Pre-release build, unlock information, and 'Back to Karkand'
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Here is my translation of two small articles. Their titles speak for themselves.

  • Battlefield 3 is not broken, the almost final build is magnificent (original)

  • More destruction in the final version, fresh unlock info, and details about “Back to Karkand” (original)

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Battlefield 3 is not broken, the almost final build is magnificent

The last few days I spent on a retired aircraft carrier standing in the San Francisco bay, playing [Battlefield 3](/games?search=Battlefield 3).

And if that circumstance isn’t surreal enough, I’ll say that I played alongside hundreds of other PC gamers on high-end machines built by NVIDIA to give us “amazing” gaming experiences. This event went down in history as **GeForce LAN 6**.

Nevertheless, the impressions of the [Battlefield 3](/games?search=Battlefield 3) beta were anything but “amazing.”

This is not right...

A bug-ridden and unfinished product presented as an open beta a month before the game's release raised many questions, and crowds of players were ready to immediately abandon [Battlefield 3](/games?search=Battlefield 3) and cancel their pre-orders.

Seasoned testers exclaimed: “Hey, this is a BETA, it implies flaws, this is an old build!**” But most were alarmed: “They won’t be able to fix all the bugs in a month, and it doesn’t matter how old the build is! How dare they release it to the public, couldn’t they find something better?!”

Fair enough.

However, the build I played these days is literally light-years ahead of the beta. Although this is not the final build, NVIDIA and DICE confirmed that we were playing a version “damn close” to the release, and if this version is anything to go by... I am captivated.

Now this looks like the truth.

There were no bugs, no issues, and the max graphics settings truly looked the part. As a top PC gamer and journalist trying nearly every game that comes out on PC, I’m jaded to the point of nausea. Nevertheless, everything in this version looks just stunning. I played on new maps like “Operation Firestorm”, “Damavand Peak” and “Grand Bazaar”, and every time I appeared on each — I could only gaze around. When you first see the landscape unfold before you on a PC, it takes your breath away. Whether it’s the burning oil fields of “Operation Firestorm” or the stunningly detailed snowy peaks of “Damavand Peak”, I have never seen anything like it, especially in a first-person shooter, and that says a lot.

Damn, I even noticed such a minor detail as the slight nerf of the UMP-45. It’s clear that DICE listens to players, even in the later stages of testing. Everything was polished, focused, and tightly packaged, which serves as evidence of DICE's commitment to the ideals of PC game development, as well as its ambition to raise the bar by releasing the “Frostbite 2” engine.

The developers’ hard work was also evident in the fact that I didn’t see any floating vehicles, falling through textures, bodies flying at my face, or dubstep performed by long necks.

I’m proud to say that [Battlefield 3](/games?search=Battlefield 3) (the PC version, at least) is ready for battle.

How about you?

Operation Firestorm

Damavand Peak

More destruction in the final version, fresh unlock info, and details about “Back to Karkand”

The day before we received a lot of information about [Battlefield 3](/games?search=Battlefield 3), especially from the new trailer.

You may have noticed that the level of destruction in it is higher than what we saw in the beta. Fortunately, Daniel Matros confirmed that “destruction was toned down and simplified in the beta. The release will feature the full version.” Numerous fans of running around with RPGs should be happy.

As for the latest announcement regarding unlocks, it should please many fans. You may have noticed that in the beta, weapons from the AK line were exclusive to the Russians, while the Americans flaunted rifles like the M4A1 and M16A4. However, many fans were curious whether players would eventually be able to use these weapons on the other side. When asked about this possibility, Frederick Thylander responded: “Yes, you will indeed be able to. Once all class gear becomes available, the basic weapons will be accessible when playing for another faction.” We think that’s fair.

Another interesting news about unlocks regarding vehicles is that flares (to help your plane evade missiles) will be the first unlock for airplanes. Thylander explained his thought process: “Generally, prove you can be a pilot and earn a few points, and we’ll give you the flares.” Some fans wanted flares to be available earlier than they were in the beta, so this is good news for them.

Finally, in the above-mentioned trailer, we also showcased some maps from the “Back to Karkand” expansion. Check it out if you haven’t already. Later, DICE revealed that “Back to Karkand” will be a full expansion, like “Vietnam.” If this expansion is indeed like the one released for [Battlefield: Bad Company 2](/games?search=Battlefield: Bad Company 2) “Vietnam,” we can assume that it will cost the same 5 and have its own menu screen in [Battlefield 3](/games?search=Battlefield 3). This will also mean that all weapons and maps will not be available in the original game, being limited to the expansion.

Leave your comments about whether you liked the trailer, your thoughts on the unlocks, and whether you’ll be happy to return to the maps from [Battlefield 2](/games?search=Battlefield 2) in “Back to Karkand.”

This post was prepared using [post]Offline post editor for Gamer.ru [ver 2.6.3][/post].

Thanks for the help with translation: Surt.