The story behind Battlefield 3’s legendary Jet Mission. Former DICE dev sheds new light on Going Hunting
BF3 Going Hunting mission wasn’t free-fly for a reason. Here’s why the devs changed course.
Some video game missions are simply unforgettable, and Battlefield 3 had plenty of them. Thunder Run and Kaffarov were a blast, but Going Hunting, the jet mission, was the absolute best. At the time of its release in 2011, BF3 was a technical marvel, and Going Hunting showcased the Frostbite 2 engine’s capabilities. The level of detail in the jet’s cockpit, the lighting, reflections on the canopy, and the flight physics made it feel immersive and cinematic. Now, nearly 14 years later, we’re still learning new interesting details about its development. With Battlefield 7 on the horizon and anticipation not quite at its peak, let’s take a moment to appreciate one of the series’ finest moments.
BF3’s iconic Jet Mission, a cinematic masterpiece born from limitations
MoiDawg posted a little reminder on X about Battlefield 3’s legendary jet mission, and David Goldfarb, one of the devs who worked on the game, replied with a behind-the-scenes story:
We did want to make this mission free fly initially, it just wouldn't have been possible to make the assets and stay at quality, plus lots of player education debate. We wound up going "f*** it just make an awesome cinematic jet experience" but def wished freefly happened.
Goldfarb mentioned that they consulted a few pilots, but ultimately, some unrealistic choices had to be made to create what they hoped would be a refreshing break from the rest of the game. He also said that there were discussions about allowing players to switch between the WSO and the pilot, but the scope was too big. Instead, they found creative ways to merge the roles. In the end, it still delivered what they aimed for – a memorable experience, even if players weren’t actually piloting the jet.
Source: Battlefield 3
We all know that flying in a game like BF3 has to be simplified – otherwise, it just gets too complicated for most players to enjoy. The choice is either making a mission so tough that people might want to skip it or keeping it on rails so everyone can have a fun, cinematic experience. ven if it wasn’t the most realistic, it was still an incredibly effective mission.
David Goldfarb recently shared several insights from the development process. Some of which we may have heard before, while others might be completely new to fans. For example, there were plans for another mission where Hawkins gets shot down and captured.
