By Jessica Foreman
Reporter

It’s time to storm the battlefield, at least a virtual one. If the world were in a full-scale conflict this game depicts what that environment would look like.

The newest installment of the “Battlefield” series was released Oct. 25, and gamers have never been more satisfied. Already attached to “Battlefield 3” are 60 awards worldwide, including “Best Action Game” and “Best Online Multiplayer Game” by the Game Critics Awards.

“Battlefield 3” capitalizes on its graphics and visuals, which is why this game has seen such a positive release. This is due to the new game engine, Frostbite 2, which the DICE team used to take the animation to an advanced level.

With this new technology, DICE, the Swedish-based developer of “Battlefield 3,” was able to design superior special effects and animation, advanced lighting and scale, and an improved sound structure in the game.

ANT technology, which is most popularly associated with the “FIFA” soccer video game series is also incorporated in “Battlefield 3” to create more believable human behavior in the characters.

“They’re the best graphics, they’re the most realistic,” Dallas senior Forrest Knox, said. “It has real-time destructibility, meaning buildings actually crumble and fall apart over the course of the fighting. The environment is always changing, like a wall won’t be there because it has been blown up. It makes for a good Sunday morning.”

At the basic level, “Battlefield 3” has nine multiplayer maps, which can be accessed by players all over the globe at the multiplayer game mode.

DICE is planning on releasing a four-map expansion in December, with a set of 10 “Battlefield 2” weapons and three vehicles, and is expected to sell for $10.

“Call of Duty” Trivia “Call of Duty: Black Ops” is known for a great deal of things, but one of the most underrated aspects of the game is the voice acting. Sam Worthington, best known for his work on the film “Avatar,” voiced Alex Mason, the main character in the campaign. Ed Harris voices Jason Hudson, who is also playable in some game modes. No story, however, is complete without a good villain and Gary Oldman, who is known for his roles in the “Harry Potter” series as Sirius Black and for his role as the major villain in “Air Force One,” voices Viktor Resnov. Oldman is reprising a role he originally had in the earlier game in the “Call of Duty” series, “World at War,” so maybe we’ll see him again in “MW3.”

“If they’re smart, they will release it at the same time ‘Modern Warfare,’ the new ‘Call of Duty,’ which is the direct competition of ‘Battlefield,’ gets released,” Grapevine sophomore, Garrett Battershell, said. “‘Battlefield’ is supposed to be the rival and better than the new ‘Modern Warfare’ game.”

“Modern Warfare 3” is expected to be released Nov. 8.

Another game mode available in “Battlefield 3” is the single-player campaign, which involves one player following the story line of a soldier. This level is more scripted and planned.

The user battles computer-generated enemies with artificial intelligence that gives the ability for slight adaptation to situational factors. Mainly, however, the single player is able to predict what will happen next.

Co-op is a third game mode that offers the option to fight alongside one other person online. Co-op involves objective-based commissions that demand reliance on teammates to accomplish tasks. This level is scripted as well and battles computer-generated enemies.

“Battlefield 3” can be played on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC computer. The war-based action game is rated “M” for mature, due to blood, strong language and intense violence. “Battlefield 3” is available online and in stores for approximately $60.

“Everything looks real. It feels like you’re tuning into war footage in the Middle East,” Knox said. “It’s fully immersive, every aspect of it.”

Which are you more excited for? Email us at Lariat@baylor.edu and let us know which game you think is better.