Average score for an average game.
Visually the game looks nice, character models are good and animations are top notch, the landscapes varied and the particle effects add much to the war torn battlefield immersing you into the conflict. The sound is great with each level a cacophony of sounds you would expect in a war, the whizzing of bullets combine with the ever present whir of the chopper rotors helping you to believe you're actually in a war. Some of the guns still sound a little weak but that's like criticizing Jesus for having dirty sandals. So the game looks and sounds great why the paltry score?
Deep breath and....oh no it's the same game. What a disappointment to see the same enemy/friendly AI yet again. Watch in horror as every enemy on the battlefield has only got eyes for you, scream when those grenades rain down on you and seemingly follow you around to kill you wherever you run, moan when the enemy guy kills you with deadly accuracy whilst blind firing over a ledge at 50 feet....now you begin to understand why this game grates...it's the same as every other MW title. Within seconds of the opening level you're whisked back to the original title, complete with every fault/complaint and little to no innovation.
The story is ludicrous at best, dripping with american sentiment and when the Eiffel tower goes down you will be humming the Team America song in your head. You shrug off about a thousand bullets when you finish and that's only after dying umpteenth times until you learn the "right" way to do it, breaching sequences punish you time and time again. Globe trotting and killing should be exciting but it's like a list of Allies they had to include to tick all the boxes.
So the campaign is nothing new, you will get a few hours out of it until the persistent AI faults drive you insane so now on to the wealth of multi-player.
Spec-ops was a great addition to the MW stable so no reason to ......wait...time limits? The laziest form of game design rears it's head instantly as you struggle to complete the first mission, flash bangs work on some but other enemy soldiers just ignore them and bang....right in the face. Having never seen the layout of the level so not knowing what to expect the developers expect you to complete the level in 1:50 first time? No they expect you to die over and over until you learn the right way to do it, poor form. Ok try another level and ....more time limits. This alienation of casual players isn't doing anyone any favours, I gave the spec ops missions about 10 minutes worth and bah....try something else. Survival mode is fun, buying new guns/ammo and calling in back up or air strikes is a worthy addition to waste a few hours, pity the level design didn't match up. Supply stations are too far apart and you spend most of your time running in between to resupply your meagre ammunition allowance. It's fun for a while but unlike GOW3 which allows you to set up a decent defense point the poor level design and the ability of the enemy soldiers to spawn anywhere ruins the experience very quickly.
Host migration...it's the arrow to the knee for the MW players. Multiplayer games are exactly the same as the last iteration, right down to the menus. If you grew tired of lagging and spawn camping or nube tubers there's nothing to see here. A few tweaks with perks and killstreak rewards but little else, there is nothing new on offer to excite old players and some of the "new" additions add very little. You may as well pick your favourite version of MW and play it....the similarities are astounding.
Verdict? It's the same old sandwich. Nothing has changed for the better, the same problems exist and new ones arise. The campaign will annoy you with all the AI short comings and quick time breaching events, spec ops has been ruined by lazy development with time limits and poor level design and multiplayer is like last nights left overs, it's ok but you want something more tasty this time around. I am glad I didn't buy this game but lent it from a friend, it is value for money for first time players of the franchise but veterans will feel the bile rising in their throats as the regurgitation continues. Spit and polish can't help the feeling of "been there, done that" in every aspect of the game. At least you can pay a bundle for the "elite" service which offers nothing really except the wealth of downloadable stuff that bombards this franchise.
Back to the battlefield for me.....yes that's right battlefield 3...it is a breath of fresh air in a cafe that seems hell bent on serving up leftovers for new customers.