Heading Back To Karkand In Battlefield 3

With the success of Battlefield 1943, the 2009 Xbox Live Arcade title that re-engineered three popular Battlefield 1942 maps with the Frostbite engine, it was only a matter of time before DICE went back to its deep well of multiplayer maps to resurrect some more fan favorites. 

Back to Karkand reintroduces three of the most played maps from Battlefield 2, plus a modernized version of arguably the most popular franchise map of all, Wake Island. DICE general manager Karl-Magnus Troedsson says players put a combined 25,000 man-years into Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, and Sharqi Penninsula, so it was an easy call to reimagine these maps. 

Each of the maps preserves the original layout that made it a popular choice among gamers, but DICE is also modernizing the settings to give players a sense that some time has passed in the locations. Wake Island, for instance, has changed a lot since World War II. A popular holiday and business retreat destination, it now features nice beaches and a conference center near the airport. The Gulf of Oman map has luxury villas along the beachfront, and the large square in Strike at Karkand now has more cover so the vehicles won’t be as dominant in the area. On the Sharqi Peninsula, the TV station now has a recording studio as well in the flag area. Some buildings that were under construction in the original maps may now be complete as well. A lot of these new buildings are smaller, so expect so see building razing more along the line of Bad Company 2 when players break out the rocket launchers and mortar strikes rather than the more conservative approach to destruction DICE took with Battlefield 3.

Each map supports Rush, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch, and Team Deathmatch modes, plus a new tweak on the traditional Battlefield mode, Conquest. Instead of using the contemporary version of Conquest, DICE is reintroducing the Assault Conquest formula used in Battelfield 2. One team starts in a defensive position with each control flag in its possession, while the other team takes the role of the invaders. To keep their ticket counter from bleeding out, the attackers must take possession of half the flags rather quickly. As with Battlefield 3, the maps support 64-player skirmishes on PC and 24-player battles on consoles using a smaller, more centralized version of the settings. These maps are fully integrated into the Battlefield 3 multiplayer menus, and DICE says some servers will throw these maps into rotation with those that came with Battlefield 3.

This expansion also includes three vehicles (the F35B fighter jet, BTR infantry fighting vehicle, and the DPV buggy), plus 10 weapons (including fan favorites like the MG36, L85A2, and Jackhammer shotgun) that originally appeared in Battlefield 2. Rather than add these weapons to the traditional progression system, DICE is introducing a new method of unlocking them. The new format, called Assignments, tasks you with completing a specific checklist of accomplishments – from capping flags to killing tanks – for each weapon. Once you complete your objective you’ll receive the weapon and receive a new, tougher Assignment. 

The best thing about Back To Karkand? You receive it for free if you pre-ordered Battlefield 3 or purchased the Limited Edition. If you were late to the party, you can pick up the expansion for $14.99 when it launches in December. Thanks to the Sony partnership with EA, PlayStation 3 owners get to jump into the fray one week earlier than PC and Xbox 360 players.