Battlefield 3

Overview

Battlefield 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the twelfth installment in the Battlefield series and a sequel to Battlefield 2 (2005). It was released on Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October 2011. The campaign follows two characters, Henry Blackburn, a U.S. Marine, and Dimitri Mayakovsky, a Spetsnaz GRU operative.

The game combines single player, co-op and multiplayer. It brings back fighter jets, the prone position and 64 player battles on PC, which the Bad Company games had dropped. To suit the lower player count on consoles, the ground area is smaller on Xbox 360 and PS3, though the flying space stays the same. Maps take place in Paris, Tehran and other parts of Iran, Sulaymaniyah in Iraq, New York City, Wake Island, Oman, Kuwait City and the Persian Gulf. Multiplayer has four roles, Assault, Support, Engineer and Recon, and modes that include Conquest, Rush, Squad Deathmatch, Squad Rush and Team Deathmatch. The co-op mode is online only, with no split screen.

The campaign starts in March 2014 with Blackburn's squad in Iraqi Kurdistan, then moves to an Iranian coup and an American invasion. The squad learns that an Iranian paramilitary group has Russian suitcase nukes, and the plot follows the hunt for them across Tehran, Paris and New York.

Development began in 2009 after Battlefield 1943. The game uses the Frostbite 2 engine, which can destroy buildings and scenery and handle dense urban areas, and an animation system called ANT that was already used in EA's sports games. The PC version was the lead platform at first, then the focus shifted to consoles midway through. The Xbox 360 version ships on two discs, while the PS3 version fits on one Blu-ray Disc. An open beta ran from 29 September to 10 October 2011.

It was revealed on 3 February 2011 and released in North America on 25 October 2011, in Australia on 27 October and in Europe on 28 October. New console copies came with an online pass for multiplayer. Used copies needed a separate pass or a 48 hour trial. Five DLC packs followed, Back to Karkand, Close Quarters, Armored Kill, Aftermath and End Game. On PS3 the Back to Karkand pack arrived a week before the other platforms, and the later packs reached PS3 Premium members first. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions were delisted from their stores on 31 July 2024 and the online servers closed on 7 November 2024.

Reviews were mostly positive. Critics praised the multiplayer and the graphics and were less kind to the campaign and co-op modes. Metacritic lists the PS3 version at 85 out of 100. EA said it sold 5 million copies in its first week, its fastest selling game up to then, and 15 million by June 2012. It was the fourth best selling game of 2011 in the United States. The sequel, Battlefield 4, followed in 2013.

Official trailer

Battlefield 3 Launch Trailer (New Gameplay Video), Battlefield. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

Battlefield 3: Caspian Border Gameplay, Battlefield. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

First-person shooter

Developer

DICE

Publisher

Electronic Arts

Series

Battlefield (twelfth installment; sequel to Battlefield 2)

Engine

Frostbite 2

Composers

Johan Skugge, Jukka Rintamäki

Writers

David Goldfarb, Adrian Vershinin

Producers

Aleksander Grøndal, Lo Wallmo

Directors

Tom Keegan

Platforms

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

Yes

Release dates

Editions

Buy this game

Subscription history

Disc IDs

The serial printed on the disc and the case. It tells you which region a copy is from.

Trophies

Trophies64

Platinum possibleNo

Platinum

1

Gold

4

Silver

16

Bronze

43

Total

64

Points

1785

Platinum time

60 hours

100% time

87 hours

Difficulty

6 out of 10

Playthroughs for platinum

1

Playthroughs for 100%

1

Platinum without online

No

Online trophies

43

Online servers running

No

Boosting needed

Yes

Local co-op is enough

No

DLC has trophies

Yes

Platinum includes DLC

No

100% includes DLC

Yes

DLC comes in

Limited Edition (Back to Karkand only)

DLC still for sale

No

DLC note

Five packs with 25 trophies, all of them multiplayer

Missable trophies

0

Chapter select fixes a miss

Yes

Separate trophy lists by region

No

Only in a language other than English

No

Online-only version

No

Digital-only

No

Disc-only

No

Trophy list shared with other versions

No

Players with the platinum

2.63%

Grind

• Colonel: reach rank 45 in multiplayer
• Decorated: one of each ribbon
• Lock 'n' Load: every co-op weapon

Glitches and fixes

• Push On and Untouchable sometimes failed to unlock in co-op

• Platinum Trophy Collect all other Battlefield 3™ Trophies Platinum 2.64% of players
• Not on my watch Protected Chaffin from the soldiers in the street in Operation Swordbreaker Bronze 70.3% of players
• Involuntary Euthanasia Killed the 2 soldiers before the building fell on them in Uprising Bronze 11.4% of players
• The Professional Completed the street chase in Comrades in under 2 minutes 30 seconds without dying Bronze 17.72% of players
• This is the end Failed to prevent the attack Bronze 51.02% of players
• Where are the other two? Found the nuke Bronze 54.08% of players
• Shock Troop Survived the quake Bronze 72.64% of players
• Wanted: Dead or Alive Captured Al Bashir Bronze 46.36% of players
• Army of Darkness Shot out the 4 lights with 4 bullets in Night Shift Bronze 16.67% of players
• Practice makes perfect Headshot each of the targets in the gun range in Kaffarov Bronze 11.87% of players
• What the hell *are* you? Took a Russian Dog Tag in the forest ambush in Rock And A Hard Place Bronze 12.09% of players
• Roadkill Kicked the car and killed the soldiers in Uprising Bronze 20.49% of players
• You can be my wingman anytime Completed Going Hunting in a perfect run Bronze 4.72% of players
• Scrap Metal Destroyed 6 enemy tanks before reaching the fort in Thunder Run Bronze 32.62% of players
• No Escape Captured Kaffarov Bronze 40.81% of players
• Butterfly Took down the jet in one attempt in Rock And A Hard Place Bronze 11.08% of players
• Twofor Took down 2 enemies with 1 bullet in Night Shift Bronze 46.08% of players
• FlashForward Completed Semper Fidelis Bronze 84.31% of players
• Ooh-rah! Completed the campaign story Silver 40.38% of players
• Between a rock and a hard place Beat Solomon, flawlessly, in The Great Destroyer Bronze 36.34% of players
• Semper Fidelis Completed the campaign story on Hard Gold 9.11% of players
• Push On Reached the garage without going into man-down state in Hit and Run Bronze Needs online 7.15% of players
• Two-rah! Completed all co-op missions Silver Needs online 14.29% of players
• Lock 'n' Load Unlocked all unique co-op weapons Silver Needs online 14.52% of players
• Car Lover Completed the mission without losing a humvee in Operation Exodus Bronze Needs online 16.22% of players
• In the nick of time Disarmed the bomb in under 20 seconds in The Eleventh Hour Bronze Needs online 15.92% of players
• Bullseye Saved the hostages without alerting any enemies in Drop 'em Like Liquid Bronze Needs online 3.45% of players
• Untouchable Completed the mission without using the fire extinguisher in Fire From The Sky Bronze Needs online 24.8% of players
• Army of Two Completed all co-op missions on Hard Gold Needs online 4.75% of players
• Ninjas Reached the VIP without setting off the alarm in Exfiltration Bronze Needs online 6.76% of players
• Vehicle Warfare Received all 3 vehicle warfare ribbons Bronze Needs online 18.31% of players
• Infantry Efficiency Received all 4 weapon efficiency ribbons Bronze Needs online 33.31% of players
• Decorated Received one of each ribbon in the game Gold Needs online 8.15% of players
• It's better than nothing! 3rd MVP in a ranked match Silver Needs online 48.18% of players
• Support Efficiency Received all 4 support efficiency ribbons Bronze Needs online 24.52% of players
• Colonel Rank 45 achieved! Gold Needs online 22.3% of players
• 1st Loser 2nd MVP in a ranked match Silver Needs online 45.69% of players
• Most Valuable Player MVP in a ranked match Silver Needs online 41.71% of players
• M.I.A Took your first enemy Dog Tag Bronze Needs online 60.98% of players
• Complete Warrior Got a kill with the following weapons in a single life: Assault Rifle, Jet, Tank Silver Needs online 7.53% of players
• Third Tour Got a kill with each of the following vehicles: the BTR-90, DPV and F-35. Bronze Needs online 22.46% of players
• Gunslinger Got 10 kills with each of the ten Back to Karkand weapons Bronze Needs online 11.41% of players
• Like a Boss Got a kill with the skid loader Silver Needs online 13.05% of players
• Jaws Took a swim in the Oman Hotel swimming pool Bronze Needs online 37.1% of players
• Dominator Won a round in Conquest Domination Bronze Needs online 38.58% of players
• Deadly tools Without dying, got a kill with a Carbine, Pistol and Rocket Launcher Silver Needs online 28.19% of players
• Grinding the Crack Fell over the edge on Ziba Tower Bronze Needs online 26.91% of players
• Show of Force Got 10 kills with all ten CQ weapons Silver Needs online 15.15% of players
• Man of Calibre Completed a round of Gun Master Bronze Needs online 38.32% of players
• Death from above Got one kill with the Gunship Bronze Needs online 30.04% of players
• Destroyer Got 10 kills each with Tank destroyers and Mobile Artilleries Silver Needs online 10.4% of players
• Offroad Got one kill with the Quad bike Bronze Needs online 22.72% of players
• Superiority Won one round of Tank Superiority Bronze Needs online 28.09% of players
• Dropship Destroyed the Gunship Silver Needs online 29.06% of players
• Handyman Unlocked all xbow parts Bronze Needs online 18.65% of players
• Bite your finger Found the secret reptile Silver Hidden Needs online 20.22% of players
• Home made javelin Destroyed an enemy vehicle using the xbow Bronze Needs online 16.65% of players
• Pocket full of death Without dying, got a kill with xbow, primary weapon, and hand grenade Silver Needs online 12.94% of players
• Extreme Hoarder Picked up 50 weapons in Scavenger mode Bronze Needs online 28.84% of players
• Transport Pilot Transported a flag carrier in an air vehicle in CTF Silver Needs online 12.7% of players
• Capture The Flag Captured one flag while playing CTF Bronze Needs online 26.75% of players
• Its no sidecar Got a kill from the passenger position on a motorcycle Silver Needs online 21.48% of players
• AAs revenge Destroyed an air vehicle using the AA jeeps Bronze Needs online 23.31% of players
• Heavy Lifter Killed an enemy after successfully paradropping a vehicle Bronze Needs online 20.29% of players

Space and patches

Space neededAbout 12.3 GB

Update patch2045 MB

Version 01.09, the latest Sony hosts.

These are the patches Sony still hosts for this disc ID. The game's real history can be longer.

DLC

Five paid map packs followed the game, and they only mattered for online play. The game was delisted from the PS3 store on 31 July 2024.

Items

Name	Date	Adds	Obtainable today	Price
Back to Karkand	2011-12-06	Four maps remade from Battlefield 2 (Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, Wake Island, Sharqi Peninsula), new weapons and vehicles. PS3 got it a week before Xbox 360 and PC. Free with the Limited Edition.	No	US$14.99
Close Quarters	2012-06	Four infantry maps, ten weapons, HD Destruction and the Conquest Domination mode.	No	GBP 11.99
Armored Kill	2012-09-04	Tanks, ATVs, mobile artillery, vehicle maps and the biggest map in the series. PS3 Premium members first; non-Premium PS3 players from 2012-09-25.	No	GBP 11.99
Aftermath	2012-11-27	New maps and a crossbow with custom scopes and bolts. PS3 Premium members first; non-Premium PS3 players from 2012-12-11.	No	US$14.99
End Game	2013-03-05	Final expansion, developed with Visceral Games. PS3 Premium members first; non-Premium PS3 players from 2013-03-19.	No	US$14.99

Playable today

Playable offline todayPartly

The campaign still plays. Multiplayer and co-op closed on 7 November 2024.

Online

Online servers runningNo

Plays offlinePartly

The PS3 and Xbox 360 online servers for Battlefield 3 were shut down on 7 November 2024, so multiplayer and co-op no longer run. The campaign is offline.

Services

Service	Status	Shutdown date
PS3 online multiplayer and co-op servers	closed	2024-11-07
PS3 store listing	closed	2024-07-31

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale	Reviews
Metacritic	PS3	85	100	38

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
IGN	9	10
GameSpot	8.5	10
Eurogamer	8	10
Joystiq	4.5	5

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Director	Tom Keegan
Producer	Aleksander Grøndal
Producer	Lo Wallmo
Writer	David Goldfarb
Writer	Adrian Vershinin
Composer	Johan Skugge
Composer	Jukka Rintamäki

Cast

Character	Actor
Henry Blackburn	Gideon Emery
Dimitri 'Dima' Mayakovsky	Andre Sogliuzzo
Jack Chaffin	Tony Denman
David Montes	Ronan Summers
Christian Matkovic	William Meredith
Steve Campo	Eric Loren
Quinton Cole	David Harewood
Faruk Al-Bashir	Ray Haratian
Solomon	Mark Ivanir
Amir Kaffarov	Endre Hules

Notes for collectors

• The PS3 version fits on one Blu-ray Disc, while the Xbox 360 version ships on two discs.
• At E3 2011 Sony said PS3 copies would come with a free Battlefield 1943. That did not happen at launch, and EA first offered timed-exclusive DLC instead. It later gave PS3 owners a free download of Battlefield 1943.
• New copies carry a single-use online pass for multiplayer. Used copies needed a separately bought pass or a 48 hour trial.
• Back to Karkand came to PS3 a week before the other platforms, and the later packs reached PS3 Premium members first.
• Iran banned the sale of the game because of how it shows Iranian locations.
• The Physical Warfare Pack was meant to be a pre-order exclusive. After fans complained, EA made it free to everyone later in 2011.
• Online play ended on 7 November 2024, so the multiplayer and co-op trophies can no longer be earned on a stock console.

Credits

Publisher

Electronic Arts

Developer

DICE

Director

Tom Keegan

Released

2011-10-25

Age rating

ESRB M

Disc ID

BLUS30762

Region

US

Time to beat

about 6 hours

Copies in the shop

• Battlefield 3 (PS3) CA$14.99