Call of Duty Black Ops not only left people highly anticipated and enthusiastic but the raised the market with mighty records. Hence the competition among the companies was admirable. This did not halt the Call of Duty series and after not much time, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 made its way in the market.
A Chaos Behind
Only after the release of 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward had begun development on the third and final entry to the Modern Warfare trilogy. However, ahead of an anticipated royalty payment from Modern Warfare 2, Activision fired Infinity Ward co-founders, Jason West and Vince Zampella who in response launched a lawsuit against the publisher, accusing them of an attempted takeover of the studio.
The resulting disagreement resulted in a massive fallout of key developers from the Infinity Ward development team prompting Activision to bring into the fold series newcomer, Sledgehammer Games. They began working with Activision in 2009. It was in the process of making a third-person Call of Duty game set during the Vietnam War but after the unexpected Infinity Ward fallout they were brought on board to help develop the final Modern Warfare title alongside Raven software and remaining members of Infinity Ward. The resulting title was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, released in 2011. It was the final title of the Call of Duty Modern Warfare trilogy.
Modern Warfare 3 Development
Modern Warfare 3 is powered by the MW3 Engine often referred to as the unofficial IW 5.0 Engine, boasting enhancements such as improved steaming and audio. Sledgehammer Games also introduced notable features in this installment, making it the first game in the modern warfare series to include native support for color-blind players.
Characters of Modern Warfare 3
In the game, several familiar faces from Task Force 141 make a comeback, namely Captain John Soap MacTivish, Captain John Price, and the Russian mercenary known as Nikolai. They are on the run following their mission to eliminate the rogue General Shepherd, the primary antagonist from the previous game. The disavowal of Task Force 141 is a result of Shepherd’s demise, and the truth about his role in triggering World War II is concealed, known only to Price, Soap, and Nikaloi.
The majority of the game centers on the player assuming the role of Yuri, a former Spetsnaz operative with ties to Makarov who teams up with Task Force 141 in their pursuit of the Russian Ultranationalist terrorist, Vladimir Makarov who takes on the role of the game’s primary antagonist. The game introduces additional playable characters including Delta Force Operator Staff Sergeant Derek Frost Westbrook, Special Sergeant Marcus Burns, and Andrei Harkov, a Russian FSO agent responsible for the protection of the Russian president.
Similar to the first game where Soap played a brief role in this installment, Soap is only playable in the game’s opening sequence, while Price becomes the player character during the final mission, and he is the sole character in the trilogy who speaks while being controlled by the player. The player also briefly takes control of a civilian tourist in London just moments before the character and their family fall victim to a chemical attack. Additionally, there is a segment where the player operates an AC-130 TV Operator during the Battle of Paris.
Non-Player Characters (NPCs)
The game introduces new non-player characters (NPCs) such as Delta Force Operatives Sandman, Tuck, and Grinch who serve as Frost’s squad mates, Captain MacMillan, a character from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare makes a brief return as Base Plate. Crag Fairbrass, known for voicing Gaz and Ghost in previous titles, returns to voice SAS operative Sergeant Wallcroft who originally had a minor role in the first Modern Warfare.
Diversity of Areas
The game features a wide range of locations including India, The United States, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, Germany, Somalia, France, the Czech Republic, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates.
A Compelling Plot
Continuing from the events of the previous game, Soap, and Price take shelter in Himachal Pardesh but their respite is short-lived as Makarov’s forces launch a relentless assault. With Nikolai’s assistance, they reach out to Yuri, a former Spetsnaz operative who shares their burning hatred for Makarov.
At the same time, the elite Force Metal squad joins the American forces, effectively thwarting the Russian Navy’s ominous plans and pushing them out of the East Coast.
Three months later, Russian President Vorshevsky’s peace talks in Hamburg fell victim to a treacherous ambush by Makarov’s operatives. The President is captured and the ruthless demand for Russia’s nuclear codes, coupled with a chilling threat to his daughter’s life, throws Europe into chaos. Makarov proceeded to unleash chemical bombs on NATO cities and military bases, unleashing a horrifying wave of destruction.
Soap’s Tragic Death in Modern Warfare 3
While Team Metal heroically rescues the US Vice President in Hamburg, Task Force 141 conducts a relentless hunt to trace the origin of devastating chemical weapons. They capture Viktor Volk Khristenko in Paris, exposing Makarov’s whereabouts in Prague. However, the confrontation with Makarov in the Czech Capital takes a tragic turn, resulting in Soap’s untimely demise.
Price takes the reins of the situation and intensely interrogates Yuri, uncovering their shared history with Makarov. Despite the painful revelations, they opt to remain allies and delve deeper into Makarov’s dark plans. Their investigation leads them to Makarov’s intention to kidnap President Vorshevsky’s daughter in Berlin.
In a daring rescue operation, Team Metal braves insurmountable odds to save the President’s daughter, but the mission takes a heavy toll, as they pay the ultimate price. Nevertheless, the President is safely returned, bringing an end to the war and forcing Makarov to go underground.
Fast forward to 2017, Price and Yuri embark on a relentless pursuit of Makarov, tracking him to a luxury hotel in Dubai. In a breathtaking showdown on the hotel’s rooftop, they corner Makaraov. Despite fierce resistance and tragic losses, Price emerges triumphant, his victory symbolized as first responders converged on the scene.
Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay
Campaign
Modern Warfare 3 is a first-person shooter game. In the single-player campaign, players assume the roles of different characters, experiencing various perspectives as the story unfolds. The narrative is divided into three Acts, each comprised of missions with specific objectives that are displayed on the heads-up display. These objectives are marked with directional cues and distances to guide the player. When the player character sustains damage, is visually represented
through blood splatter or red-outs on the screen. The players’ health regenerated gradually if they managed to avoid taking damage for a set period.
Objectives
Mission objectives vary in nature, including checkpoints, eliminating enemies at specific locations, holding ground against enemy squads, operating remote weapons, and plating explosives at enemy installations. Throughout these missions, the player is accompanied by fellow soldiers who operate independently and cannot be directly commanded.
Similar to its predecessor, the game features an interactive scene depicting a terrorist attack on civilians. Players have the option to skip this segment due to its graphic and potentially distressing content, which includes harm to children.
Cooperative
Modern Warfare 3 introduces a new game mode called Survival, allowing one to two players to battle hordes of increasingly challenging enemies. This mode differs from Call of Duty World at War’s Nazi Zombies in that enemies do not spawn at fixed points like zombies but instead strategically position themselves based on the player’s location. What is unique is that this mode is available on all multiplayer maps in the game.
Players can earn in-game currency for various items like weapons, upgrades, ammo, air/ground support, and equipment that assists in killing enemies. Moreover, they can unlock additional items by accumulating XP, which is also boosted through enemy eliminators.
In addition to Survival, Spec Ops makes a return from Modern Warfare 2. These challenging missions offer up to 48 stars to earn, in contrast to the 69 stars available in the previous installments. Some weapons exclusive to Spec Ops mode are not accessible for multiplayer gameplay.
Multiplayer of Modern Warfare 3
Modern Warfare 3 underwent a significant overhaul of the Killstreak reward system, rebranding it as Pointstreaks and introducing a more dynamic way to earn points. It is not solely about racking up kills anymore, players can now earn points by completing objectives like planting a bomb or capturing a flag in Capture The Flag.
These Pointstreak rewards are divided into three strike packages: Assault, Support, and Specialist, The Assault package operates similarly to the Killstreak system from previous games, requiring players to accumulate points without dying with death resetting their progress. The Specialist package, on the other hand, grants players additional perks after every two consecutive kills but takes away all perks upon death, resetting points to zero.
The Support package unlike the others accumulates points over the entire match, regardless of how often the player dies. It is essential to note that switching to a custom class with a different reward system during the gameplay automatically resets all points to zero. Players can choose their Poinstreaks as they earn them during the match rather than between the rounds.
In addition to the revamped Pointstreak system, Modern Warfare 3 introduced a modified Ranking and unlocks system which does not use a currency-based unlock system. Instead, the player/s primary weapon levels up alongside them, unlocking the various Proficiency perks such as attachments, kick (reduced recoil while aiming down sights) and Focus (reduced flinching under fire). Only one Proficiency can be applied to a primary weapon. The game also introduces Hybrid Scopes that combine holographic sights with red dot magnifies, allowing players to switch between magnified and non-magnified views.
Modern Warfare 3 Prestige Shop
The game introduces the Prestige Shop accessible after selecting the option to prestige for the first time. This shop allows Prestige players to use tokens earned through Prestige to purchase exclusive features like double XP and an extra custom weapon class. Players can Prestige up to 20 times.
Certain perks that were deemed overpowered in Modern Warfare 2 have been removed in Modern Warfare 3. The controversial dolphin diving feature, allowing players to go from standing prone has also been eliminated due to balanced concerns. The game utilizes Trey Arch’s hotfix system to address bugs and glitches.
New game modes were introduced including Kill Confirmed where players must collect dog tags from downed enemies to confirm kills while denying the opposing team points by picking up the tags. Team Defender has both teams competing to hold a flag dropped by the first player killed, with the flag bearer’s team earning double points for their kills.
Private matches now feature pre-made game modes like Infected, Drop Zone Team Juggernaut Gun Game One in the Chamber, and Juggernaut as well as the ability to create game modes. This enhanced flexibility even extends to split-screen options for local and online play.
Spec Ops
Modern Warfare 3 covers popular spec ops game mode from its predecessor Modern Warfare 2. It has been enhanced to offer a more replay able experience and takes inspiration from other game modes like Nazi Zombies from previous Call of Duty titles and Hordes from Gears of War.
Spec Ops features two primary game modes. The first mode is similar to what was seen in previous Modern Warfare games providing a familiar experience for players. The second mode called Survival introduces a wave-based format where the player is deployed into a multiplayer, either solo or with a single–partner. Their objective is to defend an area against successive waves of enemies.
To aid in this task, players can utilize support options that are purchased by eliminating enemies and completing optional objectives during which wave. These objectives can range from achieving multi-kills to avoiding damage. The experience points earned for defeating enemies contribute to unlocking more weapons and support options. Importantly, this mode is also compatible with downloadable multiplayer maps, ensuring a seamless experience for players.
Modern Warfare 3 Acclaims
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 received “generally positive” reviews according to review Metacritc aggregator.
The Daily Telegraph stated that;
“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 expectations are met.”
IGN gave the Xbox 360 version of the game 9.0 out of 10.0 points stating that the game offers;
“Great multiplayer, [a] fun campaign, ton of content, but [also] a forgettable story.”
Gamespot’s review characterizes Modern Warfare 3 as an iteration rather than an innovation, stating that the series’ signature thrill has lost some of its shine. However, they acknowledge that the game is still familiarly fun and ultimately find it engrossing and immensely satisfying, providing fans with more reason to celebrate a busy shooter season.
On the other hand, the Wii version of the game has not fared as well as in the reviews. IGN rates it at 4.5 out of 10 highlighting issues with graphics and a problematic friend code system.
Success in Numbers
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 had the largest day-one shipments ever, driven by a record number of pre-orders. It grossed $400 million in its first 2 hours in the U.S. and in the U.K. marking the biggest entertainment launch. It earned over$775 million globally in the first five days surpassing previous records set by its predecessors. The game reached $1 billion in just 16 days, beating the record held by the movie Avatar. It was the top-selling game in the U.S. in November and sold 26.5 million copies by 2013, becoming the best-selling game in the Call of Duty series. The game also dominated in UK sales chart for weeks and had a strong debut in Japan.
Final Word
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was awarded the Best Shooter Award at the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards as well as it was as the Best Multi-Player Game in 2011. All this magnificent success was the result of long, joint, and persistent effort by the game developers. However, they still did not cease their skills and ideas at this point and continued making Call of Duty, a grandeur game ever in history.