Publisher: Activision

Developers: Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, Raven Software, Treyarch (Wii version), Neversoft

 

INTRODUCTION

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series has been a tremendous success on nearly all gaming platforms. They’ve been exceeding expectations since the release of the original Modern Warfare back in 2007. With exceptional graphics, smooth game play, a short learning curve, and addicting online play; it’s easy to see why. They’ve sold more than 20 million copies every release. Not to mention, there has been a new contender in the modern combat FPS genre over the last few years, the Battlefield series. So one can easily see why the anticipation for any new release might be high. I myself have been playing these games since the original Call of Duty (a WW2 first-person shooter). The single player campaigns have always been a favorite of mine because of the entertaining storylines. This is why I felt privileged to get boots on the ground in the latest Call of Duty release, Modern Warfare 3, in an attempt to find out if the legacy lives on.

 

THE REVIEW

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign continues the storyline of the two previous games. In Modern Warfare 2 the Russians invaded the United States, so from the start players are tasked with taking over a Russian-overrun Manhattan. In the beginning it appears the Russians are getting the better of World War III. Thrown into the mix players will get a sense they’re part of something bigger than themselves. But the campaign slowly evolves from fighting on the frontlines of World War III, to a chase of yet another villain who’s bound to destroy the world. This is too predictable as all the prequels send us on this same type of chase.

But the campaign is full of excitement. Players will travel all over the globe in their quest to end World War III: from the New York Stock Exchange to Somalia and way out in Siberia. They’ll experience extreme turbulence on aircraft, take down sailors on a huge Russian submarine, fire at enemy personnel in Paris from above using a AC-130, and chase down subway trains in a pick-up truck. Though entertaining, the campaign is a bit short; I wouldn’t consider it shorter than the campaigns of the other Modern Warfare or Battlefield games. One thing that shocked me was that I actually got to play as the Russians in one mission. Mission intro clips are still informing, and they give a general background to each mission with a strategic outline.

The graphics are very similar to the previous game though there are some improvements, but they’re negligible. Overall though, they’re fantastic. The depth of the maps (detail of objects far way) is much better than MW2 like far away city skylines and very detailed background buildings. Maps are full of stuff (destroyed cars, civilians, etc…) as well. There are also plenty of things to take cover behind while you’re advancing. Much of the map is destructible and buildings can be blown to bits while firing from the AC-130.

One thing that bothered me in the previous games was its tendency to force players down a certain pathway, with narrow causeways. Though in some missions of the campaign I was required to follow a certain path (assigned to follow or protect a certain person); overall I didn’t feel the same claustrophobia. Players are given more room to roam about, through building interiors or whatnot. This way they can flank enemy positions. This extra room makes for more tactical freedom. Since we’re on about tactics, the enemy was often seen standing and firing right out in the open. These guys made easy targets. But even when they did find cover some parts of their bodies were still visible, a tradition brought from the previous games. Another annoying aspect is that the enemy troops go to the same places every time you play a mission. For example, when you die and have to fight through to where you were before your death you can expect the enemy to be in the same place your second try (and third, fourth, etc…).

Instead of contemporary warfare like before, the game is a little futuristic now. Though many of the guns are the same, several have been redesigned with new textures and many new gadgets. The guns are now fully laden with devices and gizmos and some have multiple sights, which can be switched (scope to red dot and back). But also the soldiers have so much more gizmos on that they kind of look like Transformers. But don’t get me wrong, the soldiers look really cool. The campaign does get to the year 2016 (or something like that). So for the contemporary warfare coinsurer this might be a little annoying. I myself don’t care much for futuristic games because of its unrealistic variables. How can developers anticipate what the future really holds and what types of weapons/uniforms they’ll be using?

Loading times were fast, on my rig anyway. I didn’t experience any lag either. So it seems the game was well optimized as I was running with all settings maxed out. While playing (singleplayer and multiplayer) I also didn’t experience any crashes and I’m running on Windows 7 x64. With the depth of detail on every map and graphics that equal or surpass any war game I’ve played to-date, I’m really impressed with the game’s optimization.

The multiplayer, the bread-n-butter of the series, has been beefed up a lot. A total of 16 new maps have been added and there are now 19 total modes of online game play. The unlocking system has been added to extensively. Weapons also now receive unlocks when players use them a certain way or use them constantly. These perks include less recoil or improved accuracy when firing from the hip, for the specific gun being used. Online kills can also be carried-over after death and can be used to count towards supporting-fire packages (light-machine gun packages).

Call of Duty ELITE is a new feature added to the game. It’s a platform available through the internet which can also be downloaded as an app for smartphones. With ELITE players can manage their Modern Warfare 3 online play when they’re away from their console or gaming PC. Here players can meet other players and join groups, Create-a-Class online, share HD gameplay videos, and compare statistics. And that’s just for a free “basic” ELITE account. Players can evaluate their statistics, keep an eye on leaderboards, and review recent matches. Though for a hefty yearly subscription, players can enjoy the benefits of a “Premium” account. With this privilege players receive monthly DLC, get into competitions with prizes, get into clan specific competitions with new emblems and tags for prizes, access to an advanced level of tactical and strategic analysis, and the ability to watch the exclusive new Call of Duty ELITE TV channel. With ELITE TV premium members can watch the best of the best talk them through various aspects of the game, suggesting advice and revealing secrets on every map.

The Spec Ops feature has been overhauled. It’s now divided into Survival and Mission modes. I believe this was in reaction to the favorable response from the “survival” aspects in the previous game’s Spec Ops. There’s just something about fighting off numerous, and more powerful, consecutive waves of enemies with a reliable teammate in Co-Op. This was a favorite feature of mine in Modern Warfare 2 Co-Op Spec Ops. But “Survival Mode” in MW3 takes it a step further, giving players only a handgun at the beginning. Therefore players have to pick up weapons from either enemy killed or from currency and XP earned after each wave. The Mission mode offers a slice of what one would see in the campaign missions. From sneaking past enemy patrols to disarming a nuclear weapon, this mode adds a lot of variety to Spec Ops play.

 

IN CONCLUSION

There is no question Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be entertaining for any FPS lover. But the game’s graphics aren’t “really” any better than the predecessor, the guns are essentially the same, and there haven’t been any revolutionary features added to how warfare is waged. The singleplayer campaign is a bit short, it’s also predictable and it fails to deliver really anything different from MW2’s campaign. So if one was only going to consider the above aspects, they might think the game is just an expansion rather than a standalone. In addition to this, the price wouldn’t be justified for such. Though anyone who has played Modern Warfare games knows that the multiplayer is where all the fun is at. Thus, this is where the developers spent most of their time. There are more maps, the unlocking system has been further deepened, and there are more online game modes. Spec Ops has been redone, focusing more on the popular Survival mode (beating off consecutive enemy waves) than MW2 had. Plus, there is also the new online Call of Duty ELITE platform which will most certainly increase the addiction of players who will invest more time, thus ruining more of the other half of their lives that remain outside of the gaming world. For the multiplayer world, this first-person shooter online gaming dynasty has delivered once again.

 

The Good: An exciting and entertaining campaign (as always), campaign sends players across the globe fighting for various nations and outfits, loads fast and runs smoothly (very well optimized), multiplayer has added many maps and game modes, unlocking system has been enlarged, Spec Ops overhauled according to popular demand, Call of Duty ELITE feature increases the multiplayer immersion and also increases the addiction.

The So-So: The graphics are still good but are starting to show their age, the warfare aspect could use more of a tactical approach, ballistics aren’t perfect, the game seems now to be more of a futuristic FPS, for those who don’t play online the price may be unjustified, the campaign storyline and the way warfare is waged is a little too “Hollywood”.

The Bad: The singleplayer campaign should be extended and is too predictable, very few weapons were added.

Does the game have a permanent spot on Curtis’ hard drive? Well, yes and no. The game has a permanent spot on the hard drive until another sequel comes out, then I may have to let this one go. Though that’s not because the game is bad, it’s because sequels from Activision are so good. The campaign is so exciting and dynamic that it by itself has replay value; although I’ll be spending most of my time with the multiplayer. With Call of Duty ELITE and the unlockable weapon-specific perks, multiplayer will keep me quite busy. I’ll also have a lot of fun fighting off numerous assault waves in Spec Ops beefed-up Survival mode.

 

Review written by: Curtis Szmania, Staff Writer

 

Reviewer’s Specs: