In 2007, Infinity Ward set the FPS gaming scene and genre ablaze with the blockbuster Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare proved to be so popular that it has become its own sub-series within Call of Duty, with its own continuing plotline about saving the world from a maniacal Russian terrorist. Both COD4 and Modern Warfare 2 earned critical acclaim and sold millions upon millions of units. The recently released sequel, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, has plenty of expectations to live up to. Gamers have no need to worry about MW3 not meeting those expectations, as Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have crafted another quality installment of the Modern Warfare series.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 continues the story of Price and Soap's ongoing battle against Makarov, whose various manipulations have resulted in the onset of global military conflict. Players will assume the identities of a variety of key players in the conflict who mostly are trying to do whatever it takes to try to help bring the war to an end. Soap and Price's story is far more personal, with the disavowed task force relentlessly hunting Makarov or doing whatever they can to halt his terrorist activities.
Modern Warfare 3's plot and storytelling are much better than Modern Warfare 2's, where following the story tended to be a bit difficult for gamers who didn't know the story of COD4 as well as others. Also, the Price/Soap/Makarov plot feels much closer to the style in COD4 and remains very faithful to the details and intensity of their conflict as established in previous Modern Warfare installments. The Price/Soap/Makarov plot is arguably the biggest story draw of Modern Warfare 3, as the more personal feel of those sections make them feel like at least the most gripping story-powered sections in the Modern Warfare series to date.
Modern Warfare 3's gameplay will feel immediately familiar to anyone who's played either of the previous Modern Warfare installments, but not in a bad way. On the contrary: Modern Warfare 3's slick, action-packed presentation and explosive set pieces will continue to keep gamers locked into the game until they've completed the single player campaign. Familiar segments such as predator drone, turret, and stealth mission play return as tried and true elements of the Modern Warfare series that will make fans feel right at home. Modern Warfare 3's exciting approach to single player and return to a level of storytelling more in line with COD4 make the game's campaign the second best in the MW series.
However, while the familiarity works for Modern Warfare 3, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games should consider mixing up the set pieces and mission types for future installments. Modern Warfare has its own style of gameplay that some of these set pieces and mission types are a part of, true, but some of the returning segments in Modern Warfare 3 are beginning to feel too familiar. Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer have done a pretty good job of changing the context or the instances of the set pieces and missions from previous installments, but their ability to retain freshness may begin to wane after this installment.
Controversy has also somewhat come back to Modern Warfare via a scene where some unsuspecting people meet an untimely end due to a terrorist attack. The scene is overall nowhere near as controversial as No Russian -- which was given a surprisingly new and better context in MW3 that should've been the No Russian mission in Modern Warfare 2 -- but is still kind of unsettling. The characters appear in one scene, die, and that's it. In the midst of the soldiers in the non-stop realm of military warfare and a disavowed squad's determination to stop a terrorist, the scene seems a bit out of place with the rest of Modern Warfare 3's campaign.
Single player isn't all that MW3 has to offer, though: Modern Warfare 3 marks the return of Spec Ops and, of course, the acclaimed multiplayer mode. Spec Ops returns with a new layer of polish to mission setup that makes them feel more like possible missions that were cut from the campaign. Spec Ops is most definitely the "Challenge Mode" of the Modern Warfare series and there's no greater feeling than conquering missions by yourself or with a partner. Spec Ops missions could be a bit more lenient for missions that allow gamers to play solo -- offering better weapon selection for single player than in co-op, for instance -- but that's a minor nitpick. Also, Survival Mode is a nice addition as well.
Gamers expecting a comprehensive review of the changes in multiplayer from Modern Warfare 2 will be disappointed, as MW3 was this Examiner's first-ever experience playing Modern Warfare multiplayer. Judging by the experience, though, Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer mode won't disappoint. MW3's multiplayer is addictive and easy to learn, not to mention a surprisingly well-done extension of the type of action that can be seen in the single player campaign. The list of available match types is huge and has matches for COD players as well as would-be COD masters. Finally, perhaps the biggest hook of MW3's multiplayer is the constant feeling of progression and reward that gives players credit for what they do in a match and not punish them for what they're not doing.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is another great installment of the Call of Duty franchise and the Modern Warfare series. Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have created arguably the best single player campaign since COD4 for the Modern Warfare series. The return of a number of Modern Warfare staples from previous installments may make MW3 feel a bit much like its predecessors at times, but nowhere enough to detract from the gameplay experience. Also, Spec Ops and multiplayer offer fantastic replay value and plenty of fun with online friends or foes. Modern Warfare 3 continues everything that makes the Modern Warfare series great and will have success in its crosshairs for some time to come.
A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review.
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