Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 "Iron Lady" Paris Level Impressions

Modern Warfare 3 is now less than a month away. For the 30 million or so people that Activision claims are playing a Call of Duty game, that's big news. But despite the numerous trailers, previews, and screens that are now out in the open, we're still in the dark about many of the game's single-player missions. Thankfully, Sledgehammer recently visited London to show off a new campaign level, this time set in Paris.

The level in question was called Iron Lady, in reference to the Eiffel Tower that sits at the heart of Paris. Washington is burning, New York is occupied, and we picked up the action about halfway through the single-player campaign. You're playing as Delta Force, and it's your job to find out some critical information from a high-value target, after a previous mission goes bad.

In typical Call of Duty fashion, the perspective changed dramatically between on-the-ground and in-the-air action. The level opens with a helicopter getting shot down--a huge explosion followed by menacing screeching as the rotor blades make their way towards you. After they stop just in front of you, the camera jumps into the now-familiar AC-130 gunship, allowing you to lay down gunfire and rockets while trying not to destroy Paris' historic buildings.

The AC-130 soon comes under attack from a group of Russian jets, so the action snaps back into first-person view. You and the rest of Delta Squad make your way through a building, out through greenhouses and into a courtyard. The level offered a good mix of weaponry, from assault rifles and sniper rifles to a mounted machine gun. After this, the demo ended with another AC-130 section, with the gunner choosing to bring down an entire building in dramatic fashion, despite the earlier warning.

It was a short demo, but just enough to show off how bombastic this Call of Duty is going to be. There were some nice touches to take away too, including the destructible balcony that enemy soldiers were using for cover. Thankfully, we won't have to wait long for more Modern Warfare 3--the game launches worldwide on 8 November.