DICE introduces the new Crossbow in their upcoming Battlefield 3 multiplayer expansion, Aftermath.
Along with four brand new maps, new character skins, new vehicles and a new game mode, DICE will be including a set of assignments that also unlock the brand new Crossbow weapon along with four different bolt types.
In our interview with DICE prducer Craig Mcleod, he explains that the Crossbow is “unique in two very specific ways. The first one is it’s not acting as a primary weapon. It’s acting as a gadget. So, this means no matter what class you want to play as, or what your play style is, you can use the Crossbow. There’s two versions of it. One is a red-dot sight and the other one is an 8X rifle scope. So, if you like to get up close and personal, you can do that. If you want to keep your distance, you can do that too.”
Along with these two different set-ups, you’ll also have access to the four bolt types below, described in DICE’s latest blog post.
Standard Barbed Crossbow Bolt
While we wouldn’t recommend anyone being hit by this bolt, it has a rather pronounced bullet drop bolt drop and therefore limited range. The other three bolt types for the crossbow are individually unlocked by Assignments, and you can bring both your crossbow and all associated bolts back with you to the base game.
High Explosive Bolt
The high explosive bolt is a short range bolt laden with C4, exploding on impact. While not packing as much punch as an RPG shot or C4 charge, it still gives Assault players (who normally only have grenades in way of explosives) a chance to destroy vehicles or blow holes in the terrain to make tactical use of the destruction in Battlefield 3.
Scan Bolt
Then there’s the scan bolt, featuring a tip that includes a radio emitter, scanning the nearby area for enemies (in a 10 meter radius to be exact). Finally, the double feathered aerodynamic balanced bolt gives any class the ability to deliver deadly force at extreme range. For the Engineer class, for example, this means a rare chance to broaden their play style by adding long range engagement to what they already excel at: repairing/destroying vehicles and medium range combat.
Sniper Bolt
In this manner, the four different bolts and the crossbow become a jack of all trades solution suitable for any class. While none of the available bolts are as powerful as the standard weapons they mimic (a genuine sniper rifle will always be more powerful than a sniper bolt, for example), the ability to switch bolt type on the fly means any class can adapt to any situation. We are super excited about this new addition to Battlefield and are eager to see how it will shape gameplay online, both in Aftermath and when bringing it back to the base game.
Check out the Crossbow in action in some of these clips below or in this recently released Premium-exclusive video.
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What do you guys think of the new Crossbow weapon? Do you see yourself using it often in Battlefield 3: Aftermath and other DLC or standard maps?