Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Developer: Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Studios

Publisher: Activision

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

By Chris

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the newest installment in Activision’s juggernaut Call of Duty series. Developed by the post Zampella-West Infinity Ward and the new Sledgehammer studios, does this new game hold a candle to some of the past titles in the series?

Well, that answer depends on what you’re looking for.

The game picks up where Modern Warfare 2 left off, the US under attacked by overwhelming Russian forces while the disavowed Task Force 141 members, Price, Soap, Nikolai, and newcomer Yuri, try to hunt down the Russia extremist Vladimir Makarov. The game throws the player into the boots of a Delta Force Sergeant, called Frost, as the Americans try to retake New York City. Modern Warfare 3 then follows the escapades of the heavily armed soldiers across the world trying to end the war. The plot follows the same general structure of the previous games; there is a bad guy that Price tries to hunt down to make the world safer. The game does this plot well, with many memorable set piece moments that help give the game an epic feeling. The experience of fighting as Russian Secret Service on board an airplane and running alongside German tanks while trying to retake Berlin give the game a very action movie World War III feel.

Unfortunately, while certain gameplay set pieces are wonderful, the “shocking” moment in this game is rather lack-luster and falls flat. While not as politically incorrect as the “No Russian” mission from Modern Warfare 2, the shock moment of the game just needlessly reiterates that Makarov is a bad person and it does not pull out any emotion towards the victims. That being said, later on in the game there is a flashback sequence from major levels in previous titles in the series, the Chernobyl level and the Nuke from Call of Duty 4 and No Russian from Modern Warfare 2 but from a completely different point of view that gives the new arrival Yuri more depth as a character. The American soldier Frost is not given the same treatment and is abruptly forgotten at the end of the game. The campaign also has “Enemy Intels” hidden through every level giving Achievement hunters a reason to replay. As a whole, the singleplayer in Modern Warfare 3 is its greatest strength with an action movie story that keeps the gamer playing.

Alongside the game’s campaign, Modern Warfare 3 offers matchmaking multiplayer and the return of the Spec. Ops. cooperative missions. The Spec. Ops. missions allow two players run through challenges in an attempt to get high scores. The missions are fast paced and contain the same adrenaline filled moments that can be found in the action packed moments of the main game. There is a rank progression system similar to that of the multiplayer, in which, the player ranks up and unlocks new weapons to use in the brand new survival mode. Survival Mode is similar to Gears of War’s horde and Halo’s Firefight where players fight off waves of frowning enemy AIs. The Survival and Spec. Ops. are great fun when playing alongside cooperative partners and is a strong replay value, especially for those like me who loved the single player.

The main replay value for most modern shooters, especially the Call of Duty franchise, has been its multiplayer. The game has a similar rank progression and unlocks system as with the rest of the Modern Warfare franchise, with new weapons, attachments, and kill streaks being unlocked as players play and rise through the ranks. The new kill streak system is the one huge new change in the game. Kill streaks are broken into three choices, one being primarily offensive kill streaks like attack helicopters, sentry guns, and AC-130s, the second being defensive with UAVs, SAMs, and Stealth bomber runs, and the third one where additional perks are unlocked the more kills one get. Of the three only the defensive perk class gets carried over through death which is useful for new players getting their feet wet. All of the other new systems of kill streaks within the game’s multiplayer boil down to the same gameplay that the series shares. 

The addition of Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty: Elite does give the post-game some depth, allowing players to look at their stats and make clans easier while giving Premium members a free crack at the game inevitable DLC. I don’t like Call of Duty’s fast paced multiplayer in general and with the multiplayer being the main replayable value of the franchise means I won’t be spending too much time on it as I would other modern FPSs. With certain weapons and perks being over powered and while entire classifications of weapons, like LMGs, are made worthless. The above mentioned defense kill streak’s carrying ability means that there are constant Stealth Bomber runs made during matches by players just collecting eight kills leisurely over multiple deaths. Fans of the series’ multiplayer, however, will find the same core gameplay as they have in previous installments.

In the end, Modern Warfare 3 is a great game with a solid campaign and multiplayer but it does not hold up against some of the older games in the series. Overall the visuals are a letdown using last iteration’s game engine. The multiplayer is in need of patches to fix the major balancing issues. That being said, Modern Warfare 3’s closing of the Modern Warfare’s story is fantastic is completely worth the play. So, join Price and his merry band of soldiers and save the world from Russian terrorists this one last time.

Grade: B