Dog eat dogtag
Should we expect more, something different, something unique from a sequel of a sequel like this? We're all content to sit back and watch Jack Bauer save the world in ever more implausible ways in 24, so why criticise Infinity Ward for doing any different? At least the shooting metered out is of a superior quality, and the associated special effects and chase scenes exhilarating. I can forgive them the outrageous story.
Kneel, Armstrong
Of course, most gamers will buy MW3 for the multiplayer side of things, and they'll have a great many options of online action to pick from. I won’t pretend that in the sleep-deprived review session I managed to play everything to the depth I’d have liked - such is the way with timed review events these days - but what I did experience was exceedingly convincing.
'Spec Ops' - last seen in MW2- is back and in fine fettle. The co-operative missions are just as much fun as ever and include in as many do or die scenarios as before. Added for good measure comes 'Survival' mode which is reminiscent of Halo's 'Firefight' in which waves of ever more hardened hostiles must be vanquished.
Keep the home fires burning
Deathmatching receives a similar polish. The 'Confirmed Kill' mode, for example, appealing to my personal apathy for cowardly snipers by rewarding players for not just successfully felling a rival, but triumphantly collecting their victim's blood-soaked dog tags. You can also collect dog tags of fallen comrades, so denying the opposition maximum spoils.
Pull off a particularly smart kill and you'll even be able to boast to you heart's content on 'Call of Duty Elite', CoD's vey own social media platform.
Moody blues
Verdict
Modern Warfare occupies strange territory. Most of my gaming chums, for example, never ask, "How does Dark Souls play?" yet fixate upon whether MW3 is better than MW2. It’s a rather privileged position for a franchise to be in, ground shared with only the likes of Fifa and Grand Theft Auto.
So, is Modern Warfare 3 better than its predecessors? Without doubt, yes. Will it convince those who scoffed at previous versions, or win over those who feel jaded by the seemingly never ending stream of FPS which overwhelm us? No.
It is the best Modern Warfare to date. It is a game which excites visually and gets the pulse racing, even though it fails to advance the genre. The hugely supported online section is sure to remain massive until the next release, the only question remaining: do we really need another Call of Duty next year... and the year after? ®
More Games Reviews |
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
COMMENTS
still playing ....
... Half Life 1, with just the crowbar !
old gamer, waiting for...
Half-Life 3 ...
I'm so jaded with FPS gaming, this release just sailed by me (apart from this comment, which will get voted down)
I kinda stopped FPS gaming and most gaming in general, with two exceptions - anything Valve release and any GTA title which Rockstar release. (oh - and minecraft)
After being a gamer for ... shit, 32 years? ... I'm a redundant old school gamer resting on past glories and completely missing the point - I'll admit that.
But Portal2 ? Shit, blew my mind, such an awesome game. GTA San Andreas and to a lesser extent, GTA IV also just made me feel like a young gamer again - like the first time I played Doom and the time my mind was shattered by Quake I and Quakeworld!
I tried MW2 and it left me cold, I kept thinking "where's the humour? I've been here before, haven't I? - Oh yes, the original COD, I remember now"
I recently made a big mistake and bought Id Software's RAGE - played for 30 minutes and was completely uninspired by it.
So, vote me down, this old man who was schooled in the art of gaming in the arcades, shooting blips on a screen - I've lost touch with gaming ... except for Portal2 and GTA - hell YEAH!
I'll get my coat.
PC version
Just picked it up. Installed BF3 at the weekend on the 2011 27" imac - runs a treat. Pretty jaw dropping graphics. So figured I'd get the set.
Be nice if El Reg would review the PC versions sometimes... what with your readership - I'd have thought there are probably more PC gamers here than on most forums (admittedly we are outnumbered by the thumb twidlers still)
Lag killed it for you?
The racist abuse from the teenage players wore me down fastest.
so.....
BF3 gets marked down for its SP yet the MP is much better than WM3.
the vast majority of gamers on these 2 games play the SP to complete and never play it again (in fact i doubt many even play the SP)
BF has always been about MP. you say they are similar when in fact PC BF3 has so much more scope its untrue.
i guess the reviewer is a die hard COD guy and never actually played on 64 man servers with tanks, helicopters, jets and buildings being blown up. oh, and all controlled by the players, not scripted.
im starting to sound like a fanboy here but ive just found COD games to be brainless camper fests. i prefer teamwork and squad play on a big scale. sandbox is the way to go, not scripted.
