Gamers looking for longevity in their shooters will be pleased to know that Battlefield 3 will have "years’ worth of unlocks" for players, according to developer DICE.
The studio is calling the game the "deepest" shooter in its history and will feature up to ten times the number of unlocks included in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. These involve unlocks for weapons, attachments, gadgets, and a "huge" unlock tree for vehicles.
"There should always be something left to achieve in Battlefield 3," persistence designers Valerian Noghin and Fredrik Thylander said on the Battlefield blog.
Also featured in the system will be medals, ribbons, and service stars, which will display each player’s skill, commitment, and ability to work as part of a team.
"You will be rewarded handsomely in Battlefield 3 for exemplary skill, such as capturing X amount of bases in one round," the designers said. "Excellent teamplayers who keep the team’s vehicles in mint condition and revive fallen comrades will not go unnoticed either. These type of skill-driven rewards are typically handed out in the form of ribbons, and good players can often get more than one ribbon in a single round."
The blog entry further details how the system will work, including how the service stars will act as a means to challenge hardcore players.
"The ultimate bragging right would be for a player to be awarded the rank of Colonel with 100 Service Stars attached, and to have 100 stars in all weapons, kits, and vehicles," stated the developers. "Getting there will be a massive task – consider that a challenge!"
Battlefield 3 is set for an October 25 release on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
