Battlefield 3: Aftermath DLC Review

The fourth DLC in the five planned map packs has been released for Premium members on the Playstation 3 and adds new items to the standard Battlefield formula to keep things fresh. Aftermath consists of four maps that take place in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake that hit Tehran in the single player campaign. Players will get to experience new environments, vehicles and player skins among other things that add a fresh new take on the online portion of Battlefield 3.

Is Aftermath worth downloading if you didn’t shell out the money for Premium? Does it offer enough to keep it interesting until Endgame releases in March of next year? Here are the Hots and Nots of Battlefield 3: Aftermath.

HOT

New Additions Are Entertaining
The new additions included in Aftermath change up the gameplay just enough to make it feel fresh and new. The DLC includes four maps, Epicenter, Markaz Monolith, Talah Market and Azadi Palace. These maps work in most game modes as well as the new Scavenger mode. Scavenger mode has two teams scrambling to capture and hold as many flags as they can while picking up weapons as they go along. You can find various weapons scattered around the map that vary in power and have different attachments on them. Each class also has a new look to them. The character models are all bruised and beaten up to reflect the haggard look of the maps. It definitely adds a fresh coat of paint to the standard formula.

Aftermath also includes new vehicles such as the Rhino, which is a van jury-rigged for battle, assignments and dogtags to earn. The coolest addition to the game is the crossbow, which is a one-hit kill from the chest up but takes forever to load if you miss. It adds a more tactical feel to the game and is a complete blast to use. Nothing feels more epic than getting the arc of the arrow just right and scoring a long-range headshot with the crossbow or firing it off in a pinch in close quarters and scoring a solid hit. My biggest complaint with it is that the challenges to unlock different bolt types for it are ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to use C4 and grenades to unlock the explosive bolt type.