Battlefield 3: Close Quarters – Tips for fun & winning

Move With Your Squad, Clear Rooms as You Go

You know how in movies SWAT teams run around sweeping rooms, watching each other's backs, and yelling "Clear!" before they move on? Yeah, do that. Well, maybe not so dramatic, but moving with your squad is the key to success in Close Quarters' objective game mode Conquest Domination.

The maps are so tightly packed, and the objectives change hands so quickly that it's really important to claim some kind of substantial foothold on at least two out of the three objectives. Yeah, you can get lucky and go on lone-wolf killing sprees, but you're much more likely to push back an enemy squad with a group of your own.

Think of it this way: if you stick together then everyone is in the same fight. If one player dies, they can spawn off of a squadmate and get their bearings more quickly when they're sticking with the squad. Plus, all it takes is one clever medic to make your squad a nightmare for any competition.

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Shotgun

This tip might get me in trouble, but I think it's time for the whiners to get over it. Don't be afraid to use a shotgun! The Close Quarters maps are some of the best maps for shotguns in the game. In most vanilla BF3 maps, shotguns are extremely specialized and barely practical. In Close Quarters the chances that they are the advantageous weapon is much more likely.

That said, DICE has some seriously smart map designers, and there are still plenty of times where standard rifles are going to win out against a shotgun. Long hallways are your enemy in that case, and you'll want to learn to dance through these tight environments.

Keep moving and flanking. These four maps are all full of escape routes and back entrances. They may be small maps, but in true Battlefield form, they are enormous in their complexity. Use this to your advantage and don't be afraid to duck into a random hallway if you miss your first shot. Make them come to you or sneak around for a surprise kill.

If you want the best of both worlds, try an Assault class soldier with an assault rifle like the M416 and underslung rail attachment. This allows you quick access to the M26 shotgun attachment so you can easily swap between short and long range weapons.

Mix it Up, Play the Old Maps Too

Consider this the review portion of this article. For as intricate and robust as the Close Quarters maps are, they are ultimately a distraction from the large-scale action that is Battlefield's bread and butter. After all, it's fun to turn your brain off for some Metro Rush, but you wouldn't want to do that all the time. Similarly, these maps can wear out their welcome if you overplay them.

DICE has been careful to lure in the crowds from other shooters while retaining Battlefield's identity, and nowhere is that more clear than with Close Quarters. The dense, complex level designs are full of twists and turns while remaining completely logical. They feel like real places, not over-designed playgrounds for death match.

The destruction only ups the ante. Even if these played like typical shooter maps, the fact that you can blow apart half the walls is a pretty big deal. If you were worried that this was DICE simply appealing to the Call of Duty crowd, you're dead wrong.

That said, just remember to switch it up sometimes. There's so much variety to be had in BF3 that it would be a shame to limit yourself no matter how much fun Gun Master may be.

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Battlefield 3's second expansion, Close Quarters, should be available this week for anyone willing to pony up the $15 (or $50 if they go for Battlefield Premium). This new expansion features four new maps set in tight, complex buildings and fortresses with a theme of close quarters infantry combat.

As a big fan of the game, I've been playing the new maps obsessively over the last few days. So, to get you started, or to help out if you're having trouble, here are five simple tips for doing well and having more fun in Close Quarters!

Oh, and if you're new to Battlefield 3 entirely, be sure to check out my previous article, which collected 10 more basic tips for survival.

Play Gun Master, Try New Guns

Close Quarters introduces two new game modes to fit the tighter map layouts. Conquest Domination is a faster-paced version of the standard Conquest game type. You can capture flags much more quickly in this mode, but otherwise it is the same Conquest you know and love. The second new game mode, Gun Master, should sound familiar to anyone who has played Call of Duty's Gun Game mode.

Gun Master pits two teams against each other in a team deathmatch-esque scenario, except the goal isn't to get the most kills. Each player starts with a pistol and every two kills earns them an upgrade to a new weapon. The goal is to be the first player to work your way through the weapon tiers and then take victory with a knife kill.

The reason I highly suggest you play Gun Master (besides it being a ton of fun) is that it gives you a quick sample of several different guns in the game. Even if you unlock new guns, you often don't get to see their full potential without unlocking attachments. Gun Master gives you access to several kitted out weapons for some competitive experimentation.

Gun Master also forces you to learn to use handguns, which you probably only use in certain circumstances, and probably not enough to actually get good with them. Since the first few guns are all handguns, you'll get a ton of practice that should help in other modes. You'll also have a chance to play around with shotguns, LMGs, Sniper Rifles, and the new grenade launcher, which may be the worst gun in the entire game thanks to it's delayed explosion.

Use Surround Sound If You've Got It

DICE games feature best-in-class audio and surround sound. Nothing short of the Dead Space series even comes close to the powerful and satisfying audio in Battlefield 3. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the Close Quarters maps.

Wide open space and vehicle warfare tends to mask the sound of footsteps behind you, but because Close Quarters is strictly infantry combat in small arenas, surround sound gives you a distinct strategic advantage.

With a nice pair of surround sound headphones (Turtle Beach XP400s, if you were wondering), I've gotten the drop on dozens of unsuspecting opponents on the Close Quarters maps. The trick is to slow down and listen. Watch your mini-map to make sure you're not hearing your own teammate's footsteps, and make your way towards any mysterious sounds. You'll thank me later, assuming you don't get hate mail from the guy you just smoked.