Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Modern Warfare 3 Singleplayer Review



In such a short amount of time Call of Duty has dominated the First Person Shooter landscape. Instead of waiting years for a new installment, the die-hard fans get their mitts on each new COD a mere 11 months after the previous. Does Modern Warfare 3 carry a bandolier full of progress…or have the early signs of fatigue been set in motion?

That’s a good question: one that has two parts. And instead of reviewing the game as a standard title, I’m breaking it into a singelplayer and multiplayer centered synapses. I will take some time to come to a firm conclusion on how truly different – if at all – multiplayer has become since we last threw down on the battlefield. Honestly it may take months for a definitive conclusion on how solid the online component is. We press on nonetheless.

Modern Warfare 3’s solo missions – sorry for those hoping for co-op, sadly it’s not here – focus on the ludicrously convulsed plot of Modern Warfare 2…that’s not fare, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Modern Warfare 2’s story was half written on a dirty napkin. Just, don’t get your hopes up, please.  When it comes to narrative Call of Duty finds ways to make Howard the Duck a nuanced piece of cinema.

Through roughly sixteen campaign scenarios you’ll become so desensitized by the sheer carnage coming from all angles you might need to bang your head on a wall to knock yourself back to reality. It’s utterly amazing how many times something goes boom! There’s an explosion crammed into ever orifice of this one here.

If Battlefield 3 is a gourmet pizza with subtle flavors and only a few ingredients than Modern Warfare 3 is a supreme with extra toppings…too bad it wasn’t cooked all the way through.

You just can’t digest this much action into the eyeholes quickly enough Infinity Ward. The “S” hitting the “F” dial is at maximum, rarely do you get a reprieve from the onslaught of cars blowing up or someone screaming “RPGGGGG!” It’s all too much.



Call of Duty 4 – the first to take Call of Duty to the modern war zone – had a simple story. Through twists and retreads what has come before now seems novelty. The plot of COD: Modern Warfare 3 is handled thrown audio logs throughout loading screens between missions. Tell me why a cutscene with actual characters conversing, can’t suffice? Sometimes I don’t even know who’s talking…yes we know who Prices is but Call for Duty jumps from one man to the next faster than a single MILF at a bar.

I struggle to find a reason why someone would shell out 60 hard-earned dollars just for the singelplayer alone.  There are people picking it out for just that. And if you really, really liked Modern Warfare 2 than you’ll get something out of this. The rest of us who are nauseous from the screen shaking and have perfuse bleeding from our ears, by credits end, could have done without a very overbearing solo game.

Singelplayer is just an appetizer though (one that you’d probably send back), and competitive multiplayer the main course. And while I’ve only had a few hours of play it looks like the tried-and-true COD formula is still intact. It’s the finer details that need to be analyzed before any of us have an opinion about the online battle-royal. Until such a time, have fun; don’t let the singelplayer taint the entire experience. Much more is in store. 

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