All this content, while well designed, is starting to become a bit too familiar. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 continues the series and finishes off the Modern Warfare trilogy, now one of the best-selling video game trilogies of all time. Those who play the game strictly for the online play will get their money’s worth, but there’s plenty more to do in Activision’s latest blockbuster offering that’s just as engaging as the multiplayer.
Modern Warfare 3 continues the story of Captain Price and John “Soap” Mactavish in their attempts to take down Russian Ultranationalist Vladimir Makarov during the events of World War III. The campaign is bombastic and intense, with spectacular set pieces that will make players’ adrenaline pump. One of the best moments is during a plane sequence when the player must shoot enemies while the plane is plummeting to the ground resulting in some cool anti-gravity gun fire. Without ruining the story, the ending sequence is quite satisfying for anyone who is at all invested in the story. Some of the twists in the campaign can be seen coming from a mile away, but Modern Warfare 3 does a good job tying together the trilogy. There aren’t as many quiet moments during the game as in the last two, but the few that are there that do a good job of building up to the bigger moments. However, it only lasts about 5 or 6 hours in total, so it’s a short ride. Still, it makes each minute count.
Along with the single-player campaign, Modern Warfare 3 features two other main components: co-op and multiplayer. All three modes are laid out on the main menu screen exactly like in Modern Warfare 2, immediately foreshadowing how safe developers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer played it when making this game. The co-op mode lets the player and a friend play together online or local via splitscreen play through the two distinct modes: Spec Ops or the new Survival Mode. Returning from Modern Warfare 2, Spec Ops is specifically designed for co-op missions taking place in various levels from the main campaign. Spec Ops was one of the most welcome additions in Modern Warfare 2, and here it delivers an equally engaging experience. Some of the best missions include one player controlling an overhead gunner or turret while the other player must strategically move around the battlefield and complete objectives.
The new Survival Mode, essentially taking the place of the Zombie Mode in Black Ops, pits two players against waves of increasingly difficult enemies. Much akin to Gears of War 3‘s Horde mode, Survival lets players purchase various guns, grenades, and helpful assault tools such as a predator missile or a riot shield team. The maps are what distinguish the Survival Mode from similar iterations. 16 in total, each set of 4 maps have their own difficulty level with varying enemies depending on the difficulty level. While it’s a relatively fun time, as an answer to Black Op‘s Zombie Mode it falls a little flat. Survival Mode doesn’t hold a candle to the excellently crafted Zombie Mode (created by developer Treyarch). It’s also a shame when thinking about how Modern Warfare 2 added Spec Ops that Modern Warfare 3‘s new mode is the less than spectacular Survival Mode. Still, Spec Ops is still there and a lot of fun can be had with each co-op mode.
The online multiplayer is largely the same as in previous Modern Warfare games, but with some tweaks and helpful additions. New pointstreaks reward players with certain perks even after respawns. It makes the battles that much more chaotic as players will be rewarded with radar and predator missles even after they respawn. Guns now have their own levels, making experimentation with different types more attractive and rewarding. One of the few new modes, Kill Confirmed, turns out to be a great addition to online play. After players shoot down an enemy, a dog tag will drop where they died and only when someone touches it will points be awarded. This makes teamwork and strategy essential, as it’s not always a mad rush to the dog tag and waiting is often the best decision. Overall, online play is pretty much the same as it was in Modern Warfare 2; players level up and gain access to more guns and perks and play different modes such as Deathmatch, Domination, or Capture the Flag.
If the original Modern Warfare was supposed to be a realistic shooter, the trilogy ends with it becoming a wholeheartedly arcade shooter. Enemies with AK-47s can take gamers out from across the map. Ridiculous and unrealistic (albeit fun) situations arise frequently no matter what mode is played. In that respect, Modern Warfare 3 nails it on all fronts. The gunplay is great, with each weapon having its own feel and weight to them. The enemy and player animations are smooth and the aiming and firing is precise. This leads to a satisfying and entertaining game especially if players can suspend their disbelief
Modern Warfare 3 may not be at the top of the genre in terms of graphics, but it still looks great. Depictions of areas across the world like war-beaten Lower Manhattan and Paris look realistic with stunning lighting effects, all at 60 frames per second. Buildings can be crumbling around the player while he or she receives fire from countless enemies as sparks fly off the wall and still the game runs perfectly. The sounds of each gun are authentic, and explosions are rightfully earsplitting.
Maybe if I’d never played a Call of Duty game before playing Modern Warfare 3, I would be blown away, but the lack of new ideas for fans of the series is disappointing. The game is a victim of its own success; with such a huge install base, any major change would likely receive a huge backlash no matter how good or bad it turned out to be. The game is more about tweaks and minor additions to an already established and solid foundation. The bombastic campaign, expanded co-op, and accessible online multiplayer are all done extremely well. Modern Warfare 3 is a great game with a lot of content that gives fans of the series exactly what they are looking for – to a fault.
