Battlefield 3 Reactions from GDC 2011

With the Battlefield 3 demo behind us, we're already seeing an outpouring of enthusiasm from fans of the game, so we decided to group together to share our own initial reactions to the Battlefield 3 preview that took place at GDC 2011. While you're only seeing the first part of the trailer, this is the full BF3 video breakdown from what we saw...and our ensuing comments:

Nikole Zivalich, Games Editor:

Battlefield 3 has been on my radar for a long time. I've been a fan of the Battlefield series since Battlefield 2, and still regularly venture into the world of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. When I finally saw the single player demo for Battlefield 3 I was blown away. Everything about it was what I was hoping for. The graphics, the audio, the combat, all of it was I wanted for the next Battlefield game. When the lights dimmed and the audio of Johnny Cash (at least I think it was) went up I got the chills. And as someone who doesn't have the time nor the patience to excel in multiplayer I was elated that DICE took the time to make such an advanced and immersive single player in a genre where single player is often something that feels tacked on. EA needs to release the PC specs for this game, mama's getting a new machine.

Jake Gaskill, Previews Editor:

I've been dying to see Battlefield 3 in action since i saw the first in-game screenshots a while back. Even in those shots, the presentation just looked absolutely insane. Little did I know that those highly impressive shots don't even come close to doing this game justice. The Frostbite 2 engine is no joke, and the sights and sounds (especially the sounds) on display in the several brief scenes we saw were some of the most intense and bone-rattingly visceral I've ever experienced. The way bullets rip through concrete, and light pours through smoke, not to mention the massive earthquake that hits in the final moments of the demo that brings down an entire building right at your feet. It's just spectacular in every way.

In fact, the presentation is so incredible, I actually found myself genuinely terrified and anxious about what was going to happen next. In this way, I would imagine DICE would say it succeeded, and they'd be right, because while I'm beyond intrigued to see more (and, hopefully, play more) of Battlefield 3 in the coming months, I'm also scared of what I might see when I get there. This is the kind of war game I've been wanting for a long time, and if this brief look is any indication, it looks like it might finally be here.

Stephen Johnson, Lead Feed Editor:

I'm not a big war-gamer. I don't fetishize military weapons or equipment. I don't like war movies. l don't read Soldier of Fortune. It's just not my bag, man, so take this reaction with a huge grain of salt. That said, it's impossible to deny the technical amazingness of the Battlefield 3 demo shown at GDC. The Frostbite 2 engine adds an incredible level of detail, realistic lighting effects, and very real-feeling physics. The combination creates an overwhelming sense of place, and a palpable sense of fear, dread and adrenalin. It's such a real-seeming simulation of being on an actual battlefield, that I realized how little I like even the idea of War. One thing is for sure, though: The Modern Warfare franchise should be very, very nervous about now.

Eric Eckstein, Director of Games Editorial:

What we saw at GDC was clearly groundbreaking, and while most folk who buy the game will never see what we saw, if DICE even comes close, Battlefield 3 will be a watershed moment. If the Call of Duty series is the Michael Bay popcorn version of combat, then BF3 is the Generation Kill-ified war movie. I love them both, they each serve their different masters inside my gaming soul, so I'm happy to see BF3 return to the table. Watching urban environments torn apart by bullets and grenades has never before had me wanting to dive headfirst into a game like I did after this demo. The animations, the sounds and the gunfights look superb, and all we've seen were glimpses.  Even then, I only wish we had the full video from what we saw as the trailer available now, while cool, does not do the entire presentation justice.

Hopefully you've read our first look preview and seen the initial gameplay trailer, what's your first reaction?