Call of Duty: MW3

aka: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Moby ID: 53441
Windows Specs
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Description official descriptions

The eighth main entry into the Call of Duty series, and the third in the Modern Warfare sub series, Modern Warfare 3 is a direct sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In this first-person shooter the story picks up at the end of the previous game as Russia's invasion into the United States continues, but the war has now engulfed Europe, with Great Britain, France and Germany participating, allied to the US. The player once again takes on the role of various characters throughout the campaign, including 'Soap' Mctavish from the previous game, as well as several new ones, including Frost and Sandman, members of the US Delta Force.

Next to the main story campaign with its scripted gameplay, MW3 features two cooperative game modes. The first is Spec Ops, making a return from the previous game. It has the players perform brief missions and a star is awarded based on the performance. The second is the new Survival Mode, where players fight off different waves of enemy soldiers which get progressively harder.

The multiplayer portion comes with the usual game modes (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, ...). In addition to these, several new game modes have been included. The first is called Kill Confirmed and requires the player to retrieve the dog tags of defeated enemies for the kill to register. The opposing team can also retrieve it to deny the player's kill. Another one, Team Defender, involves teams capturing a single flag on the map and keeping it for as long as possible to score the most points. There are also several pre-made modes for private matches, such as Infection (kill enemies to recruit them), Drop Zone (hold a zone for points and care packages), Team Juggernaut (each team has an AI Juggernaut character), and Gun Game (every player only has a pistol and three bullets, and earns extra guns and bullets by getting kills).

The Killstreak reward system from the previous games for multiplayer has been scrapped in favour of the new Pointstreak system. Points are earned by completing additional challenges, next to just raking in kills. The rewards are organized in three strike packages: Assault, Support, and Specialist, each with new options and perks as they are unlocked.

Along with this game the Call of Duty: Elite service is introduced, a service that tracks player statistics and has social networking and smartphone integration. It is free, but subscribers who pay a monthly fee receive DLC, and can participate in competitions to win prizes. It also integrates with the earlier Call of Duty: Black Ops.

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Credits (Windows version)

1,100 People (1,020 developers, 80 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 85% (based on 57 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 74 ratings with 1 reviews)

Third and Long

The Good
New to this sequel, you have the roles and characteristics of a Renegade Agent, a Special Agent and a Navy SEAL with a fair share of stealth sequences thrown into the mix. With the full arsenal of weapons at your disposal, plus gadgets like Night or Thermal Vision not to mention the occasional use of Predator Drones plus Juggernaut Armor, you really have the advantage. There's also many satisfying moments to shoot down helicopters or bust tanks.

Different from the last two games are the variety of scenes you'll fight your way through, from the Docks of London to the African Savannah. When you're not playing the Campaign, the Special Ops offers an array of missions from taking place in familiar locations. They not only serve as side missions but in instances like rescuing Alena or capturing the Russian president, serve to bridge parts of the main campaign storyline, which is quite clever in game design.

The Bad
Just like the previous game, you have slightly broken mouse controls, remedied only by redefining the Grenade key. The weapon that lets you down a lot is the grenade launchers, which are supposed to explode on impact, but you have to fire them in a very specific way otherwise they land harmlessly on the ground. What is laughable in the game's plot is the amount of punishment characters take including plummeting down multiple floors and getting half hit by debris which would in real life render them unable to fight properly.

There are a number of other irritating quirks present in the game. Driving the submarine with the mouse in the mission "Hunter Killer" can be awkward with little control from getting stuck or trying to keep up with your teammates. Sometimes the Special Ops missions throw very unpleasant surprises that could have been done without such as grenades that leave poison gas after they explode.

The Bottom Line
This third and last game of the Modern Warfare trilogy ends with intrigue and satisfaction. Forget about front line assaults, you're coverting your way into enemy territory. The quirks won't impede much as you play through the game. Each new game you start will feel just like a new game as you try getting through missions with one or two different weapons. Some players would be amazed that Soap lasted this long in all three games, you can be sure that his death is pretty much the climax of the series. Never miss out on this last title of the trilogy, it's absolutely refreshing for your itchy trigger fingers.

Windows · by Kayburt (30257) · 2020

Discussion

Subject By Date
Why is this game's name wrong? Foxhack (32102) Jan 7, 2014

Trivia

75th Rangers

The 75th Rangers from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 are mentioned several times throughout the game. First in the opening cutscene of "Black Tuesday", where the operational map shows the 75th Rangers involved in fighting around New York City and then again through radio broadcasts during the Paris mission. Since Hunter Two-One who are part of the 75th Rangers but not present in Modern Warfare 3 it can be assumed these references were put into the game to explain their absence between sequels. Especially considering their final mission ended on a sort-of cliffhanger.

Awards

  • GameStar/GamePro (Germany)
    • 2011 - #3 Multiplayer Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)
  • PC Games (Germany)
    • Issue 01/2012 - #2 Best Single-Player Shooter in 2011 (Readers' Choice)
    • Issue 01/2012 - #2 Best Multiplayer Shooter in 2011 (Readers' Choice)
    • Issue 01/2012 - #3 Best Game in 2011 (Readers' Choice)
    • Issue 01/2012 - #3 Best Sound in 2011 (Readers' Choice)
    • Issue 01/2012 - Biggest Disappointment in 2011 (Readers' Choice)

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Starbuck the Third.

Windows, Macintosh added by Sciere. Wii added by Kabushi.

Additional contributors: MegaMegaMan, Patrick Bregger, Ƒreddƴ, mike coleman.

Game added November 11, 2011. Last modified March 12, 2024.