7) Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 stands out as being a bit of a middle child for the series. As always, the multiplayer is the highlight of the game, no doubt about it. But when compared to the all out craziness of Bad Company 2 before it, it feels like the series took a bit of a step back. Destruction and widespread action has always been a selling point for the franchise and here, they feel more perfunctory than anything else. Fortunately, the team play and rewards were top notch, so it wasn’t a complete wash…even if controlling the planes were all kinds of not fun.
Campaign wise, it could be worse, but again, it feels like the series has indeed done better and comes off more as a step back. The graphics certainly are pretty, and the sound design is impeccable, but it’s a real slog to get through a good amount of those encounters. One would think the addition of a co-op mode would help alleviate some of this, but even that stumbles because the game doesn’t give you much to want to do those scenarios. The series has done worse, but this just goes to show that the third time isn’t always the charm.
