DICE debuted a new gameplay demo for Battlefield 3 during EA’s E3 2011 press conference. The demo showed off the game’s vehicular combat, a franchise staple, in the form of a spectacular tank battle.
As the demo opens, tanks storm across the deserts of Tehran. The wind whips up as the screen gets flecked with dirt and the sunlight blinds the screen. Our soldier hops below deck to man the tank’s turret and unload on enemy tanks closing in on the squad’s position. Destroyed vehicles litter the battlefield as smoke, shells, and fire fill the horizon. Switching to night vision, the tank picks off some remaining tanks hidden in the smoke and dust in the distance.
Pushing forward, dozens of enemy rockets tear apart the forward position. The player then switches to a drone view, via a console inside the tank, to mark targets with a laser guiding system. Once the targets are set, an airstrike is deployed to wipe out the marked area. The tanks push on and the screen shakes and “glitches” out as enemy fire rocks the tank. Driving through the now fire-strewn enemy camp, the squad engages forces, which continue to unleash hell of the tanks. A “warn” message flashes in red, signaling the tank is close to being destroyed. After a few seconds, the warning disappears, suggesting the tank’s health regenerates. The demo ends with a brief glimpse of another massive airstrike that fills the sky with rockets and hellfire. Just how we likes it.
Needless to say, we can’t wait to get our hands on this one. Luckily, there’s a little thing called E3 going on this week, so stay tuned.