In Battlefield 3, players step into the role of the elite U.S. Marines. As the first boots on the ground, players will experience heart-pounding missions across diverse locations including Paris, Tehran and New York. As a U.S. Marine in the field, periods of tension and anticipation are punctuated by moments of complete chaos. As bullets whiz by, as walls crumble, as explosions force players to the ground, the battlefield feels more alive and interactive than ever before.

In the game, the single-player storyline is revealed through a series of flashbacks as Marine Staff Sergeant Henry Blackburn races to prevent an attack on New York City by a deadly force known as the PLR. As Blackburn recalls key events leading up to the attack, players take control of several characters in heart-pounding missions across land, sea and air. One of these characters is Dmitri “Dima” Mayakovsky, a legendary and pragmatic GRU operator in the twilight of his Special Forces career. Known as a “cleaner”, Dima is the sort of person that does whatever it takes to get the job done.

On January 7 and 8, 2012 Battlefield 3 will host an event on the Xbox 360 and PS3 to finally settle the age-old rivalry between metal and hip hop. Join world-renowned stars Big Boi, Korn, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, and Mickey Factz as they go head-to-head to settle it once and for all. For this special occasion, DICE and EA are calling on all Battlefield fans to pick a side, join a platoon with their musical compatriots and get into the fight.

Lucky fans have the chance of a lifetime to play alongside their chart-topping heroes when the stars jump into public matches and join the fray on the classic Battlefield multiplayer map, Strike at Karkand, from the recently released digital expansion pack, Battlefield 3 Back to Karkand. By siding up with either the metal or hip hop platoon, players will show their allegiance and start firing bullets in the name of their chosen musical genre. In a bid to see which force is the mightiest, there will also be a race to see which platoon gets the largest group of fans. Players can become a fan of their chosen platoon via Battlefield 3’s social newsfeed and stat tracking tool, Battlelog.

Additionally, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC players can create their own player-created metal or hip hop platoon to support the war throughout the month of January. Utilizing Battlelog, stats will be logged and monitored so that the world knows just how many bullets are fired, how many vehicles are destroyed and how many virtual kills each side registers. All player-created metal or hip hop platoons must be created before January 31, 2012 and named so that DICE team members can easily find them to crown the champions.

Battlefield 3 leaps ahead of its time with the power of Frostbite 2, DICE's new cutting-edge game engine. This state-of-the-art technology is the foundation on which Battlefield 3 is built, delivering enhanced visual quality, a grand sense of scale, massive destruction, dynamic audio and character animation utilizing ANT technology from the latest EA Sports games.

The experience doesn't stop with the engine — it just starts there. In single-player, multiplayer and co-op, Battlefield 3 is a near-future war game depicting international conflicts spanning land, sea and air. Players are dropped into the heart of the combat whether it occurs on dense city streets where they must fight in close quarters or in wide open rural locations that require long range tactics.

Key Features:

• Frostbite 2 - Battlefield 3 introduces Frostbite 2, the incredible technology that takes animation, destruction, lighting, scale and audio to new heights. Built upon this powerful game engine, Battlefield 3 immerses players physically and emotionally to the world around them like never before.
• Feel the Battle - Feel the impact of bullets and explosions, drag your fallen comrades into safety, and mount your weapon on almost any part of the terrain. Battlefield 3's cutting edge animation, spectacular visuals and real as hell battle gameplay attack your senses and make you feel the visceral warriors experience like no other FPS.
• Unparalleled Vehicle Warfare - The best online vehicle warfare experience gets even better with a fitting sonic boom as fighter jets headline impressive lineup of land, air and sea vehicles.
• Urban Combat - Take the fight to iconic and unexpected places in the USA, Middle East, and Europe including claustrophobic streets, metropolitan downtowns, and open, vehicle-friendly landscapes as you fight your way through the war of tomorrow.

Those anxious to start the fight can pre-order the Battlefield 3 Limited Edition now at the EA Store . The Battlefield 3 Limited Edition includes Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand at no extra charge. This themed expansion pack features four legendary maps from Battlefield 2 boldly re-imagined with Frostbite 2 physics, destruction and visuals. Completing the package are classic Battlefield 2 weapons and vehicles, unique rewards, new achievements/trophies, and more.

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