⚠️ PunkBuster Installation and constant usage while game isn't open required but not listed on Store Page. ⚠️

Okay, because EA and DICE removed my ways to play Battlefield V and 1 I went looking for other Battlefield games to play, so here I am now trying out Battlefield 3.

Steam and Origin version? Don't. Because Battlelog, PunkBuster and Origin (now EA Desktop App) are an assault to my happiness.



So for once Origin wasn't the issue, it's actually launching and running Battlefield 3 fine, probably because it doesn't have to have a battle with Denuvo for once. But it being needed is still irritating and just adds to making the game take a while to load.



If you intend to play Multiplayer for Battlefield 3 you will inevitably have to deal with this fossil.

The included PunkBuster doesn't work and will error out when you try to join a server, to fix this you need to download the latest version of PunkBuster from EvenBalance's site.

Then you need to specifically install it for Battlefield 3.

I'm genuinely surprised servers still require this to be installed but whatever.



Urgh.

Battlefield 3 doesn't have a traditional menu on Steam and Origin, instead make sure you have an Internet Connection and get ready to delve into the pain that is Battlelog.

Battlelog handles launching the Campaign, Co-op and Multiplayer. Because who wants a menu????

And it just constantly errors becoming a massive pain, why does a queue to a server have a limit?

Why does the game sometimes just fail to load because there's an instance running already except there isn't?

And why does it sometimes launch and then just not properly appear?

DICE, really?



Once you're in the game after battling Battlelog and fixing PunkBuster. Controller support is essentially a joke with no actual prompts appearing, no aim assist and all menus require a mouse.

"Full controller support" NAAAAAHHHHH

Luckily the game mostly supports simultaneous mouse and controller so you can use Gyro on something like Steam Deck, make sure you set the right stick to mouse as well however as otherwise the game gets confused when using both mouse and right stick aiming.

Edit: Playing with a controller is straight up unplayable in the campaign, the game requires proper keyboard inputs rather than controller inputs resulting in tons of stuff being straight up broken.

This is genuinely worse than Need for Speed (2015) because at least with that it was a broken configurator.

I have attempted to make a controller layout for the game in Steam Input utilising the keyboard and mouse options. I tried to match the controller layout as much as possible with a tweak of Crouch being Circle instead of R3.

It's uploaded as a Deck layout on the community layouts, you will need to manually remap some keyboard parts for the game to function properly as the layout was made with the original controller bindings in mind.

Gyro is mapped as a toggle to R5 on Deck by default with my layout. Hopefully the layout is good enough for use.



I really hate Battlelog. This would be the best buy a PS3 AD ever if they didn't shut down the PS3 servers 10 days ago.

9/10 campaign, game is way ahead of its time, the fighter jet mission is the funnest bit of the game

what's better than invading your own country