Ok instead of posting a bunch of screenshots or videos that we have all seen already I wanted to share my thoughts on the BF3 Beta that is in gamers hands around the world until Oct. 10th. So here goes....

I love it despite its obvious flaws. This is a BETA release people and its an old build to boot. The primary reason for the beta was to test their net code and get a large amount of feedback on the core mechanics of gameplay and weapons. There is a lot of work that needs to be and probably has been done already on the matchmaking, joining games as a squad, launching and exiting, team balancing, and map textures. I can't imagine that these huge things will not be polished in the retail release. It's funny because at first a seasoned FPS gamer will jump into this with a lot of concerns but after getting some games under the belt those things take a back seat to the addicting and rewarding gameplay elements present in this limited beta.

The Operation Metro map is laid out in a superb manner to allow each side to have multiple avenues (not too many) of attack and defense. From the open park atmosphere in the first section to the corridors of the subway all the way to the streets of Paris itself. The guns are well balanced with maybe some slight modifications needed but they sound friggin amazing. My favorite part of this beta was getting a taste of what it was like to play with friends (when it worked) in a 4 player squad. It obvious a lot of thought went into making sure the classes to choose from worked in a 4 man squad. It is a blast to spot enemies for your buddies and then provide suppressing fire on the target while they head for the objective.

This beta is not a very polished presentation of what is surely to come but it does feed the fire. The real excitement comes when vehicles get introduced on the battlefield. Last but not least, EA's stat tracking site battlelog.battlefield.com (which is free compared to CoD Elite) is awesome. I love being able to logon and see what my progress is and what I need to work on to get that next unlock. Very well put together and it even supports clans called Platoons on the site. I created the Zombie Squad. :)

Don't forget 10/25/11 is the release date for Battlefield 3! Reserve your copy!

beegzz