14 DAY TRIAL // Without a doubt one of the biggest releases of the year is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, at least if you factor in the millions of dollars spent by Activision hyping it up and making sure that every gamer knows it's coming.
Now, November 8 is finally here and people can see if the new military shooter is worthy of the Call of Duty name. With the promise of continuing the story set up in the first Modern Warfare, of adding new and more varied cooperative Spec Ops missions, and the overhaul of the multiplayer mode, as new Strike Packages take over from the killstreaks, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has some big combat boots to fill.
So, does Modern Warfare 3 distinguish itself among the legions of other shooters or should it be dishonorably discharged? Let's have a quick look.
Without a doubt one of the biggest advantages MW3 has over Battlefield 3, its biggest rival this holiday season, is its established story. Right from the start screen you're reminded of the glorious moments from the first couple of games, and when you start the campaign, you pick up from where Modern Warfare 2 left off.
I won't spoil anything in this quick look, however, so that short segment was edited out of the video you can enjoy below.
After that story segment, you're now thrown into the shoes of a Delta Force member called Frost who, alongside his team, needs to infiltrate the warzone that is now New York City, more specifically its stock exchange building, and take down a Russian jamming station.
While Modern Warfare 3 won't match the visual fidelity of Battlefield 3, it's still quite impressive, with various explosions, gun fire and other special effects going on while you try to take down your enemies and reach your objective.
It's the same classic Call of Duty experience, slowly advancing through all sorts of environments, although the New York location is definitely going to make the hearts of American players beat a little bit faster.
The stock exchange section is pretty interesting, although it's definitely reminiscent of the TV station level from Modern Warfare 1. You don't spend much time in the building, as you quickly advance to the roof, where you need to take out the jamming station and withstand an enemy attack before your choppers comes to pick you up.
Overall, the first mission in Modern Warfare 3 is definitely interesting, getting your pulse high and keeping it that way throughout most of its action.
Hopefully once we experience more story-centric moments or huge set pieces, things will become even more impressive. Until our full review later this week, check out the gameplay video below.
