It’s that time of year again!
Every November we can expect to see a new Call of Duty game and this year is no different, so what can we expect from this well worn franchise? It’s understandable why the game is so popular the single player aspect is a high octane roller coaster ride as always even if it is hard to get your head around the plot at times and the multiplayer constantly rewards you with perks and rewards.
As with MW2 when you put the disc in for the first time you will be greeted with a message that there is disturbing content within the campaign and would you like to skip it. I cannot imagine anyone choosing to skip it it’s like when they “warn” you before a show starts on television with sexual nudity and graphic violence. I believe it serves the purpose of advertising rather than warning anyone.
The single player takes off where MW2 left with the return of former Task Force 101 on a mission to save the world from the evil Makarov. It plays the same as the previous two entries and is starting to feel a little tired. For instance I always remember the first MW campaign as it had some fantastic moments such as lying in the grass as a platoon walks right by you but I don’t think I’ll be remembering anything about this game as fondly as that. That’s not too say this is a bad game, it’s extremely exciting and never lets up the pace for the mere 5 to 6 hrs it lasts.
The engine is starting to look a little out of date with little change to the graphics since the first modern warfare but it runs incredibly smooth throughout the entire game at 60 frames per second throughout.
The multiplayer option is the main reason people want this game and here they have evolved the gameplay somewhat to create a more balanced multiplayer and the best Call of Duty to date.
There are some welcome changes to the way the Killstreak reward system works now. Firstly, they’re now called Pointstreaks and setting up objectives such as planting a bomb or capturing a flag will now go towards a players Pointstreak. This is a welcome addition and encourages more people to go for objectives. There are three categories within the Pointstreak system called Assault, Support and Specialist. Assault is similar to Killstreak rewards from M.W 2 with attack helicopters and predator drones. Support offers rewards such as U.A.V’s and SAM turrets and kills for these can be accumulated regardless of whether the player dies or not. The Specialist package rewards players a perk of their choice after every second consecutive kill and after eight kills can receive every perk in the game but all will be lost should the player die.
As well as the changes to the Killstreaks system the way ranking and unlocking works has been overhauled. Unlocking new guns is still done by ranking up, however you now level up weapons which adds proficiency perks to the player’s primary weapon such as hip fire accuracy, Attachments (allowing two attachments) and Kick (reduces recoil when aiming down the sight).
New modes in MW3 are Kill Confirmed in which you have to collect the dog tag of a downed enemy the kill will register the opposing team can also collect the tag to deny the kill registering.
Then there’s Team Defender in which a flag is dropped by the first player killed both teams have to try to get the flag as this means each kill by that team will register twice the points.
For those interested in co-op gameplay Special Ops makes a return here with several missions ranging from disarming chemical weapons or taking control of an airplane and are each interesting their own right. There is also a survival mode similar to the zombie mode of World at War but without the zombies and enemies will spawn in tactical positions based on the players positions at the time.
Call of Duty Elite is another new addition and regardless of whether you go premium everyone will have access to feature such as stats, who killed who and where, spawn points and maps.
This is a useful tool for everyone and for those that want to pay Elite promises monthly DLC, competitions with prizes, the ability to level up your clan and all sorts of other stuff for the hardcore Call of Duty player.
Closing comments
The single player is the same tried and tested formula of the previous games and while being enjoyable is getting a bit old and could do with a major revamp. The multiplayer is where it’s at and will please Call of Duty fans with more balanced gameplay and the addition of some new modes to keep it fresh.
