodders on 30 Nov '11 said:
"So is all this worth the eyebrow-raising sum of 1200 MP?"
What I believe you're asking is whether 4 new maps, new weapons, new vehicles and new weapons is worth the same as a call of duty map pack? (This is assuming that you didn't get the limited edition version of BF3, for it is free with that). I know which one has more content in
Bezza89 on 30 Nov '11 said:
Yeah most people will get it free... I'd say it's worth (1200) it if it has the same vibe as the vietnam pack last dec (perhaps an indication of release too, 21st anyone?) The vehicles and guns were refreshing, this probably wont be as epic a difference but enough I'd say by the sounds of its BC1 feel for a purchase if you don't have the LE and like BF3.
ceannaire on 30 Nov '11 said:
"So is all this worth the eyebrow-raising sum of 1200 MP?"
This eyebrow-raising sum was first demanded by the Call of Duty franchise last year and you didn't bat an eyelid then (or raise an eyebrow) - and for map packs which were widely criticised (yes, I foolishly bought them all).
Seriously OXM I'm beginning to take your reviews less seriously as each day goes by. BF 3 could have and should have been a better game but all this BF negativity is starting to seem childish. It really is quite noticeable.
OXM ETboy on 30 Nov '11 said:
I didn't say Battlefield 3 invented the idea of pricing things at 1200 MP, and I penalised the first Black Ops map pack I ever reviewed on precisely this count.
http://www.oxm.co.uk/28100/reviews/call ... on-review/
I really would appreciate it if people didn't jump to conclusions. I haven't.
Bezza89 on 30 Nov '11 said:
I reckon Ed just owned you there. I think I've used the term right... I feel dirty...
OXM ETboy on 30 Nov '11 said:
Not trying to "own" anybody
I'm just a bit tired of assumptions that when I knock a game with one hand, I'm giving Call of Duty a free pass with the other.
golliwoza on 30 Nov '11 said:
Im looking forward to this as I have worn out the others a bit. Isnt near enough every BF3 limited edition though it seems like medal of honour all over again where it was rarer to see a basic copy.
One question are there any more urban maps as I have seen little of this map pack and really loved the urban maps on BF3 like siene and Grand Bazaar?
OXM ETboy on 30 Nov '11 said:
Strike at Karkand definitely feels like Seine Crossing in places. Not quite as claustrophobic and infantry-focussed, though. Gulf of Oman reminds me of the bits around the oil refineries in Operation Firestorm.
golliwoza on 30 Nov '11 said:
Thanks is there a firm release date now for the DLC as I have heard of a wide variety of different dates from other people?
Bezza89 on 30 Nov '11 said:
It's not as if you even mentioned CoD. 1200 is ridiculous price to pay for any game just for maps, I think vietnam got away with it because it was so different and refreshing. This is free to most of BF3 owners I reckon though.
OXM ETboy on 30 Nov '11 said:
It's a tricky one. In general, I'm uneasy about paying for something that depends on other people for fun. That's why I didn't get bitten by the MMO bug, I guess.
There's no definite Xbox 360 release date yet, just "December".
ceannaire on 30 Nov '11 said:
You are correct - and I apologise for that. However, I feel there is a difference between the terms "eyebrow-raising" and the "hefty" you used in the BO's review. To me, it sounds as if you do not think it is worth it for the BF maps. If that is the case then I'm sure some would appreciate the advice. "Eyebrow-raising" is the term which could well have been used when Activision first bumped the price up.
Grow up.
SidTheSloth on 30 Nov '11 said:
I wouldn't take it personally Ed (I'm sure you don't!), it's part of the reason i very rarely post anything about CoD or Battlefield as people generally seem to lose all sense of reason/reality.
The guy on bbc sport has the same problem, if he writes about man united the chelsea/liverpool/arsenal fans go mental and vice-versa - consequently the author never replies now as he's fighting a losing battle. I don't know if it's insecurity or immaturity but it seems to be increasingly the norm on t'interweb. It's why i like these forums as normally we don't get a lot of that sort thing.
I've always thought 1200 is a scandalous price to pay for a few maps etc. but i posted on here a couple of months ago about when i was back home i realised just how much playtime my CoD loving mate got for his 1200 and from then on i kinda think maybe it's justified. It's not for me, the amount of online MP i play would never justify it but i understand a bit more now why people pay.
I bought BF3 at the weekend actually, it's the limited edition as you guys suggest, so that means i get this for free anyway? I wouldn't want to test drive the online and be told i can't play because my version is old and cack...
Doctorrodders on 30 Nov '11 said:
Yeah it's free for you. That is something that I don't believe was mentioned in the preview, but an important point
Bezza89 on 30 Nov '11 said:
Whoa now! Way to take a quote out of context. Insert sense of humour... I even clarified its immaturity above. Some people!
Guilty Sparks on 30 Nov '11 said:
Newbies bezza.... don't take it to heart.... they'll learn
CPT Random 82 on 2 Dec '11 said:
I'm yet to see a copy of an normal "unlimited" copy. I think it's safe to say that if you bought it new and activated your code that came with it. It's free.
If you were silly and bought a trade in copy for £32.99, more fool you.
detox on 2 Dec '11 said:
looking forward to this one only because I loved the maps. However If I weren't getting this for free I would probably wait for the price to drop as £10 for DLC (4 maps) is slightly more than I like to pay esp seeing how I stopped playing cod for exactly the same reason plus the last two were crap not even bothered with the new one what ever it is called.
Saying that with battlefield you know your getting your moneys worth Vietnam was the best £10 I've ever spent (including the tenner I spent on that cheep hooker that one time) racked up over 60-70 hours just playing that DLC (not the hooker)
Release date is December the 13th (the 6th for PC users for some unknown reason) just in-case anyone wanted to know
Bezza89 on 2 Dec '11 said:
I thought PS3 had 1 week exclusivity, with PC and Xbox the week after...
To be fair it's 4 gigantic maps. Each map on BF3 is about 5 maps big compared to most other games. Take Damavand peak - first run downhill towards the observatory thing, then the helicopter landing pad base, then the one after the cliff drop, then the tunnels, then the construction yard at the end. You have this on every map, so really, you're getting 20 maps for £10. Sort of.
Joe90_Remy700 on 2 Dec '11 said:
any dlc from dice is worth it to be fair. and i suppose considering i know not one single soul that has the basic game, every one should be getting it free. unless you are a tightwad and thought you'd save a few bob getting it used and now have to pay for this, so to you i say "ha"
SidTheSloth on 4 Dec '11 said:
Cool ta, haven't had a blast on it yet with a million other things to play (cheating on my 360 with 3ds mario kart - oh how i wish we could get it on xbox live!!) but i'll be firing this beast up soon to get my ass kicked!!
GHOSTY05 on 5 Dec '11 said:
This is why i made sure i picked up the limited edition, which was the same price a the original, even in the shops lol