Battlefield 3: Close Quarters

16 cert, EA, PS3 (also Xbox, PC) ***

The latest DLC for EA’s Battlefield 3 brings to the fight exactly what you’d expect: new weapons, new maps and even some new modes, along with the usual explosions, gun fights and all-round mayhem. What you don’t expect is a little shift towards Call of Duty-style play. Maps feel smaller, which necessitates the new modes, and the new weapons are geared towards this. Conquest Domination is built with smaller maps in mind, tasking players to concentrate on controlling flags instead of simply killing opponents. It’s a shift away from Battlefield’s previous MO. Some will embrace the change as refreshing; others may resent it. Gun Master, on the other hand, sees players deal with an ever-changing arsenal to rack up the kills. One of the most notable things about this expansion pack is that the environments can now be destroyed in new and wonderful ways. So you can watch glass shatter and roofs fall down in front of you. Just don’t get distracted for too long.