Battlefield 3 has ‘years worth’ of unlockables

Battlefield 3 will have enough rewards and unlockables to provide years worth of content, EA has revealed on the Battleblog.

“Battlefield players are among the most loyal out there,” wrote Valerian Noghin, one of the persistence designers on Battlefield 3. “Our games are literally played for years by our hardcore fans, and we want to actively support that. There should always be something left to achieve in Battlefield 3.”

Battlefield 3 boasts 10 times more hardware unlocks than Bad Company 2, spread over weapons, weapon attachments, and gadgets.

Ribbons will be awarded for skill-based challenges. This might include capturing a set number of bases in a single round, keeping a vehicle in mint condition or reviving fallen comrades.

“There are a large number of ranks in Battlefield 3, similar to Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Your rank badge is a quick measure of your overall progress in the game. And even if you hit the max rank, there is always more glory to strive for with the new concept of Service Stars that we are introducing in Battlefield 3.”

“Even getting your first Service Star would be a major achievement. But keep playing, and you will be eligible for even further promotion by getting Service Stars added to your weapon skill badge, your vehicle, your kit, and your overall rank. Anytime your kill card is displayed, everyone will see exactly how experienced you are with your current equipment. The ultimate bragging right would be for a player to be awarded the rank of Colonel with 100 Service Stars attached, and to have 100 stars in all weapons, kits, and vehicles. Getting there will be a massive task – consider that a challenge!”

From left to right: Maintenance Medal (obtain the Maintenance Ribbon 50 times), Marksman Medal (obtain the Marksman Ribbon 50 times), and the U.S. Army Service Medal (spend 100 hours in the U.S. Marine Corps.)

Battlefield 3 is due for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 28.