With a new Unreal-powered game engine and an emphasis on realism, America's Army 3 once again puts gamers in the combat boots of a young recruit learning the ins-and-outs or life in the United States Army. Players begin by choosing a military occupation specialty (MOS) and undergoing a series of training exercises in order to unlock new weapons and battlefield items. Character skills can be further honed with a secondary MOS, and each soldier's weapons and gear can be fully customized, though the game's encumbrance system takes every grenade, bullet, and weapon attachment into account when determining a character's speed and endurance.

Other new additions include in-game audio recorded at Army firing ranges, enhanced shadow and lighting effects, and true-to-life weapon ballistics and impact physics. The original download version of America's Army 3 comes with three different mission types and five different playable environments, with each of the 15 potential map-and-mission combinations limiting the size of the map depending on how many players enter the same match. As many as 26 players can join the fray at one time, with squads breaking up into four-man teams, and an "Instant Action" mode will be available for those who want to head to the multiplayer action without undergoing the training missions. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide