Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

The player assumes the role of various characters during the single player campaign, changing perspectives throughout the progression of the story, which, like its predecessors, is divided into three sets of missions called "Acts". Each mission in an act featuring a series of objectives that are displayed on the heads up display, which marks the direction and distance between such objectives and the player. Damage to the player is shown by the visualization of blood-spatter or red-outs on the screen. The player's health regenerates over time as long as the player character avoids taking damage for a limited time. Mission objectives vary in their requirements, ranging from having the player arrive at a particular checkpoint, to eliminating enemies in a specified location, to standing their ground against enemy squadrons, directing remote-operated weapons, and planting explosive charges on enemy installations. The player is also accompanied by fellow soldiers who cannot be issued orders. Like its predecessor, the game includes an interactive scene of a terror attack against civilians, which the player is given the option of skipping due to the portrayal of graphic and potentially upsetting content, including harm to children.

Modern Warfare 3 features a new mode, called Survival. This mode allows between one and two players to fight massive waves of enemies, with each wave becoming increasingly difficult. It differs from the Nazi Zombies mode in Call of Duty: World at War, principally in that enemies no longer spawn at fixed locations like the zombies do, but instead appear at tactical positions based on the current location of the player. The mode is available on all multiplayer maps in the game. Players earn in-game cash for items such as weapons, upgrades, ammo, air/ground support and equipment if they kill or assist in killing enemies, while more items can be unlocked by earning XP which is also increased by killing enemies.[7][8] Special Ops also returns from Modern Warfare 2. These challenge missions feature up to 48 stars, unlike its previous installment, which featured 69. Some weapons in Spec Ops are exclusive to that game mode, and are not available for play in multiplayer mode.[9]

The new "Recon Juggernaut" Pointstreak reward in multiplayer mode

The entire Killstreak reward system has been altered to make it more difficult for players to get early unlocks. Killstreaks are now known as Pointstreaks, and kills are no longer the only way to increase the player's pointstreak. Completing objectives such as planting a bomb or capturing a flag in Capture The Flag awards points towards the player's Pointstreak. Pointstreak rewards are organized into three different "strike packages" called Assault, Support, and Specialist.

The Assault strike package works the same as the Killstreak reward system in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops: the player must earn more and more points without dying. Once the player is killed, their points are reset to zero. Likewise, the Specialist strike package rewards players with perks after every second consecutive kill. Upon death, however, the player loses all the perks and the points are reset to zero. In contrast, the Support strike package are awarded based on the total points that the player has earned over the entire match, regardless of how often the player dies. It is important to note that if a player switches to a custom class with a different reward system (either assault or specialist) during game play, all points are automatically reset to 0.[10] Players are allowed to choose which Pointstreak rewards they want to use when they gain it during the match, rather than choosing them between rounds.

Along with revamping the entire Killstreak reward system, Modern Warfare 3 also has a completely modified Ranking and Unlocks system, which does not use a currency system for unlocks.[11] The player's primary weapon levels up alongside the player, and unlocks a number of "Proficiency" perks such as Attachments, (allows two attachments and is a successor to the "Bling" and "Warlord" perks), Kick (reduced recoil while aiming down the player's sight) and Focus (reduced flinching while under fire). Only one Proficiency can be put on a primary weapon.[12] Another new addition is the ability to equip "Hybrid Scopes" on a weapon, such as a holographic sight with a red dot magnifier, allowing players to switch between magnified and non-magnified.[12] Modern Warfare 3 introduces a new "Prestige Shop" which will unlock only after the player has selected the option to prestige for the first time. The "Prestige Shop" allows Prestige players to use tokens they gain from using the Prestige option to buy exclusive features such as double XP and an extra custom weapon class. The player is able to Prestige 20 times.[13]

Several controversial perks in Modern Warfare 2, accused of being too overpowered, have been removed in Modern Warfare 3. Diving from standing to prone, known as "dolphin diving", has been removed due to balancing issues.[14] Modern Warfare 3 utilized Treyarch's hot fix system to fix bugs and glitches.[15] Modern Warfare 3 features a local and online split-screen option. (Not available for the Wii version.)[16]

New game modes were added:

• Kill Confirmed: players must collect floating dog tags from the corpse of a downed enemy before the kill can be registered. However, the opposing team can pick up the dog tag as well to deny the other team a kill, which denies the other team a point.
• Team Defender: both teams attempt to capture a flag dropped by the first person who is killed when the match starts, the team of the person who holds the flag will get double points for their kills; while the team without the flag only gets the default number per kill.
• Private matches also now include pre-made game modes including: "Infected" (where the infected kill enemies to recruit them to their team), "Drop Zone" (where the player must hold a drop zone for points and care packages), "Team Juggernaut" (each team plays alongside an AI Juggernaut character), "Gun Game" (be the first to get one kill with every gun in the game), "One in the Chamber" (in which players are only allowed one pistol with one bullet and three lives where they can only get more bullets by killing other players), and "Juggernaut" (free for all against a juggernaut, kill the juggernaut to become it). Along with this, players are allowed to create their own game modes with customized settings such as number of players and time limit.[10]

The Special Ops game mode from Modern Warfare 2 is present in Modern Warfare 3, and includes new features which make it more replayable and similar to other game modes, such as Nazi Zombies from previous Call of Duty games, and Hordes from Gears of War. The two main Special Ops modes include one that is generally the same from the last Modern Warfare game, and a new wave based game, Survival, where the player is inserted into a multiplayer map alone or with a single partner and defends an area against waves of enemies. The players can buy support options unlocked with money earned during each round via the means of killing the enemy, and completing the optional objectives on each wave, which vary from getting multi-kills to not taking damage. You gain experience for killing them which allows for more weapons to be unlocked, as well as other support options. The mode also works with the DLC multiplayer maps.

Call of Duty: Elite was an online service developed by Beachhead Studios for the multiplayer portion of Modern Warfare 3 (as well as the previous installment in the series, Black Ops). It was first showcased at E3 2011 and was released on November 8, 2011, to coincide with the release of Modern Warfare 3. The free version included features such as lifetime statistics and social-networking integration. It included monthly downloadable content.[17] The service was shut down by Activision on February 28, 2014, and did not support Call of Duty: Ghosts.

The game sees the return of former Task Force 141 Captain John "Soap" MacTavish (voiced by Kevin McKidd), former SAS Captain John Price (Billy Murray) and Russian informant "Nikolai", who are on the run after killing the rogue U.S. Army Lieutenant General Shepherd, the main antagonist of the previous game. Task Force 141 was officially disavowed due to Shepherd's death, with the truth of his involvement in igniting the war known only to Price, Soap, and Nikolai. For most of the game, the player controls Yuri (Brian Bloom), an ex-Spetsnaz operative,[18] who joins Price on his hunt for Russian Ultranationalist leader Vladimir Makarov (Roman Varshavsky). Makarov returns as the game's main antagonist,[19] and has a new contact named "Volk", a Russian bombmaker in Paris, France. Several playable characters have been added, including: Delta Force operative Staff Sergeant Derek "Frost" Westbrook; SAS Sgt. Marcus Burns; and Andrei Harkov, a Russian FSO agent tasked with protecting the Russian President. Just like President Al-Fulani in the first game, Soap is only "playable" during the game's opening sequence; while Price becomes the player character in the game's final mission, Dust to Dust. The player also takes brief control of a civilian tourist in London, seconds before he and his family are killed by a chemical agent; as well as an AC-130 TV Operator during Team Metal's escape from Paris in the mission Iron Lady.

New non-player characters (NPCs) include: Delta Force operatives "Sandman" (William Fichtner),[20][21] "Truck" (Idris Elba), and "Grinch" (Timothy Olyphant), who serve as Frost's squadmates. Captain MacMillan (Tony Curran) returns from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as Baseplate, to provide the 141 with critical intelligence. Craig Fairbrass, who originally voiced the characters Gaz and Ghost, returns to voice SAS operative Sergeant Wallcroft, who originally had a minor role in the first Modern Warfare.[22]

Immediately following the events of the previous game, Soap is extracted to a Russian loyalist safehouse in Himachal Pradesh, alongside Price and Nikolai. Makarov's forces, however, arrive soon after, prompting the now-disbanded Task Force 141 members to flee with assistance from Yuri, one of Nikolai's associates who shares a common grudge against Makarov.

Meanwhile, a four-man Delta Force team codename "Metal" assists U.S. forces in defense of New York City, currently under siege by Russian forces. Metal destroy a radio jammer and re-establish USAF superiority. They then board an Oscar II-class submarine and use its own missile payload to destroy the Russian Navy in New York Bay, prompting Russia to withdraw its forces from the East Coast.

Three months later, Boris Vorshevsky, the President of Russia, flies to take part in peace talks with the United States in Hamburg. Makarov's forces, however, ambush the plane and kill most of the cabinet, forcing it to crash land. Makarov demands the President relinquish Russia's nuclear launch codes, threatening his daughter's life if he does not comply. Makarov then orders chemical bombs to be sent from Sierra Leone to several NATO affiliated capital cities and military bases. The Special Air Service identify such a shipment inbound to London, but the bomb detonates anyway despite their best efforts. With their defense forces crippled by the attacks, Russian ground forces—now under Makarov's control—launch an invasion of the European continent.

Whilst the U.S. military coordinates effort to repel the invasion of Europe, Price's team acquire a lead from MacMillan that Volk, CEO of Fregata Industries, is responsible for constructing the bombs. Price acquires Volk's location from his Somali contact before killing him, relaying the information to Metal, who are deployed to capture Volk in Paris with assistance from the GIGN. Volk reveals that Makarov is meeting with his associates in Prague, however, the meeting turns out to be a trap. Sergeant Kamarov, a Russian loyalist and close contact to Price, is killed by Makarov—who addresses Yuri as "[his] friend." In the ensuing fight, Soap suffers a major fall injury which causes his knife wound to reopen. He then dies from blood loss soon after revealing Makarov's association with Yuri.

Price interrogates Yuri at gunpoint, demanding to know more about his past with Makarov. Yuri reveals that he was present in Pripyat during Zakhaev's attempted assassination, and became disillusioned with the Ultranationalist cause following the nuclear detonation in the Middle East. He then explains that he tried to thwart the massacre at Zakhaev International Airport but was critically wounded by Makarov and later rescued by the airport security. Price begrudgingly cooperates with Yuri, and with further help from MacMillan, the two infiltrate Makarov's castle base to acquire intel on his whereabouts.

Price learns that the Russian President's daughter, Alena, is in hiding in Berlin. Team Metal relay the intel and work with the German Bundeswehr to reach her but fail to get to her before Makarov's forces capture her. Metal track Alena to a diamond mine in Siberia and launch a rescue mission alongside Yuri and Price. Though the rescue mission is successful, Metal sacrifices themselves as the mine collapses. With the President safe, Russia and the United States call an immediate ceasefire, ending the war in Europe and abroad.

Though Makarov goes into hiding, Price and Yuri track him to a hotel in Dubai by January 2017. Overcoming fierce resistance, Price and Yuri corner Makarov on the hotel rooftop. Though Makarov gains the upper hand, Yuri intervenes but is killed in the process, allowing Price to strangle the distracted Makarov, hanging him from a steel cable. As the police approach the hotel, a victorious Price smokes a cigar.

Contents of the Hardened Edition

Modern Warfare 3 was released in two different retail versions across the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms: Standard and Hardened. The standard version consists of the game and an instructional manual, and is the only version available for the Microsoft Windows platform. Contents within the Hardened Edition include the game disc with "unique art", one year membership to Call of Duty: Elite, "special founder status" on Call of Duty: Elite which includes an exclusive in-game emblem, playercard, weapon camouflage, clan XP boost, and more exclusive benefits, premium collectible Steelbook case, exclusive animated timeline theme for PS3 only, exclusive Spec Ops Juggernaut Xbox Live avatar outfit for Xbox 360 only, and a limited edition, collectible field journal, which chronicles "the entire saga with 100+ pages of authentic military sketches, diagrams, and written entries."[59]

Robert Bowling of Infinity Ward confirmed that there will be no Prestige Edition of Modern Warfare 3. In the past, the Prestige editions of previous Call of Duty games have included physical items such as a remote-controlled car for Black Ops, and a pair of night vision goggles and a life-sized plastic head to put them on for Modern Warfare 2.[60]

On August 19, 2011, UK retailer Game announced an Intel Pack of Modern Warfare 3. It comes with a British special forces avatar for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, as well as a Brady strategy guide.[61] On September 3, 2011, Activision and Microsoft jointly announced a special, limited Modern Warfare 3 version of the Xbox 360 with a 320 GB hard disk. The unit is designed by the Call of Duty team and includes two custom wireless controllers, a copy of Modern Warfare 3 and features custom sounds when the console is turned on/off or when the disc tray is ejected. A one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold is also included, as well as exclusive avatar items.[62]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 received "generally positive" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic, except for the Wii, where it received "mixed or average" reviews.[63][64][65][66]

The Daily Telegraph gave the game's Xbox 360 version 5 stars out of 5, stating that even as "the series has always been renowned for elements like the excellent sound design, the gloss, polish and compulsion of its gameplay," it is "a game that not only lives up to the brand hype but exceeds it. A game where the mass appeal is justified, and the expectations are met."[77] Gaming Evolution gave the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions a 9.0 out of 10, stating "Modern Warfare 3 lives up to the hype. It is proving itself the one of the best FPS the genre has to offer."[78] IGN gave the game's Xbox 360 version a 9.0 out of 10.0, pointing out that the game offers "great multiplayer, [a] fun campaign, tons of content, but [also] a forgettable story."[73]

GameSpot qualifies its review, stating that "the series' signature thrills have lost some of their luster. Modern Warfare 3 iterates rather than innovates, so the fun you have is familiar", but concludes by affirming that "fortunately, [the game is] also utterly engrossing and immensely satisfying, giving fans another reason to rejoice in this busy shooter season".[70] Eurogamer gave the game an 8/10 noting that it is a "ferocious and satisfying game that knows exactly what players expect, and delivers on that promise with bullish confidence" but with "an outmoded single-player campaign".[68]

Reviews for the Wii version of the game have been less favorable. IGN rated it only 4.5 out of 10, blaming the lacking graphics and poor friend code system for bringing it down.[74]

Activision has said that it believes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 day-one shipments were the largest for any game ever. "The record number of pre-orders from Modern Warfare 3 drove the largest day-one shipments in our history, and in the industry's history," said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg during an earnings call on November 8, 2011. Hirshberg said more than 1.5 million people queued at 13,000 shops at midnight on Monday to buy Modern Warfare 3, "making it the largest retail release in Activision's history and in the industry's history".[79]

Activision reported sales figures for Modern Warfare 3 in the U.S. and UK being more than 6.5 million copies sold on launch day and grossed $400 million in the US and UK alone in its first 24 hours, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time.[80] It is the third year in a row that the Call Of Duty series has broken the same record. 2010's Black Ops grossed $360 million on day one; in 2009, Modern Warfare 2 brought in $310 million.[81] Activision Blizzard president and CEO Robert Kotick stated that "the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we [Activision] achieved this record with sales from only two territories."[3]

The title grossed more than $775 million globally in its first five days of availability, exceeding the $650 million record set by 2010's Call of Duty: Black Ops and the $550 million one achieved by 2009's Modern Warfare 2.[82] To be exact, it has beaten theatrical box office, book, and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell-through in dollars.[83]

Modern Warfare 3 went on to gross $1 billion throughout the world in 16 days of availability, beating Avatar's record of 19 days, according to Activision.[84]

According to NPD Group, Modern Warfare 3 was November's biggest selling game of the month in the U.S. Modern Warfare 3 sales surpassed first-month sales of 2010s Black Ops by 7 percent, and sales for November sit at around the 9 million unit mark.[85][86] In November 2013, IGN confirmed that Modern Warfare 3 sold 26.5 million copies, becoming the highest-selling game in the Call of Duty series.[87]

Modern Warfare 3 topped the UK video game sales chart in its first week, becoming the biggest video game launch in history by revenue.[88] By November 21, 2011, the game remained the bestselling title in the United Kingdom, despite sales dropping by 87%.[89] Modern Warfare 3 held the top spot on the UK charts for four weeks running.[90][91] It was replaced by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in its fifth week on the market.[92]

The PlayStation 3 version of Modern Warfare 3 also topped the Japanese chart in its first week on sale, shifting 180,372 copies, while the Xbox 360 version sold around 30,000.[93]

Modern Warfare 3 received the Best Shooter award at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, it was also nominated for the Best Multiplayer Game in 2011 as well. At the Interactive Achievement Awards or DICE awards, Modern Warfare 3 won the award for Action Game of the Year and was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design and Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity.