Xbox 360 Review: Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 3

Activision and Infinity Ward launched the long Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and sales of the game in the first 24 hours reached $400 million setting a new record for an entertainment launch.  This review covers the single-player campaign and cooperative mode. 

We left off at the end of Modern Warfare 2 with our heroes, “Roach” and “Ghost” of Task Force 141, betrayed and killed by General Shepard.  General Shepherd is then hunted and killed by Captains John “Soap” MacTavish and John Price using intel from terrorist Vladimir Makarov.  We learned that Shepherd and Makarov are behind the start of World War 3.  General Shepherd was seeking revenge against the world for losing 30,000 men in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Makarov just wants Russia to become the dominant force in Europe.  “Soap” and Price decided that the only way to end the war is to find Makarov and bring him to justice.  However, killing General Shepherd put “Soap” and Price on the most wanted list since few know of General Shepherd’s treasonous cause. 

SINGLE-PLAYER CAMPAIGN

The campaign in Modern Warfare 3 finally gives closure to the story line begun in Modern Warfare. I won’t spoil the ending, but fans of the series will not be disappointed with the sequence of events leading to the climactic ending.  The one thing that Activision does that sets the Call of Duty series apart from other first person shooters is the thought put into the storytelling and the cinematic scenes that advance the story lines. 

Of course, it isn’t as well written as most Hollywood blockbusters and the dialogue at times can be poorly written.  However, the voice acting and action sequences overcome any shortcomings.  The cinematic scenes are always compared to what you might find in a Michael Bay movie.  For gamers who like huge fire fights, big explosions, and fast-paced action scenes, Modern Warfare 3 has plenty.   

The graphics of the game are solid.  It isn’t as realistic as more recent FPS games; however, the 60 frames per second frame-rate never slips.  The rendering of the elements in the environment is always smooth and quick.  The sound design is also first rate. The guns sound and feel different. Background sounds in buildings and in the streets will help pull you into the game.  I did not experience any audible or visible glitches or hiccups during my two playthroughs, nor any game crashes.  The game controls haven’t changed from the prior games and are still as responsive and precise as ever.  

Article Author: AnthonyLiggins

He's a self-proclaimed sci-fi geek and sometimes fantasy writer and blogger when he's not smashing Xbox 360 controllers in frustration.
Gamertag: Bedlam74

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