CoD:MW3 is a used game released as new, featuring a dated formula in an ancient engine.
By Steven Swadinsky
**WARNING** Potential Single Player Spoilers
Before unleashing my derisive critique upon one of the most beloved franchises in FPS history, let me introduce myself as a recovering Call of Duty addict. Once upon a time, I agreed with industry greats – GameSpot and IGN – that Call of Duty was the best in the business. While the familiar and somewhat hackneyed release of Modern Warfare 2 shook that belief, Modern Warfare 3 showed me that the franchise had turned into just another cash cow.
From the start, the game plunges you knee-deep into World War 3, set in Manhattan. The Soviets are still pressing the advantage from the harrowing events that took place in MW2, but the Americans have a few tricks up their sleeves. Modern Warfare 3 leads you into the game with a great first impression; the familiar, traditional shooter mechanics of the CoD franchise are all in place. Quick aiming, snappy aim-assist, and highly customizable controls are all in place, as they've been in the series's nine year history. If nothing else, the legacy of the Quake 3 Arena engine remains largely intact, and largely playable. The frenetic, yet smooth gunplay never fails to impress. That, however, is where the positive marks of the game end.
Not long into the game, the aforementioned engine begins to show its age among the other horses of its pedigree. When compared to games like Battlefield 3 and Killzone 3, Modern Warfare 3's age truly does hold it back. The quality of graphics, while not terrible, seems to have remained stagnant where other competitors have advanced in both detail and scale. Where other games's environments are destructible by design, Modern Warfare 3's remain beset by predictable scripting and sometimes bombastic, over-the-top events. Did it make sense to anyone how the Eiffel tower toppled over? Yeah, me neither. The game certainly would have benefitted from a legitimate physics engine. This is 2011, after all; physics engines aren't piecemeal additions to modern gaming, anymore.
Sound has remained largely unchanged since the beginning of the Modern Warfare trilogy. This wouldn't be such a bad thing if the guns didn't sound like harmless, plastic weapons. The din of war is noisy, incomprehensible, and even explosions don't sound quite like they do in reality or modern war films. When your #1 competitor is lauded for superb sound design on three of its outings, one would think an intuitive producer would see that as a benchmark to improve. I suppose if it isn't broke, don't fix it…
…speaking of which: If there's one thing that absolutely kills the single player experience – at least in the PS3 and PC versions of the game – it's the intermittently broken checkpoint design of the game. On two occasions, buddy-screwing Captain Price seems unwilling to help Soap upon a table to receive medical assistance, ergo halting the progression of the game; later, Sandman emotes silent jibber-jabber into his radio while you impatiently await instructions on how to continue covering Granite Squad, only to find out your progression is halted by yet another pesky broken checkpoint. You'd think for how eager Sledgehammer Games was to achieve a bug-free release – a first ever for the CoD franchise – of MW3, they hit a little wide of the mark. As bad as choppy editing and poorly-paced storytelling mar the tempo of a game, being unable to advance at all without restarting a mission is far worse.
When it comes to story, Modern Warfare 3 takes yet another step back from its predecessor. The tall tale of MW3 seems told by someone akin to a prepubescent fan boy of Call of Duty with no concept of story flow. One minute, "Soap" MacTavish seems critically wounded; the next, he's on his feet and ready for battle. I suppose that's the narrative's way of suggesting he heals like the player does, if he takes cover long enough. Ambiguous context and blurry character anecdotes never quite succeed in telling the player just who's in control of World War 3, until suddenly all of the "good guys" are in Germany looking for the Russian President and his daughter. From President to Daughter – Daughter – President – President – Daughter – President – Daughter – Daughter – President, it's hard to discern just who is the priority to rescue until nearly the closing moments of the game.
Oh, and let's not forget about Makarov – you know the REAL bad guy – he's really who Price is after, when it's all said and done. While it takes a minute of thought to figure out, apparently he's the one behind all of the events in the trilogy. Figured I'd spare players the headache of trying to figure it out on their own. In the end, the only point of the plot that truly delivers any powerful storytelling is the epic confrontation between Price and Makarov at the game's conclusion. It's a shame that a discerning player has to jostle through such a strident narrative to achieve this one diamond in the rough.
The game's multiplayer stands out as another figurehead of "not fixing what ain't broke." While I applaud Infinity Ward's efforts to maintain series formula and deliver a polished and balanced competitive shooter, a little innovation and advancement of design would have been nice. Not much has changed since its two predecessors, and very little in terms of "shinies" has been added. Streak rewards continue to trump FPS skills, and simplistic mechanics can be exploited by campers and pro lone wolf run-and-gunners. While this may prove satisfying to die hard CoD fans or players new to the series, it just isn't enough for the discerning player looking to get their $60's worth.
Bottom Line: CoD:MW3 is a used game released as new, featuring a dated formula and an ancient engine. Even if you're a fan of this series, it might be best to simply wait to pick it up used at your local game store, or wait for its price to be reduced. Considering how much I loved the original Modern Warfare's release, I am ashamed to admit I even bothered to Red Box a copy of the game just so I could write a review of it.
Final Review: 6.5/10