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pdate: With just days to go until the November 8th UK release date of Modern Warfare 3, we get some more hands-on time with the new COD
After months of waiting, just days before the COD: Modern Warfare 3 release date on Nov 8 2011, our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in multiplayer modereview has been given a makeover with the latest screenshots and videos, plus further details on gameplay. And when it comes to multiplayer modes, there are few gaming franchises that wield more clout than COD.
Any shooter that wants a piece of the online market needs to get past the likes of COD: Modern Warfare 2 and COD: Black Ops if they wish to be taken seriously. There's also Battlefield 3 but we won't let that steal COD's thunder as of yet.
Funnily enough, this also applies to Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3; the developers know the online mode of COD: MW3 is one of the reasons pre-orders are through the roof, so it had better be up to the task. Some hands-on time with COD: MW3’s multiplayer at the COD:XL convention in Los Angeles this weekend shows the game is in pretty good shape.
During a keynote speech ahead of the event’s opening, the developers made a lot of positive noises about how the multiplayer is the most balanced they’ve ever produced and how it will satisfy newbies and the devoted alike. Bold words indeed, but the proof is in the playing.
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Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer: Gameplay
Fans of the franchise will be right at home with the gameplay, as on the surface, the developers haven’t tinkered with it too much. The controls are unchanged, the weapons still give a satisfying kick, many of the killstreaks and their rewards are still in effect, and yes, you can still quick-scope. Play through a few rounds, however, and some pleasing new features are revealed.
First up, two new match modes have been added to the multiplayer; Kill Confirmed and Team Defender. The latter mode is an enjoyable spin on the Capture The Flag match-type in which one team member picks up a flag, and then their teammates have to provide them with cover to increase their score.
Kill Confirmed is a match in which killing opponents is half the battle; downed enemies drop yellow glowing dog tags, and points are only earned if players pick them up.
They can also pick up red glowing dog tags from teammates who have been shot, and prevent the opposing team from scoring off their kills. Perhaps to prevent team infighting, the developers award XP for tag collection to the players who successfully shot someone, regardless of if they were the one who collected the tags.
They can also pick up red glowing dog tags from teammates who have been shot, and prevent the opposing team from scoring off their kills. Perhaps to prevent team infighting, the developers award XP for tag collection to the players who successfully shot someone, regardless of if they were the one who collected the tags.
Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer: XP
Speaking of XP, alongside the character leveling which has been a staple over the last three games, players can also level up their weapons of choice.
Every single weapon in the game can be improved, not only through augmentations, but also proficiency perks. If you’re a fan of SMGs, for example, you can reduce the recoil of your gun further with the ‘Kick’ proficiency.
Every single weapon in the game can be improved, not only through augmentations, but also proficiency perks. If you’re a fan of SMGs, for example, you can reduce the recoil of your gun further with the ‘Kick’ proficiency.
Players can also customise their Killstreaks by choosing from three separate packages. This allows players a little more variation in the way they choose to blast their mates online, and it also means they can pick up points for accomplishing objectives tied to the different Killstreak packages.
First up is the Assault Package, which works pretty much the same way as the Killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2; Assault rewards aggressive play with suitably aggressive items such as Predator Drones and gun ships.
Then there’s the Support Strike Package, which is a little more defensively themed – player are rewarded with items like flack jackets which they can equip themselves or offer to teammates, and remote gun turrets. They’re rewarded XP for helping teammates, and their Killstreak doesn’t re-set if they get shot.
Finally there’s the Specialist Strike Package, which is likely to appeal to the hardest of the hardcore. With this package, players aren’t awarded anything until their eighth consecutive kill – and then every single perk in the game is bestowed upon them until they’re killed.
Then there’s the Support Strike Package, which is a little more defensively themed – player are rewarded with items like flack jackets which they can equip themselves or offer to teammates, and remote gun turrets. They’re rewarded XP for helping teammates, and their Killstreak doesn’t re-set if they get shot.
Finally there’s the Specialist Strike Package, which is likely to appeal to the hardest of the hardcore. With this package, players aren’t awarded anything until their eighth consecutive kill – and then every single perk in the game is bestowed upon them until they’re killed.
Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer: Killstreaks
As far as the Killstreaks go, there are a couple of interesting new ones we spotted in our time with the game. Aside from the aforementioned flack jacket, the Support Strike Package allows players to deploy a booby-trapped care package; drop this sucker on the battlefield and laugh as an opponent opens what they think are some nice new field items, and instead gets blown to smithereens.
We also spied an Osprey Airdrop – available after 30 kills – which apparently drops five care packages for the player and then lays down covering fire from above while they rush in to pick it up. We didn’t get the chance to try it out – it was locked for our hands-on.
We also spied an Osprey Airdrop – available after 30 kills – which apparently drops five care packages for the player and then lays down covering fire from above while they rush in to pick it up. We didn’t get the chance to try it out – it was locked for our hands-on.
On the perk side, some are new and some have been removed. Point Guard and Assassin are new; the former gives players a kill off every two assists and the latter makes the player invisible to UAV, heartbeat and thermal sensors.
The Deathstreaks are back; Last Stand has been removed, but there’s a new Deathstreak in the form of Revenge, which pinpoints the position of the player’s killer for a brief window of time.
The Deathstreaks are back; Last Stand has been removed, but there’s a new Deathstreak in the form of Revenge, which pinpoints the position of the player’s killer for a brief window of time.
The COD: Modern Warfare 3 maps we stifled through ticked COD’s usual boxes; narrow corridors and streets, multiple entries to buildings, hardly any scope to camp and all of them geared towards engendering fast-paced and frenetic shooter action.
The variety of environments gave tell-tale hints of where the game’s Campaign Mode may take players; one was set on a bombed out rail yard in London, one in shanty-town village, and another in the streets of France. According to the developers the game will ship with 16 in the box, with DLC promised at a later date.
The variety of environments gave tell-tale hints of where the game’s Campaign Mode may take players; one was set on a bombed out rail yard in London, one in shanty-town village, and another in the streets of France. According to the developers the game will ship with 16 in the box, with DLC promised at a later date.
Finally, it’s worth noting COD: MW 3’s integration with Facebook via COD: Elite. For the multiplayer this means players can check stats and amend their load-out types while away from their consoles. They can also be a bit more selective in their match-making. Fancy playing online with COD gamers who support the same football club you do? Now you can thanks to Elite.
Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer: Verdict
COD: MW3 looks to be shaping up nicely ahead of its release. The multiplayer promises endless competitive mayhem online and Spec Ops offers players frenetic co-op fun. Now all it needs is a decent campaign. Synchronise your watches, people. When COD: MW3 drops in November it’s going to be huge.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video
Source: T3 Video