Modern Warfare 3 is not the radical and exciting shift that was MW 2 but it is a quality title if a little soulless. A lot of people are going to write this game off as an inferior recycling of Modern Warfare 2 assets, while this isn’t the case. The game does feel too familiar and doesn’t take any risks with the games formula, offering a very same albeit polished Modern Warfare. Content is king with this franchise and while you do get an enormous amount of gameplay for your sixty dollars it is hard to recommend this game over the stellar and innovative offerings featured this year. The campaign is the shortest of the franchise and lies in the neighborhood of four or five hours. The story is awful: while it does wrap up loose ends from the last game it relies on cliché and ‘old hat’ to move the plot. New protagonists and plot twists are thrown at you ad nausea and feel extremely cheesy. A “no Russian” wannabe scene is thrown in for good measure and features no artistic integrity nor does it add any exposition or plot development. It is a horrendous murder scene featuring throwaway characters that is thrown at you solely to disturb and fuel the controversy fires that will push sales (the curious should ‘YouTube’ the scene, and make up their own mind).

Courtesy of: Activision

The game’s ad campaign has touted the World War 3 theme as its headliner for the game’s single player mode and it does make good on its explosive promise; you will battle across the globe and witness the massive destruction that a modern war brings. Landmarks tumble and the globetrotting feels expansive if a little jarring. The action is breakneck fast and there are few rare moments where the game will slow into a short unsatisfying stealth sequence. The campaign exits to familiarize players with the game’s mechanics… some may see it as a glorified rail shooter prologue to the expansive online experience. Multiplayer is the same old dog and will satisfy long time fans and push the haters to COD’s competitors. The maps are tighter and there are tons (16). The RPG elements are deeper and the all new “strike packages” offer alternatives to the kill multiplying streak awards from past games, but despite all the polish and new mechanisms the game still rewards two basic gameplay styles; camping and rushing.

Courtesy of: Activision