Despite being marred in controversy by the monumental fallout and highly publicised mud-slinging match between its publisher and creators, Jason West and Vince Zampella, Modern Warfare 3 is without doubt Infinity Wards finest hour, an apologetic, highly linear shooter that thrusts you at breakneck speed from one startlingly brilliant set piece to the next with absolute aplomb. This is console-based warfare at its best and a testament to those that remained by the series side after its flag bearers defected to rival publisher, EA.
Picking up the baton right where 2009s record-breaking sequel left off, Infinity Ward and the newly established partner studio, Sledgehammer, sling you into a ravaged world on the cusp of a Third World War, setting you on a collision course with the villainous Russian, Makarov. While the plot is much tighter and less garbled than previous efforts (thanks, in part, to a script co-written by Casino Royales Paul Haggis), and the blockbuster moments so good, youre likely to soil yourself, its Modern Warfare 3s multiplayer that as usual steals the show.
Its still Call of Duty at heart, but with a dazzling coat of fresh paint that focuses more heavily than ever on the idea of player progression streak bonuses have been reined in and you now have much greater control over the perks you nab in combat thanks to the addition of Strike Packages. Modes have been fleshed out take a bow, Kill Confirmed Spec Ops returns with 16 new and finger-blistering objective-based missions, while Empires new favourite addition to an already overwhelming package is Survival Mode, Infinity Wards nod to the Nazi Zombie Modes in Treyarchs take on the juggernaut series.
Both Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer have created a finale to the Makarov saga that not only outshines its predecessors, but has also become more encompassing and user-friendly than ever before. And already, were desperate to know where the series will go from here in the hands of both teams.