Battlefield 3 Back to Karkand – What’s New?

Back to Karkand: What’s New?

Here at Prima Games we’ve had a blast with Battlefield 3. Our gaming sessions stretch late into the night with many of us chasing that next rank, unlock, or dog tag. With the Back to Karkand expansion just around the corner, it looks like we won’t be taking any time off from the Battlefield this Holiday season. So what does the expansion include? Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect.

Maps

The Back to Karkand expansion includes four classic maps, redesigned in the Frostbite 2 engine. These maps include Strike at Karkand, Sharqi Peninsula, Gulf of Oman, and Wake Island. If you’ve played the series on the PC, you’ll be very familiar with all of these maps. While the layout of the maps is the same, Frostbite 2 really changes the way each map plays. You’re no longer safe hiding behind walls and other pieces of cover. Explosive weapons and even small arms fire can chip away at cover, making it difficult to find safety. Some of these maps also feature some truly epic sniper perches, allowing for some extremely long range kills. So look for ladders leading up to rooftops or the tops of massive construction cranes to gain a sweeping view of the battlefield.

Vehicles

The expansion also includes four new vehicles including the DPV (Desert Patrol Vehicles), BTR-90, F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, and a Skid Loader. The DPV is a fast attack vehicle similar to the Growler ITV or VDV Buggy from Battlefield 3. As a result, it is very fast but lightly armored. The BTR-90 is a Russian amphibious IFV, functioning much like the LAV-25 or BMP-2M. Then there’s the F-35B, a jet with VTOL (vertical take-off landing) capability. This jet can take-off and land just like a helicopter. Using vectored thrust it can also pull-off some fancy low-speed maneuvers in the air, useful during dogfights. While the DPV, BTR-90, and F-35B are from Battlefield 2, the Skid Loader is brand new to the series. The Skid Loader has no weapons, but it can carry up to three players, making it a decent improvised troop transport. Plus, if you run over an opponent with the Skid Loader, you can earn the Like a Boss achievement/trophy.

Weapons

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In addition to new maps and vehicles, the Back to Karkand expansion also adds 10 new weapons. But unlike the Battlefield 3 weapons that are unlocked through attaining ranks and leveling-up the classes, the new weapons are each tied to multiplayer assignment. An assignment requires you to complete a variety of tasks before a new weapon is unlocked. For example, unlocking the new FAMAS assault rifle requires you to complete the Best Friend Forever assignment. This particular assignment requires you to perform 10 revives and 10 heals with the assault class. There are a total of ten assignments, each linked to a weapon. While unlocking the FAMAS is pretty easy, unlocking other weapons, like the MK3A1 (Jackhammer) automatic shotgun takes much more time and dedication. So if you’ve unlocked every weapon in Battlefield 3, you’ll have plenty of more unlocks to chase in the new expansion.

So that gives you an idea of what to expect from the Back to Karkand expansion. Coming up we’ll take a look at some tips and tactics to help you gain the upper hand. So stay tuned. There’s more Back to Karkand content coming your way!

In the meantime, check out our Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand DLC Strategy Guide.