Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 review

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 review on Sony PS3 (available on all platforms)

Call of Duty has become the standard by which all shoot-em-ups are judged, just like all those classic games before it (Grand Theft Auto, World of Warcraft, hell even Sonic the Hedgehog). It is simply huge across all countries and cultures, mainly because the playability was taken to another level.

The plot (or ‘campaign’ as we like to say) tells the story of more than one character and is so dramtic that you hardly get chance to draw a breath before you’re flung into another setting without so much as a ‘Well done, now here’s the next task”.

Modern Warfare 3 tries to immerse the player in the experience, and this is does like only a handful of other games. At its heart, it is a corridor-based shooter and in this class it excels. This, in my mind, is the best Call of Duty campaign yet, with great graphics, sound and that all-important playability.

Weapon customisation

Weapon customisation has had a major overhaul and now, the more you use them, the better they get! You can unlock new attachments and super things like “stability” and “recoil reduction”. Try these because they are game-changers.

Maps

This is something that COD Modern Warfare takes up to another level. There’s 16 gloriously designed maps, each with high and low routes, leading to closed or very open spaces. It’s knowing your way around that helps you defeat other teams and these maps certainly allow you to do that.

Game highlights

My favourite part of the game so far is the Russin submarine sequence, you’ll know which one I mean if you have played it. “Mission mode”, “Survival mode”, “Spec Ops mode” – this game has enough to keep you occupied for months.

The team consists of Frost, Burns, Soap, Yuri and Price who stick together through the whole shebang. The available weapons are excellent and well matched to the opposing forces. You can purchase weapons and support during firefights or waves.

Killstreaks have been changed into pointstreaks, meaning that you no longer have to kill to earn rewards. You can complete an objective and get kudos for it as well as just blasting the enemy into oblivion.

Verdict

Modern Warfare 3 is a standard-setting game that has come a long way from it’s early roots. New players will love it but old COD players will appreciate it in this incarnation. I played it for a whole weekend when I first bought it and have never stopped playing it or grown tired of it. In terms of value for money, this game rocks and never ceases to show me something new. I have refined my playing style on this game more than any other and it has probably made me a better player, looking deeper at the techniques rather than just blasting away till I run out of ammo.

Buy the game, lock yourself in for a weekend and come out a better soldier!

Reviewed on the Sony PS3 by Pete “Yuri” Douglas and available on all platforms