[mrmason]

The multiplayer Alpha (which I participated in) did not include an in-game server browser.

When you launch Battlefield 3 from Origin it'll open up 'Battlelog' in your web browser. This site replaces much of what the main menu in BF:BC2 provided. Things like rank progression, stats, friends list, achievements and the server browser.

Does BF3 have a server browser? Yes. Does BF3 have an in-game server browser available from the game's main menu just like every other multiplayer or co-op game? No.

I found the web based server browser to be a big improvement over the in-game one in BF:BC2. It was faster to refresh, filtering was a lot easier and it displayed a lot more information than the BF:BC2 browser did.

And there was the added advantage that you could easily do other stuff while you waited for a slot to open up or people to assemble in the game's lobby system.

Once you've found a server or your friends are ready you click the big 'Join Game' button and the game itself opens and connects you to your chosen server.

Launching the game is quick, it took around 2 - 3 seconds on my just above minimum specs computer and it handles alt-tabbing to your desktop, browser, or other apps just fine.

The divide between what's there as an in-game menu option and what's on the Battlelog site appears to be: anything you'll need during a round is in-game (squad controls, loadout changes, graphics and control mapping settings) and just about everything else is on the website.

I was expecting to hate it but it worked surprisingly well.

Thanks mang!