Back To Karkand Review(s)

Back to Karkand Expansion comes out for PC and 360 next Tuesday and a few days ago on PS3. So far it seems that the reviews of Karkand have been stellar in terms of the game play itself . This is expected from EA. We shall see how many more bugs they fix for PC when the expansion goes live. I for one am hopeful for one more ninja patch for all platforms before Karkand goes live to PC and 360. This is based off a few bug fixes still needing to be done for PS3. As long as DICE continues to improve the back end as they continually have since this game has come out then it stands to be said that we will have a great game on our hands. Not that we don’t already have one. Anyway here is a review done by IGN on the PS3 release of Back to Karkand.

IGN Review

“With the release of Back to Karkand for Battlefield 3 on PS3, Wake Island has now appeared in five Battlefield games, Gulf of Oman in three, Strike at Karkand in four, and Sharqi Peninsula in three. Thousands of gamers already fought, triumphed, and died on these maps, but their latest iterations are the best yet. They look great, crumble to pieces, and add an awesome layer of familiarity to the already stellar multiplayer side of Battlefield 3 — and they’re free if you bought the Limited Edition.

All four maps share a similar visual style, with rectangular, destructible buildings and the washed-out feel of the desert. Destruction doesn’t just rest on the new maps’ building facades, but also shows up in the form of intricately splintering fences. Wake Island stands out from the pack due to the prevalence of water on all sides of the island, the green grass, and less prominent buildings, but also because of its long history. If it’s the first time you’ve seen these maps (most of the earlier iterations weren’t on console), then they simply provide more square miles to run around and shoot strangers on.

The variety, from tight alleyways to immense open areas, keeps the old maps feeling fresh and additional shrubs, rubble, craters, and garbage populate formerly barren streets. These cosmetic changes not only show off that many years have passed since the original maps came out, but make every step feel more realistic, as if these fights truly take place on war-torn streets in real places.

Back to Karkand also adds a new angle to unlockables with the arrival of Assignments. Instead of gaining weapons and items through adding XP to individual classes, Assignments provide a specific set of tasks ranging from Machine Gun and Mortar Kills to Revives and Heals. Once you dig through the first five challenges, you can then open up five more that range in difficulty. If you’ve unlocked the majority of the class weapons and equipment, Assignments are a route to longevity — at least for a little while longer.

Three new vehicles storm Battlefield 3′s roadways along with one little surprise. The DPV is hands-down my favorite addition to the package. Launching into the air off of hills, drifting around corners, and manning the machinegun atop the new buggy highlight my favorite moments from battling in Back to Karkand. But for a hilarious kicker, Wake Island also features a tiny yellow Strike Loader that can be packed with three soldiers. It’s slow but hilarious — especially when you roadkill someone (and bring home a Silver Trophy).

If you own the Limited Edition of Battlefield 3, downloading Back to Karkand is a no-brainer. Otherwise, the four new maps, ten new weapons, and three new vehicles still feel right at home in the map rotation and add a lot to one of the best multiplayer experiences of the year. You can buy it for fifteen dollars right now on Playstation 3, or nab it on December 13th on PC and Xbox 360. “

Source: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/121/1214339p1.html

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