New details on "Battlefield 3" surface

Game Review

Game Review

Battlefield 3 developer DICE is "only starting to scratch the surface" of what its "incredible" Frostbite 2 engine is capable of, the studio has boldly claimed. Set pieces can be more than big explosions and big animations. Bach explained that the studio had to rewrite its Frostbite engine from scratch for the sequel, with additions such as real-time lighting and large-scale destruction fronting the bill.

Just days after DICE formally confirmed the 2011 fall release of Battlefield 3, the media is abuzz with reports on leaked details and speculations. In an interview with Game Informer, which carries an in-depth feature on Battlefield 3, DICE executive producer Patrick Bach reportedly revealed that the team rewrote the game's engine from scratch.

Meanwhile, Gamespot has reported that the limited edition of the game will come bundled with the Back to Karkand expansion, which will contain a large amount of Battlefield 2 content, including weapons, vehicles, and four multiplayer environments. The report sourced to a leaked ad for the limited edition of Battlefield 3 posted on Battlefield fansite EnterBF3. 

At the core of this is the second version of DICE's Frostbite engine, now with radiosity lighting (seen here), better building destruction tech, and a fluid, physics-based character animation system borrowed from EA Sports games.

All versions of BF3 will have a single player campaign, co-op mode, and the big bad online competitive mode with four selected classes like we saw in Bad Company 2. On the PC we'll see 64-player matches (24 or possibly 32 on consoles), dedicated servers, and support for the latest PC hardware.

By. Game Review