Battlefield 3 is going to have some very big, very impressive multiplayer maps. One may not be for the first-person shooter player with a fear of heights. Look to Damavand Peak, the base-jumping map, for proof.
The official Battlefield blog offers a design-focused look at three multiplayer maps you may not have seen before (Operation Firestorm, Tehran Highway, Damavand Peak) and one you probably have seen seen before (Operation Metro). Perhaps the most interesting of the batch is Damavand, designed to let players experience serious heights and base-jumping in Battlefield 3.
One of the biggest is Operation Firestorm, a burning oil field that developer DICE says is larger than one of Battlefield: Bad Company 2's biggest multiplayer maps, Atacama Deserts.
Battleblog 13: Multiplayer map reveal, from the streets of Paris to the outskirts of Tehran [Battlefield Blog]
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Operation Firestorm: "One of our largest and most vehicle-friendly map, Operation Firestorm is the classic Battlefield gameplay taken to the extremes. [...] This is a wide-open desert map where the burning oil fields in one direction are contrasted by clear blue sky in the other direction. Construction sites dotting the area bring interesting possibilities for infantry to hide in elevated positions, spot vehicles, and take them down by mortar or RPG."
Damavand Peak: ". Attackers in Rush and Squad Rush will start high up on a mountain ridge above a mining facility. The only way down into the valley is to somehow make the 500 meter descent. The further the attackers progress in the map, the more vehicle warfare will be present. There is also a large tunnel section dug into the mountain side at the bottom of the map, and the view when you look up at the starting location is spectacular."
Damavand Peak: ". Attackers in Rush and Squad Rush will start high up on a mountain ridge above a mining facility. The only way down into the valley is to somehow make the 500 meter descent. The further the attackers progress in the map, the more vehicle warfare will be present. There is also a large tunnel section dug into the mountain side at the bottom of the map, and the view when you look up at the starting location is spectacular."
Tehran Highway: "You start up on the hills above the city outskirts and eventually work your way into town. This atmospheric night-time map, where you can see rockets lighting up the sky, has a balanced mix between vehicle and infantry focus. It plays length-wise and starts semi-open with plenty of room for vehicles, but ends on a much more urban and tight note with less focus on vehicles and more on infantry."
Tehran Highway: "You start up on the hills above the city outskirts and eventually work your way into town. This atmospheric night-time map, where you can see rockets lighting up the sky, has a balanced mix between vehicle and infantry focus. It plays length-wise and starts semi-open with plenty of room for vehicles, but ends on a much more urban and tight note with less focus on vehicles and more on infantry."
Operation Metro: "Especially in Rush, you can see how Operation Métro is almost three maps within one: You start out in a lush park, then move into a bombed-out section of the subway tunnels, to finally emerge in a dense urban environment outside the Paris stock exchange. It's a map that asks you to constantly adapt your class and load out for the diverse situations you will find yourself in."
Operation Metro: "Especially in Rush, you can see how Operation Métro is almost three maps within one: You start out in a lush park, then move into a bombed-out section of the subway tunnels, to finally emerge in a dense urban environment outside the Paris stock exchange. It's a map that asks you to constantly adapt your class and load out for the diverse situations you will find yourself in."