Modern Warfare 3 adds nothing new, but it also doesn't do anything majorly wrong, ending this tired series adequately
Contains: Strong Bloody Battle Violence and Language
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the next chapter in the best-selling Call of Duty first-person shooter action series, and directly follows the events of Modern Warfare 2's conclusion.
The game sees the return of former Task Force 141 Capt. John "Soap" MacTavish (voiced by Kevin McKidd), former SAS Capt. John Price (Billy Murray) and Russian informant "Nikolai", who are on the run after killing the rogue U.S. Army Lt. General Shepherd, the antagonist of the previous game. However, for most of the game, you will control Yuri, an ex-Spetsnaz soldier who joins Price on his hunt for Russian Ultranationalist Vladimir Makarov (who again reprises his role as the primary antagonist) and is revealed to be linked to the main story in more ways than one with a dark secret holstered away. Parallel-running missions with multiple protagonists, their team and overall view on the action keep things moving at a brisk pace, taking you from one destination to the next very quickly to keep the intensity levels high and the story evolving ever closer to coming full circle which it successfully, and unexpectedly, does towards the end. You'll switch back and forth between mostly speechless new protagonists operating in different areas of the globe, all for the same reasons and aiming for the same victory. Trying to reach the unreachable villain Makarov is an effort that is sustained from beginning to end, and the series' well known scripted action gives you reason to care for the people in your squad, especially the returning characters, in which you feel the pain of loss and the avengement sparks for the evil presence causing anarchy and mass death worldwide.
Noticeably, there are no attempts at advancing on the core gameplay and visual design, which while still decent and acceptable, is far too familiar and feels recycled more than similar. The first-person shooting set pieces will feel predictable until an exhilarating and unique mega action segment commences, but despite the clichéd gameplay, it still remains consistently fun, and that aspect seems like it will never alter, nor falter. The shooting is standard and what to expect, with basic hit detection that is to be remembered right from the start of the Modern Warfare series, with some smart enemies that take cover effectively, flank appropriately and are accurate precisely to the difficulty setting you have it on. Stealth sequences are a plausible trait of this aging series, and the few missions that do avoid direct confrontations in these stealthy portions for a short time before bullets cut through the tense atmosphere are a welcome change of pace from the chaotic battles that follow a successful infiltration in which you are shepherded through objectives step-by-step in realistic and tactical fashion. Apart from when you vault over obstacles or climb ladders, animations are presented greatly from the first-person perspective, keeping you at the forefront of the unfolding, spectacular action without creating a jarring sensation of being cut off from the immersion at the critical times you needn't be. The high-octane campaign is injected frequently with heavy doses of adrenaline and climactic action in scripted sections that are over-the-top and unlikely to be survived time and again, but this only adds to the suspense that is ignited in these exciting stages of gameplay, as it speeds along to yet another thrilling end sequence that rounds off the Modern Warfare trilogy with flair.
The music that follows you into and out of the action is suitable, but never comes across as anything special. It's a shame Hans Zimmer never returned to provide some excellent audio score like last time, since his departure from this project is a noticeable absence. But while the music is taking a back seat, the great sound design shines with the sound effects, noticeably from the game's large selection of real-life guns that have a large variation of possibilities for attachments, which can be acquired from fallen foes. Each weapon sounds about right even though it's incredibly unlikely that you've ever heard any of them fire in a real environment, and bullets ricochet off walls and other cover to the point that you can almost hear the ammunition passing by your ear. Shooting from any of these modern war weapons is something of a veteran's long experience in accompany of such firepower, as each and every one feels satisfying to shoot, where the control scheme, that is unchanged and bound to be stored in the back of your memory some place from previous modern warfare engagements, makes it a breeze to snap to targets and eliminate them from the excessive infantry in your objective path. Smooth controls, animations and framerate all weave together to ensure you are having an entertaining time without any arising complaints surrounding the aim and shoot, crouch and prone, remove safety pin and release tactics that you'll commonly be placing knowledge into practice within the heated battlefield.
Though incredibly short and not worthy of the price tag (which is more than the normal asking price), Modern Warfare 3 is a compact package crammed with an exciting campaign that rarely pauses until the level is complete and you are briefed on the next act during a loading screen that features familiar, but plausible, presentation. Moments of stealth are few and far between, but the battlefield grounds of shooting enemy after enemy with a host of great weapons with various attachments, plus the occasional dramatic scene of carnage and scraping out of death's reach in a scripted sequence or vehicular segment adds to the excitement purposefully while the story is clearly advanced, but from a gameplay perspective - not much else. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 doesn't do anything new, but it also doesn't do anything wrong, and what causes you to question the exceptionally clear similarities to it's predecessor is that this final Modern Warfare instalment iterates rather than innovates. Identical presentation and menu layouts, unchanged core gameplay elements, and recycled graphics that don't even receive minor advancements are the highlight of what isn't improved, but fortunately these elements aren't bad to criticise heavily enough to create a ripple effect that could potentially have dragged down the experience in a cloud of dust and hidden what's great under fragmented debris and bullet filled bodies.
Modern Warfare 3's story and characters keep tensions at decent heights with a sustained fun factor evident throughout the signature gameplay, with the only negative aspects to draw away from the single player are from what remains unchanged from it's predecessor(s), as the short 6 hour campaign is expected and deliberate on the developer's behalf now, to intentionally establish an experience which is short and sweet with non-stop action, something which Modern Warfare 3 dutifully achieves and delightfully delivers.
Story - 3/5
Characters - 3/5
Gameplay - 3/5
Graphics - 3/5
Sound - 4/5
Controls - 5/5
Atmosphere - 3/5
Enemy AI - 4/5
Length - 1/5
Multiplayer - 3/5
Replay Value - 2/5
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OVERALL SUMMARY - 8/10
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Good Points: Excellent amount of weapons with various attachments, Tight and responsive controls, Efficient squad mates and enemies, Great animations, Some intense vehicle sections and tense stealth sequences, Kill Confirmed is an excellent new multiplayer mode.
Bad Points: No real advances in the core gameplay aswell as recycled graphics and unchanged presentation from MW2, High asking price, Horrible online community that ruin the multiplayer.