Do you find yourself asking this year; do I want more Call of Duty? If you have played any of the Call of Duty games before, especially Modern Warfare, then some of you will overwhelmingly say “of course!” Even if you’ve kept up with the series up until now, there will also be some of you that might be asking yourself if you want more. But if you’re on the fence about the idea of jumping in now, it might be wise to know that Modern Warfare 3 has new maps, modes, and new options. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel or make any changes to what’s already there; though it does make some smart additions some will come to appreciate. However, if you’ve finally reached your limit on scripted campaign storylines and a particular type of multiplayer, than none of those changes are going to pull you back in.
There’s still more to it about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and we’re going to start with the game’s single player campaign. It clocks in at a short 5 hours, with the action taking place only moments after the conclusion of Modern Warfare 2 released back in 2009 with Soap in bad shape and Captain Price rushing him to safety to revive him. Task Force 141 has been completely disowned by the government, though that doesn’t stop them from hunting down Russian terrorist Markarov. Meanwhile the war that Markarov started thanks to the attack on the Russian airport in MW2 is in full swing with American forces attempting to keep Russian armies at bay and away from American soil. You mostly end up switching between Price’s group, American forces and other characters when appropriate.
The first act of the game is your re-introduction to the characters and story as soon as the first explosion hits. Afterwards the game doesn’t settle down and one of the big problems is that there is so much going on in between and in the story that you can get lost. All I remember after finishing the game was how many times I killed a bunch of dudes with either a machinegun, or vehicle torrent or how many times I died. You spend a lot of the time as the passenger in a vehicle whether you’re controlling a mounted gun to hold off a position till a helicopter arrives, or jumping in said helicopter shooting down other helicopters or providing cover for your fellow soldiers. Other times the game forces you to follow another soldier who is marked with the word “follow” over his head. This of course isn’t that different from the previous games and from a gameplay perspective can sound pretty dull.
The interesting part, however, is that though it might not be fun to play, the narrative and nature of the script makes it fun to watch as the events unfold in front of you. You’ll find plenty of footage that was used for trailers and commercials. The engine certainly shows a bit of age, but Infinity Ward has managed to pump everything it can out of it to showcase new set pieces. You’ll be shown everything from monuments falling to pieces in front you, too a tank exploding as your sitting in it. The framerate is still one of the game’s bright spots and manages to be smooth and doesn’t show any lag. While the game might not win any awards for it’s writing or graphical environments, its overall story might be taken into account. If you’ve followed the adventures of Soap and Captain Price the ending does feel like everything is “wrapped up” and deals out that sense of closure.
After the credits roll, the game travels you right into the updated co-op friendly Special Ops mode returning from MW2. There are 16 new missions and each provides something different for solo play or with a friend. The mission pretty much compliment the missions found in the campaign from stealthy guiding resistance members to even fighting off waves of enemies in a juggernaut suit. Although each mission lasts only about 10 minutes each, you can get about hours of replayability out of it with each difficulty offering a better chance at gaining better rewards.
Spec Ops also offers a Survival mode also including more co-operative play and solo play as well. Survival places you against waves after waves if increasing difficult enemies in the same maps you find in online multiplayer. It’s also another great training ground for solo players looking to increase their skill level when they’re ready to tackle online multiplayer. As you progress you’ll be able to find hotspots to purchase items for your arsenal. You’ll still be able to pick up enemies weapons as you go of course. If you’re a social player, you’ll find Call of Duty Elite may be right up your alley. Call of Duty Elite adds in stat tracking features, weapon loadouts customizations on the go and the ability to share them with other players. Elite features stats across all previous Call of Duty games you’ve played as well as Modern Warfare 3. It comes in both free and subscription based forms, going for $49.99 USD for an entire year for the premium subscription. The premium subscription also includes monthly downloadable content for free along with virtual and real life prizes for participation in daily competitions. There is also Facebook integration for those with Facebook account to include your friends and post to Facebook.
In online multiplayer, gamers will find 16 maps coming on the disc, much larger then that of Battlefield 3. There are an excellent variety of maps to plant bombs, grab flags, as well as straightforward killing. A favorite match type is called Kill Confirmed. Here players will have to secure dog tags in order to score points and get credit for the kill for your team to reach match point. It’s a fun match type that is sure to eliminate campers seen in other modes like Team Deathmatch. Overall, the online multiplayer experience is close to lag free of course this is all dependent on your Internet connection. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 comes in both the standard edition and Hardened Editions (received for this review). The Hardened Edition comes in a slipcase and inside the collectible box are a field journal, Founder status as well as a Steel book collectible case for the game. You’ll also find Special Ops Avatar outfits for Male and Female avatars. Finally you have a premium subscription to Call of Duty Elite for the year.
Bottom Line: BUY IT! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel or make drastic changes, but as the saying goes “If it isn’t broke, don’t’ fix it”. There are certainly flaws to be found as you delve deeper into the game but it doesn’t break the foundation of what Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have built. The set pieces are fun to watch but the campaign will be difficult to get through and is short. Online multiplayer is as addictive as ever and you’ll find yourself wanting more as you keep playing. Replayability is strong here with Special Ops modes, varied multiplayer modes and co-operative play within it.
