Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - Same sh*t different day

It feels kind of redundant to review a game like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 no matter how big this franchise has become. Except for maybe a couple of tweaks, this is essentially the same Call of Duty you played last year, the year before that and so on. The adrenaline pumping single player is polished, exciting and short but you already knew that. The multiplayer is fast paced, deep and addictive. Guess what, you knew that too. So should you buy this game? Yes, if you’re a fan who will never get tired of Activision’s successful formula. On the other hand, if you never liked this series to begin with, Modern Warfare 3 definitely won’t change your mind.

Who doesn't like set pieces?

The single player kicks off right after the events of Modern Warfare 2. Players join Soap McTavish, Captain Price and a bunch of new recruits as they race around the clock to stop the evil Makarov who’s hell bent on starting World War III. Players who’ve stuck with this series since Modern Warfare will get some sort of closure as the story comes full circle with a satisfying ending. There are also quite a few nods to previous games that were appreciated.

On Video: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

As far as gameplay goes, you know the drill all too well. In every level you’ll encounter waves of respawning enemies till you trigger an invisible event marker or complete your objective. You’ll constantly be assaulted by set-pieces some of which even after three games (three Modern Warfare games i.e.) are downright impressive. Modern Warfare 3 is a painfully short game but there’s rarely a dull moment. I’ll give them that. Sure you’ll have a few minutes of boring shoot outs where you simply duck in one place and shoot the brain dead enemies baying for your blood but for most of the time, the game moves at an enjoyable pace. You’ll experience a slight respite from all the relentless shooting with a few stealth segments but before you start feeling like Sam Fisher, the poop hits the fan and its guns blazing till the end of the level.

Through the fire and the flames

After the five hour single player campaign (you expected more?) you can head online for some co-op via the game’s Spec Ops mode introduced in Modern Warfare 2, tackle the all new Survival mode or get lost into the game’s biggest draw, its competitive side. Versus play works like older games where you level up, unlock cooler weapons, customize them, choose your perks, killstreaks and go to town on your enemies. Unfortunately most of the maps present in this game are really small making your lifespan very short. After coming out from a game like Battlefield 3 where team work is essential to success, Modern Warfare 3’s lone wolf attitude felt a bit off. Plus the game’s become too fast paced for its own good with encounters ending in the blink of an eye. And since maps are so small, spawn points are haywire and once enemies start stacking their killstreaks against your team, prepare to die a lot. Still if you’re a fan of the game’s uber fast paced combat, you’ll enjoy what MW3 throws at you.