Battlefield 3 Recon Kit Tips & Tricks

Battlefield 3 has hit shelves and gotten several rave reviews, including a 9.5 out of 10 from Game Informer.

If you're one of those people who didn't get to play during the beta, you'll probably have a steep learning curve as you adjust to the new game, as is quite different from Call of Duty or even Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This is especially true if you happen to play the Recon kit, as even the game's most powerful sniper rifles require you to get a precise headshot for that coveted one-shot kill. That's right, it will take two or more body shots with bolt-action rifles. While you're loading that second round, your opponent has plenty of time to run away or duck for cover.

To help my fellow sniper fans out, I have three tips that I'd like to share:


1. Attachments make a big difference

With the basic scope, long range kills are a pain! With the 4x scope, good luck. You are going to want to unlock a bipod/foregrip and your long range 12x scope to get by. To that end, there is a great way to quickly get there - Team Deathmatch. While it is not exactly the "full Battlefield 3 experience," Team Deathmatch offers you a chance to farm for the kills needed to get those important unlocks. I've unlocked anywhere from two to three attachments on a new weapon in a single match! It's also a pretty good chance to practice your close quarters performance.

Check out this video for some more on this strategy.

2. Use semi-automatic sniper rifles like battle rifles

I was having a rough time getting headshots with the SVD, SKS, and Mk11. It was kind of frustrating. Then, I decided to try something a little differently. Rather than hang back and scope my opponents, I removed the 8x zoom and decided to play like an assault class rather than a scout/stealth class. The result: success.

These weapons have a difficult time being accurate at long ranges. They go all over the place and have a significant bullet-drop at a range. In close quarters, if you have a quick trigger finger, you can double tap someone in the chest and get a juicy kill. Once you unlock the 4x zoom scopes or reflex sight, it gets even easier to do. Even if you don't continue this play style, it is an effective way to quickly plow through the Recon unlocks until you get the bolt action sniper rifles.

3. When using bolt actions, be patient and wait for the headshot!

Be patient. If you take a shot with a bolt action rifle and only get a body shot (if you hit them at all), it is easy for your opponent to either run away, hide and regenerate health, or turn around and pummel you with an automatic weapon. If you're sniping, you'd ideally be hidden anyways. If so, what's the harm in waiting a few extra seconds to line up the perfect shot? For more info, check out this video.

As with anything, it requires a lot of practice and learning. Bullet drop and leading your target take practice to perfect, but are so rewarding once you get a knack for it. Over time, you should see an improvement in your performance with the recon kit.

Modern Warfare 3 Launch Trailer

Just days after the Battlefield 3 launch trailer, Activision's workhorse series comes out with its own single player launch trailer to get its fans drooling. With everything seen in the video, it looks like the hunt for Makarov will bring a dynamic closure for the Modern Warfare 3 trilogy. The primary speaking character is Captain Price, but the endearing "Soap" MacTavish is nowhere to be seen. He might be the player character, who has always been a silent character in the Call of Duty series. Or has Shepherd's knife gotten the better of the resilient protagonist? The answers to these mysteries will be answered on the game's release date: November 8, 2011.

It's worth pointing out that there is a point in the trailer where Captain Price gives the player character a solid pummeling that sends him sprawling down the stairs. Whatever this throttling means, it is an interesting glimpse at the hopefully unpredictable story in Modern Warfare 3.

Battlefield 3 Single Player Trailer

Yet more Battlefield 3 tidbits have been revealed, as a new single player trailer has been released. From the looks of it, there will be plenty of epic encounters, especially a mission that has you in a high-speed car chase/shootout through the Big Apple and another from the perspective of a jet pilot.

It's also interesting to seethe interrogation element that makes it seem as if BF3 will have a  framed story told through flashbacks. Interestingly, this same story structure was used in Call of Duty: Black Ops just last year, albeit CoD:BO was much more stylized and set in the Cold War. It should be noted that Black Ops hardly invented the archetype. However, seeing this similarity between the FPS titles less than a year apart makes me wonder if Battlefield is indeed jumping onto the Call of Duty bandwagon? Developers may state that they are not competing with one another, but when one tries to one-up a story used by the other, it sure looks like they are.

In any event, I am looking forward to seeing how DICE's next installment in the Battlefield series turns out. Based on my experience with the alpha and beta, the multiplayer seems like a reconciliation of classic Battlefield 2 gameplay with modern FPS elements.

Look for Battlefield 3 to release this Tuesday, October 25.

Best Day-Off for Game Release Excuse EVER!

 
Anyone who calls themselves an Elder Scrolls fan is excited for the November 11 release of the series'next installment. With plenty of dragons, monsters and bandits to garrote, the game looks to be a epic adventure. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to take a day off to play it on day one. And I'm not the only one, as demonstrated by the fairly brilliant note below asking for a kiddo to get time off from school in order to contribute to the "war effort."

This deserves an A+ for originality.

5 Days to Go and Still More Battlefield 3 Footage

With 5 days left before Battlefield 3 deploys, there's a lot of buzz flying around about DICE's blockbuster title. EA and DICE are not content just letting the heat simmer, as they have been turning it up in the final weeks leading up to the release with a new trailer, screenshots, and Back to Karkand information.

Some gamers were left concerned after the beta - disappointed by the console frame-rate and low levels of destruction in Operation Metro, absence of vehicles, and fairly confined gameplay. However, a recent trailer seeks to calm these doubts by showcasing tanks, helicopters, and a plethora of collapsing structures. Additionally, the video offers a peak at some of the Battlefield 3 maps, as well as the Back to Karkand maps - including an interesting birds-eye view from a falling trooper.

The L85A1 from Battlefield 2 makes a triumphant return to the series.

Additionally, it has been revealed that Back to Karkand features the return of several classic Battlefield 2 weapons. Among those reappearing are the MP5, the L85, and the FAMAS. According to released information, you will be able to use the weapons in both Back To Karkand and regular Battlefield.

There's a lot of exciting news for Battlefield 3 fans to sink their teeth into and keep themselves busy until the game's release.  Battlefield 3 comes out this Tuesday, October 25 on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. The Back to Karkand expansion is included for free with the pre-order Limited Editions.

In the meantime, take a gander at the stunning sequences included in the most recent trailer below.