So far I think it's okay. The same graphics engine as BFBC2 so I kind of knew what to expect graphics wise, it does the job, but that's all I can really say about it, I haven't exactly been mesmerized by this games looks. The animations of your enemies seems a bit poop, looks really jerky and un-natural, the grenades and other explosive weapons have virtually no splash damage, the guns have hardly any recoil at all, well, your bullets don't always go where you're pointing your sights to, but the gun never moves, it's always almost perfectly still which I find a bit off putting and totally unrealistic.
The two maps that we've got are okay although I'm sure there are better ones in the full game, I like the Helmand level but the other level I'm not particularly fussed on, it just feels like one big box with some stuff chucked in the middle. The crashes are to be expected with this being the BETA but still, that doesn't excuse the fact that the game crashes for pretty much constant random reasons. Check scoreboard? crash, reload gun? crash, invite friend to game? crash, it's just really, really annoying.
A few of the other things I don't like are the messages coming up saying 10 points etc, I'd like that information to be as translucent as possible so I can still see what the hell is shooting at me, I certainly don't need a big red banner in my face when I'm potentially surrounded by rooftop enemies. I think the red dot sights are totally unrealistic as well, they look nothing like the real life sights and the fact that you can have some Taliban running around with a rusty AK-47 but a brand spanking new, shiny red dot sight just looks stupid. Obviously you have to give the Taliban red dots as well otherwise the game wouldn't be balanced but seriously, at least make the skin match the Taliban weapon, make the frame of the red dot sight rusty or discoloured instead of bling-bling shiny like it was just shipped over from 50 Cent's personal collection.
I think the "tank" which is actually an IFV is a bit overpowered. It took several grenades and RPG's earlier when really one RPG to the rear or the tracks would probably decomission a Bradley in real life. I like the skins of both teams though, I think the Taliban skins are done quite well although the Coalition skins could do with a bit of work, the death animation is absolutely horrible quality and the lagging of this animation needs to be sorted out ASAP.
Overall it's fun but I doubt I'll pay £39.99 for this, especially if it's released with most of these niggles still intact. Obviously they'll fix the crashing and apparently they are altering the score from flashing in front of you each time you kill someone, but I don't see other things that annoy me being changed. After all, most BETA's that I've partaken in, apart from a few bug fixes the games have stayed almost exactly as they were before.
