Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Critic Reviews

Like its predecessors, Modern Warfare 3 is a punchy military shooter with few rivals. It’s not a revolution, but the new zombies world spices things up.

Reviewing a Call of Duty game today is a bit like reviewing a military theme park: it’s impossible to give a holistic appraisal. You might find the rollercoasters thrilling, the ferris wheel tiresome, and the hotdogs tasty, but consider its murky ties to the US military-industrial complex deeply problematic. Certainly, however, the game has expanded in such diverse and deliberate directions that most players will find at least one diversion to suit their tastes and play styles, and for this the developers are to be commended. Wrangling an annual series into a persistent online framework is obviously an unwieldy challenge for artists, designers and programmers alike, as they seek to marry the past and future of video game delivery. Within those difficult, arguably misguided constraints, MWIII is, campaign aside, a minor triumph of engineering and design.

If you've been waiting for Modern Warfare 3 to deliver an incredible, never-before-seen campaign, then you'll have to pass, but if you're in it for the Multiplayer, then this Sledgehammer Games title will win you over. Despite a timid campaign that may seem far too short and empty, the Multiplayer and Zombies modes make up for it. We rediscover the sensations we've come to know through previous opuses, and the Zombies experience is a pleasant surprise. Despite our initial skepticism, once we're into Operation Deadbolt, it's hard to stop.

Even with an embarrassingly bad single-player Campaign, the Multiplayer and Zombies experiences are enough to cement this game as one of the franchise's greats.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III turned out to be what many feared: a sort of DLC of the previous chapter developed by Infinity Ward. Although undoubtedly fun for fans of arcade and fast-paced multiplayer shooters, Sledgehammer Games has done nothing but focus only on the nostalgia effect and few notable innovations, also creating an uninteresting and barely sufficient campaign.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is likely going to go down as one of the weaker entries in the franchise. Undoubtedly the quality fluctuates from player to player every year but key elements of Modern Warfare III don’t hold a candle to what most expect from a superb Call of Duty game. This is most apparent in the game’s lackluster campaign that injects far too much Warzone influence for its own good. Rather than a classic, bombastic narrative with diverse mission structure, we are left with an all too brief story that leaves players with little to latch onto outside of vaguely experimental open-ended combat. Zombies is as universally weird as ever but may actually be beneficial towards newcomers with its large map and mission-based approach. Thankfully Modern Warfare III‘s exceptional multiplayer feel and suite of popular maps, modes, and customization elevate this rough going. If Call of Duty needed a break, maybe this year should have been the one. But at 20 years old, the old chap still has life left in it.

Can Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 be considered an expansion sold at full price? In part yes, and this element inevitably affects the vote, like the questionable single campaign. At the same time, however, it is impossible to pretend nothing has happened: the multiplayer component is the most fun to play in recent years and includes a pack of maps much loved by fans. Unless you buy COD just for the campaign and are willing to turn a blind eye to the lack of major innovations compared to last year, it is really difficult for you to be disappointed by the classic multiplayer of this chapter.

Overall, a poor Call of Duty but there will still be enough in the multiplayer for fans to enjoy for months to come...Just ignore the campaign unless you have an afternoon to kill.

On paper, with its single player, its multiplayer and its Zombie, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 presents itself as a fairly complete package, and that is somewhat what it is. Alongside a dispensable campaign and a few adjustments to review (notably on the killing time), we had fun with the two online sides of this episode. Although focusing above all on a nostalgic formula, with its cards and features of yesteryear, it is difficult not to fall in love, once again, with these still successful shooting sensations. The Zombie for its part, although copied and pasted on Warzone and DMZ, turns out to be pleasant and rather gripping... In the end, in this title which looks like a “big expansion”, there are quite a few qualities! But these will only appear if Call of Duty is not your bedside title. For fans who own Modern Warfare 2, this is frankly questionable.

Despite some moments where the campaign seemed confusing, Modern Warfare III is a decent enough reboot/sequel, allowing for some fun gameplay in the multiplayer and Zombies modes.

A weak campaign with an unsatisfactory cliffhanger resolution, a Zombies map that's little more than rebranded DMZ, and a selection of multiplayer maps taken straight from Modern Warfare II (2009), Modern Warfare III barely stands up on its own merits, especially if you've thrown countless hours into last year's entry and have plenty to carry forward.

Despite the fun multiplayer, CoD Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest disappointment in the series' history so far.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is a game made from other games, a hybrid that seeks to convince the most veteran fans with a fantastic multiplayer. However, neither the homages, nor the "innovations" of the campaign and the zombies manage to disguise the obvious. This game is nothing more than a wild recycling of ideas made in haste.

The reboot of the final chapter in the Modern Warfare trilogy deserved better. The half-baked campaign and recycled multiplayer maps make it seem like a lazy cash grab at an exorbitant price. Nonetheless, the refined gunplay and fun in the competitive PVP and cooperative Zombies modes keep Call of Duty’s strong points alive.

Let’s see what you get if you are willing to pay not just the full price, but also the over-the-top cost of Modern Warfare III: a short and uninspired single player campaign, a solid co-op and multiplayer experience, both relying on recycled maps, and an overwhelming amount of micro and not so “micro” transactions. It is not just the regurgitated and uninspired content that makes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III one of the worst games in the series, but also the absurd pricing scheme that pushes over the edge both the industry professionals and players alike. Ultimately, it’s up to each and every one to decide if the game is worth all the basic and extra costs, but I definitely don’t want to encourage anyone to support these more and more questionable business practices, so wait for a sale if you really want to check this one out.

This year's Call of Duty is a mixed bag. Series veterans looking for a great multiplayer experience will find a lot to love thanks to the game's faithful recreation of some of the franchise’s best maps and excellent gunplay. However, Modern Warfare III's campaign is one of the worst in the series’ history.

Modern Warfare 3 is one of the most blatant misfires of the Call of Duty series. Its campaign is lackluster and the overall quality and quantity of its online content gives the impression that it would be much more fitting as a DLC instead of a full-priced game.

Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer is the shining light of this year's Call of Duty offering and is without a doubt the glue holding the whole package together. Unfortunately, it's hard to ignore the glaring cracks in what should have probably been an expansion for MW2.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a patchwork of series highs and startling lows, but the fact that most people come here for multiplayer is a significant saving grace. The return of Modern Warfare 2’s beloved maps will scratch a nostalgic itch for long-time Call Of Duty fans, but just about everything outside of multiplayer will leave you wondering why this is a full-price game.

Trying to slide in a DLC as a full- Fledged AAA title deals a massive blow to Modern Warfare 3’s Single and Multi Player experience, making it the one to forget or never even bother playing.