Modern Warfare 3, despite its changes and improvements, finds itself as a rehash of previous Call of Duty games.
The campaign features the climactic conclusion of the series, with an ever-more drama inducing story that takes you from the Big Apple to India to Europe to even Somalia and Siberia. Most of it is do-able even on Veteran difficulty (except for the last few missions) and do not feature re-spawning enemies. Of course, it will be over in a modest amount of time so for those of you without Xbox LIVE, this is the end of the game for you. You will of course find Spec Ops missions have returned, with new and even more challenging ones than in MW2, and even a "survival" mode (to be discussed later).
The multiplayer is what Call of Duty games do best, and in Modern Warfare 3, there are many new features, but many facets remain the same. The weapon types are pretty much what you'd come to expect, with new weapons in each class albeit several weapons that do not return. As for attachments, most of MW2's geniuses return, such as the Heartbeat Sensor, Thermal Sights, Shotguns, the new "Hybrid Sight" which combines either a Red Dot Sight with an ACOG sight or perhaps a Sniper Scope, and of course, the "n00b tube" Grenade Launcher, but you will find that unlike before, the attachments are unlocked simply by leveling your gun. Did I say leveling your gun? That's because in MW3, in addition to your player's level, you also have a level for each weapon, advanced by simply using the weapon and scoring points with it. Everything from attachments to gun camos (including Gold camo) to abilities (where you can reduce your weapon kick, add a second attachment, among other things) are unlocked simply by advancing your gun's level. Most guns have 31 levels, the last of which unlocks the Gold camo. Although this makes it much easier to unlock everything (even Gold will be unlocked well before you prestige for your weapon of choice) - you will find the unlocks less satisfying than, say when you had to get 150 headshots with every weapon in the class. In addition, the custom emblem creator as well as your ability to etch your clan tag to your gun do not return.
As before, you will select one perk from three different tiers, and most of the perks are the same - with some renaming. Pro versions also make a return and are not as hard to unlock as in Black Ops, with similar benefits as before. For the first time since COD3, Last Stand (or Second Chance) does not return as a perk, though Final Stand, along with Martyrdom and a few other "consolations" return - in guess what - Deathstreaks. They can be annoying especially when players know the game is rewarding them for doing poorly, but it's not like players are going to purposely die to get them. You will find yourself being "panic knifed" fairly often in close-quarter scenarios, although you will also be happy the perks Marathon and Lightweight also do not return.
The most important new addition is that of the streak rewards. Gone are the simple "killstreaks" of before - replaced by point streaks. Now, in addition to kills, you earn one point towards your streak for completing objectives such as capturing the HQ, taking a position in Domination, etc. With the pro version of Hardline you even get credit for every other assist, as well. In addition, you not only select what streaks you want to earn, which range from your traditional UAV/Counter UAV and Care Packages to Stealth Bombers, AC-130s, the Osprey Gunner (a replacement of the Chopper Gunner) and even the Juggernaut suit, but you can also choose which type of reward system you want. In Assault, you advance the traditional way, where dying ends your streak. If you rage over dying one away from your AC-130 or otherwise don't get good killing sprees going, there is the Specialist package - where you earn rewards after accumulating points - regardless of when you die. Although this almost guarantees you will earn the high-level rewards, they are mostly team-oriented items such as advanced UAVs, Support Airdrop (similar to MW2's Emergency Airdrop), SAM Turrets, and the like. There is a Stealth Bomber in that line-up, but pretty much if you want the good stuff you have to pony up to the Assault package. Lastly, there is the Specialist package, where, in addition to the three perks you start out with, you earn an additional perk of your choosing after a certain number of points without dying. Although this can give you a competitive edge with as many as six perks, you are excluded from any of the other killstreak rewards, so unless you were a guru at Sharpshooter Wager Matches in Black Ops, this probably won't be for you.
The maps are all new, though you will find some slight similarities from previous COD games. Arkaden, set in a European shopping mall, will remind you of COD4's Broadcast, while Interchange exhibits a similarity to MW2's Underpass (watch where you drop your care packages). As for the level design, they are all fairly typical of Call of Duty games, well designed but nothing groundbreaking.
As for the leveling system, 80 is the highest now before, you guessed it, Prestige Mode. Gone are the 15 Prestiges of Black Ops; now it is back to 10. Each prestige you can now select a "token item" which can be resetting your stats from the first time you leveled and were just getting used to the game, to the usual additional custom classes and even temporary double XP. In addition to all, the Theatre Mode from Black Ops does make a return, with roughly the same functionality. There is even a feature to share a clip through your Facebook account - though as you would expect, such clips are restricted to 30 seconds or less. Call of Duty Elite also allows 720p HD clips - even of unlimited duration, but only to those who pay the $50 annual premium membership (otherwise, 30 seconds).
Lastly, when you've played the Campaign, Multiplayer and Spec Ops inside and out there is survival mode. Infinity Ward's long-awaited attempt to emulate Treyarch's coveted Zombies mode, you and one other player (not three) try to survive as long as possible against ever-strengthening enemies. It's more like Gears of War's Horde Mode than Zombies, as the enemies go from villagers with pistols to Juggernauts and Claymore-wielding machine gunners, and can get quite interesting - but it won't likely hold your interest quite as long as Treyarch's version of COD survivor in Zombies.
In the end, Infinity Ward, in combination with Sledgehammer Studios, delivers a decent albeit dated conclusion to the Call of Duty series. This isn't 2009 anymore, and given what the previous two Modern Warfare games accomplished, gamers may be somewhat dismayed of the lack of game-breaking features. Whether it was because there was nothing left to expand upon, the fallout at Infinity Ward last year that could have curtailed development time, or complacency in that Call of Duty's fans will buy a new game no matter what may have all contributed to a MW2 expansion pack worth $60.