Modern Warfare 3: Record Anticipation or Hype?

Let's face it: Modern Warfare 3 will be the biggest selling game of 2011. No doubt about it. Despite the loud doomsday predictions from Battlefield 3 fanboys,this year's FPS war will be won by the Call of Duty franchise, and Activision's shareholders will go laughing all the way to the bank... before taking a dip in their expensive swimming pools filled entirely with liquid gold.

Why am I so sure about this? Because the Call of Duty series is a financial behemoth, and there are so many gamers eagerly awaiting the release of Modern Warfare 2's true successor, that this game will succeed no matter what. But should gamers actually be excited about Modern Warfare 3? Does MW3 really deserve the title of the "most anticipated game in history", as Activision would have you believe? Or does MW3's publicity build-up -- which began inside an aircraft hanger -- include just a little bit of bluff and hype?

The true answer to these questions will be revealed in a matter of days, when Modern Warfare 3 is finally offered to the ravenous masses. But for now, all the information we have to go on is what Activision, and co-developers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, have told us. Should we anticipate this game, particularly as PC gamers? Let's take a look at what the creators have promised us.

Graphics
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What they said: "This thing [MW3's engine] is a Porsche... it is stream-lined, everything in it is perfectly freaking clean" (Glen Schofield, general manager Sledgehammer Games, in an interview).

What we can expect: No matter how hard Call of Duty's developers try to gloss it up, there's no denying that Modern Warfare 3's Porsche-like engine just cannot match the graphical grunt of what lies beneath Battlefield 3's hood. MW3 uses an updated version of the IW engine -- significantly tweaked and upgraded to 2011 standards -- is still the same engine that has powered all previous Call of Duty games. To put this in perspective, the minimum system requirements for MW3 are almost identical to that of Black Ops.

Does any of this matter? Well, no, not really. Modern Warfare 3 still looks incredible, and the game will still feature action set-pieces on a scale beyond anything we've ever seen in a Call of Duty game before. But if you somehow got the impression you should be anticipating MW3 because it will push your top-of-the-line PC gaming rig to boiling point, well, think again.

Single-player
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What they said: "Prepare yourself for a cinematic thrill-ride as only Call of Duty can deliver" (Official Modern Warfare 3 website).

What we can expect: The Call of Duty series is renowned for delivering a blistering, action-packed single-player experience, and all indications are that Modern Warfare 3 will crank the CoD thrill-o-meter into overdrive. Players can look forward to mowing down Russians in such diverse urban environments as London, Berlin, and New York. And there will probably be more exploding planes, trains, and cities than a Godzilla movie. If you play Call of Duty for its single-player experience, then you can anticipate this campaign as much as you want. It will be a "cinematic thrill-ride". Guaranteed.

Multiplayer
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What they said: "Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer is best in class," (Michael Condrey, co-founder Sledgehammer Games, in an official trailer).

What we can expect: "Best-in-class"? Well, that depends on your definition of "class." Call of Duty games are all about frantic, run n' gun gameplay in tight, confined spaces. If that's how you like your FPS multiplayer, then Modern Warfare is indeed the best in its league.

All indications are that MW3 will be sticking to this popular multiplayer formula, albeit with a few significant tweaks. For instance, killstreaks are gone, replaced by what are now called "pointstreaks," which reward players for helping the team, not just by piling up the bodies. The developers have also focused on balancing the game -- this means ensuring that maps aren't completely one-sided bloodbaths, and removing perks and abilities that were just plain unfair (I'm looking at you, Commando perk). Other changes should add a little extra spice to the gameplay, including new multiplayer modes and the ability to level-up your gun.

Everything else about Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer looks similar. The maps are small. The player count is restricted to 18 players, and Team deathmatch still looks like a chaotic slaughter requiring no teamwork whatsoever. So if you're anticipating more of the same, then you're probably in luck.

PC Version
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What they said: "We value the PC player and have gone to great lengths in providing a more rich experience for our players" (Official Call of Duty community forum post).

What we can expect: Modern Warfare 3 should provide a better playing experience for PC gamers than either of the last two Call of Duty releases. But let's be honest: that's not exactly a hard thing to achieve. Modern Warfare 2 basically gave a giant middle-finger to the PC community at large, while the PC version of Black Ops was hamstrung by appalling bugs at launch.

PC players of MW3 do have some things to look forward to: dedicated servers, LAN-support, and extra graphical options. But let's not forget who MW3's real target audience is. As the game's advertising clearly demonstrates, MW3 is an Xbox 360 love-in, and while PC gamers might be invited to the party, they don't get to control the event. This is particularly true with the promise of "dedicated servers," which, in actual fact, are unranked dedicated servers. This means that to level up your soldier, you will still need to fight via matchmaking. Seems slightly pointless, eh?

Call of Duty: Elite
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What they said: "Elite takes your multiplayer experience to the next level" (Eric Hirshberg, Activision CEO, at the Call of Duty XP event).

What we can expect: Mr. Hirshberg is right. Call of Duty: Elite will push your multiplayer to "the next level." That is, if you happen to be playing Modern Warfare 3 on a console. Unfortunately, if you're playing on PC, you can forget about it.

The Elite Premium service is supposed to offer subscribers automatic access to 20 DLC packs, competitions, and extra map information. But Beachhead Studio recently let slip that the Elite Premium service would no longer be released on PC due to the platform being "unsecure." This means PC gamers who want DLC will need to buy each map pack separately through Steam, and they will not be able to access any of MW3's official competitions. Tough luck, PC players.

Conclusion

So there you have it. We've pulled Modern Warfare 3 from its godlike position in the clouds, and placed its feet firmly in the harsh, cold ground of reality. Is it the most anticipated game in history? It shouldn't be, particularly if you're a PC gamer. But that doesn't mean it won't be an awesome experience. In all likelihood, this is going to be the best Call of Duty game in recent memory. So let's ditch the hype, end the spin, and just anticipate this game for what it will be: a great, modern-combat FPS.








Source:
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/call-of-duty-2011-project/1211526p1.html