Battlefield 3 designer reveals missions that were cut from its iconic campaign

It’s hard to pick the best level in Battlefield 3's peerless campaign. I like the first full mission, with the gunfight in the parking lot and the sniper, but the two levels where you play as the Spetznaz, first in Paris, then in the (extremely destructible) coastal villa are spectacular. The huge battle to capture the bank is another high point, but in terms of sheer tension, atmosphere, and fear factor, I think the prize belongs to the setpiece dogfight mission Going Hunting. I could write an entire article about why this is so good, but it turns out the level’s playable character, Hawkins, originally had a bigger role in Battlefield 3. In fact, the campaign’s lead designer now shares details on two whole missions that were cut before launch.