Battlefield 3 Close Quarters DLC preview - how the 1% enjoy their multiplayer

If you’ve played Battlefield 3, you’re likely still playing Battlefield 3 – the multiplayer is that robust, diverse and replayable. But just in case you were starting to fatigue, EA and DICE have a syringe of DLC adrenaline ready to plunge into your heart and push you back into the battle. We recently went hands-on with Close Quarters and its first new map, Ziba Tower.

What is it? Close Quarters is the second set of downloadable content for shooter Battlefield 3, following the release of Back to Karkand late last year. Like that drop, it will include new multiplayer maps, new weapons, new assignments and new dog tags, this time with a themed focus on “tight indoor environments” and “frantic infantry combat.” A higher level of environmental destruction is guaranteed as well.

How does it look? We spent half an hour in Ziba Tower, an extremely high-rise condo apartment and the only map revealed for Close Quarters so far. The very first thing you’ll notice when the match fades in is the view. This is Tom Cruise with the sticky gloves in Mission: Impossible 4 territory – dizzying and dazzling, with bright urban sprawl spread in every direction, way way way way below you. Leave the balcony (you’ll want to, because you’re too exposed on it anyway) and rest of the map is all extravagant, lap-of-luxury, oil-rich extravagance. There’s a plush living room with designer chairs and a swimming pool so nice it might as well be filled with cash. Everything is clean and modern… much less gritty than the Battlefield 3 maps we’ve experienced so far.

How does it play? Just as the developers promised: tight and frantic. You can’t go more than a few feet, or a few seconds, without finding someone to shoot. And, as a rather obvious result, you’ll either rack up your score very quickly, or watch yourself die very often. To us, at least with Ziba Tower (which doesn’t feature any vehicles), this plays like Battlefield 3’s answer to Modern Warfare. Want expansive freedom with ebbs and flows to a drawn-out war? Stick with the current maps. Want quick-and-dirty kill sprees? Close Quarters is your new option.

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