Since its initial reveal earlier this year, EA’s Battlefield 3 has built up much hype and anticipation from both the press and fans alike. Boasting impressive visuals and top-notch realism, the game will compete directly with Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this holiday season.

Developer EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE) released the public Beta for Battlefield 3, allowing players to test out the game.

Ryan Morgan, a junior in mechanical engineering, played the Beta on both the PC and Xbox 360.

“It’s amazing to see the attention of detail they built into the game,” Morgan said. “Sound quality is amazing, and it sounds different whether you’re outside in a field or underground in the subway.”

The impressive graphics seen in the trailer are present in the game’s Beta form, but are scaled back on the console front. On the Xbox 360, the graphics are more comparable to DICE’s previous title, spin-off series Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

“I was able to play for a second on ultra quality before my computer crashed, Morgan said, “but the graphics were clean and at a whole new level compared to Bad Company 2.”

In addition to some major graphical improvements, Battlefield 3 also introduces new gameplay features.

Movement is smooth and quick as players vault over obstacles and dive into the action. Weapon recoil is prevalent, and helps add to the realism already present in the environment.

Players can also go prone in Battlefield 3, which makes teamwork all the more necessary in calling out and dealing with well-positioned enemy snipers.

The beta also allows players to level up through the initial ranks quickly. Experience points are rewarded generously, allowing participants to level up through the initial ranks at a steady pace and gain access to new equipment.

However, the Battlefield 3 beta has experienced some graphical and gameplay glitches on all its platforms. There are some clipping issues causing players to fall through the ground and get stuck in foxholes or ditches. The knife melee attack is also experiencing glitches, leaving it an unreliable method of battle.

“All around it seems like a solid game,” Ben Curry, a junior in poultry science, said. “Of course there are some quirks because it’s in beta form, such as holes in the map that you can fall through, but hopefully they’ll fix it before the final game is released.”

The ability to aim down the iron sights also disappears at times, though this is remedied by switching to one’s sidearm. Odd graphical glitches have also occurred, with bullet traces not disappearing and remaining stuck in the air as odd beams of light.

Most of the glitches found are expected from a game in its beta form, and should give DICE some pointers to any wrinkles that need to be hammered out for the final product.

“It doesn’t seem like they have bullet gravity in the beta,” Curry said. “which was my favorite part in Bad Company 2. Bullets don’t seem to lose height when fired over a long distance, but I guess maybe the map in the beta is small compared to some of the bigger maps they promised in the final game.”

The beta features one map and gametype that spans across a three-sectioned area called “Operation Metro.”

In a gametype called “Rush,” the offending team pushes to destroy objective points that the defending team tries to protect. When two objectives are destroyed, the defending team falls back to another section of the map that was previously blocked off.

“Operation Metro” features a city park complete with gazebos and grassy fields where the game begins. The second section showcases an inner city urban environment with overhanging apartments that can be blown open with the right amount of explosives.

Finally, players can also be ushered into an underground subway system, where they can utilize flashlights to locate and blind enemy players.

Unfortunately, vehicles are only available on the “Caspian Border” map, which is on a private server. As such, the majority of Beta testers won’t be able to test out the balance of vehicles.

“The beta really showcases the different types of gameplay that will be available in the final game, except for vehicles,” Curry said. “Overall, Battlefield 3 is looking to be a solid game that will give Modern Warfare 3 a run for its money.”

Those excited for another entry in the long-running series won’t have long to wait. EA DICE’s Battlefield 3 will be released later this month on Oct. 25.