18 cert, Playstation 3 (also Xbox, PC), EA ****

Who do you like more: The Stones or The Beatles? Oasis or Blur? The Battlefield/Call of Dutycompetition is close to peaking this year, with the former's release date and marketing campaign targeting the latter. But they're different animals. Call of Duty's Modern Warfareseries is a greater spectacle, while Battlefieldgames are more authentic. If Call of Dutyis James Bond, Battlefieldis Jason Bourne.

The single-player mode of Battlefield 3is thrilling, hurtling you into a moving train at the beginning, and catapulting you from the sands of the Middle East to the streets of Paris and back to the US.

The gameplay is smooth and varied: you’ll be crawling among rats to hide from your enemies before graduating to fighter pilot and tank commander, mixing stealth missions with foot chases and traditional first-person shooter fare. The controls, AI (of enemies and teammates) and choice of weapons are all agreeable.

It delivers on story too, in an almost believable and sometimes terrifying terrorist thriller. In keeping with a current trend, the levels are revealed in flashbacks while a main character is interrogated.

The graphics are exquisite: not only are the varied locations, explosions and animation stunningly rendered, but the developers have paid close attention to detail. Lenses and lights flare, for instance, and the virtual camera gets wet and muddy.

And what of the multiplayer? The co-operative missions are exciting, slick and have a real sense of camaraderie. Competitive online multiplayer is intense and sophisticated. Whether it’s a simple capture-the-flag game or an assault, each soldier will play a unique role (medic, sniper, trap-setting grunt and more).