[singlepic id=8233 w=320 h=240 float=right]Battlefield 3 The Russian is a 399 page novel by ex-SAS soldier Andy McNab. The story follows the main two characters U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Henry ‘Black’ Blackburn and a Russian GRU operative Dimitri “Dima” Mayakovsky.
The book starts with the two characters – ordered by their respective bosses to find and locate stolen Russian nuclear devices which are being transported to foreign locations by an hostile militia called the PLR. The reason why the PLR are hostile is not very clear as no explanation is offered in both the book and the game. Both Black and Dima initially have their own separate experiences and agendas to locating the nuclear devices with the story regularly changing between the two, sometimes as short as one or two pages, as the story evolves and intertwines.
Side-by-side, The Russian and Battlefield 3 the game share the same plot, but they do have some differences and it is here where the book shows its strengths over the game. The book details the events that both characters and their comrades experience. You also learn about each characters history in more detail, in particular Dima who I felt was almost unknown in the game. The game offered little about the characters history and also often changed the events which I would guess was to keep the games cut scenes short and it lacked because of it. I read the book before playing the game and the book gave the best overall story which was expected.
I found the weakness of the book lies in the description of the combat. They felt a little short and did not go in to extensive detail when compared with the rest of the story which builds up and sometimes falls flat when the action starts. The story was also occasionally confusing due to the book often changing between the characters, it made it hard to keep up with the timeline of events. The story seemed to end abruptly and I felt that an extra chapter or two describing the final events would have better completed the story.
Having played the campaign and read the book I would recommend reading The Russian if you felt the game was rushed and did not provide enough story. Do be prepared for some changes to the story if you read the book after playing the game, but they are all for the better.
Battlefield 3: The Russian is published by Grand Central Publishing and is available from Nov 1, 2011 priced $9.99.
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