It’s very rare for a video game series to deliver a trailer that gamers weren’t expecting. With a sequel, developers have usually gotten into a certain groove and want make minute changes to the general atmosphere of a game. That is not the case with Battlefield 3.

Though we knew a full trailer was coming after the Battlefield 3 gameplay teaser, the expectation was not that it was going to be this visually and mechanically astounding. Showing off both the game’s storytelling capabilities and the tech with which DICE is working, if you hadn’t put Battlefield 3 down as a must buy, you certainly have now.

From the reports and our discussion, it was emphasized that the new Frostbite 2 engine was capable of delivering stellar visuals, and DICE made it abundantly clear that without the engine Battlefield 3 wouldn't be possible, but who would have thought the game would end up looking this good? Like a scene ripped straight out of Black Hawk Down, this Battlefield 3 trailer oozes realism.

Sure, there are some scripted sequences thrown in, but the level of detail portrayed within them and the context by which they occur feels much more naturalistic. Even the gameplay itself, while appearing very familiar, is an amalgamation of lessons learned from various war-related first person shooters, which might be a good thing or a bad thing.

Take a look and see for yourself:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvj7GMhZxC8

What made the Battlefield series so popular, especially as compared to Call of Duty, was how different it was. Call of Duty was all about the flash — telling a story that was captivating and sometimes sacrificing gameplay continuity for some truly thrilling moments. Battlefield on the other hand was largely a PC experience that was all about no-nonsense action in a multiplayer forum.

It’s still early, and this is only three minutes of gameplay, but boy what a three minutes. Some might be disappointed that Battlefield 3 hasn’t turned out how they expected, but many are going to be excited because Battlefield 3 hasn’t turned out how they expected.

While gamers have surely replayed this trailer over and over until they have each nuance memorized by heart, this isn’t going to be the last we see of Battlefield 3 or this particular story, as another trailer is set for release March 16th. It can’t come soon enough.

What do you think of this first look at Battlefield 3 gameplay besides it being awesome? How do you feel about the very un-Battlefield feeling the trailer gives off?