Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Overview

This is Tier One.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (often referred to as Call of Duty: MW3) is a first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games (with help from Raven with the multiplayer, Treyarch with the Wii version, and n-Space with the Nintendo DS version) and published by Activision on November 8, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii, and Nintendo DS. The third game in the Modern Warfare franchise and the eighth Call of Duty installment, players continue the events of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and control several protagonists from the elite U.S. Delta Force and British S.A.S. to the disavowed Task Force 141 as they try to end World War III and bring the Inner Circle, led by Ultranatonalist Vladimir Makarov, to justice.

Plot

Previously...

Modern Warfare 3 opens with a stylish cutscene summarizing what happened in the last two games. The original Modern Warfare had Soap and Price hunt down a Russian Ultranationalist, Imran Zakhaev, who was determined to make the West fall to its knees by launching nukes (he just so happened to have taken over a launch facility in Siberia) against the US and level the Eastern seaboard. Price and Soap manage to stop him just in time and Soap ends up killing the terrorist and the two barely make it out alive.

Things get complicated in Modern Warfare 2 when the ultranationalist party takes control of Russia and makes Zakhaev a national hero and martyr. Imran's right hand man, Vladimir Makarov is now head of the terrorist group Shadow of Zakhaev and intends spark a conflict between the USA and Russia through a terrorist attack in a Moscow airport which ends up being pinned on the CIA. Russia invades the US and Price and Soap are once again called in to hunt down Makarov by General Sheppard. Things don't go as planned when Sheppard is revealed to have partnered up with Makarov so he can save America from the Russians and become a national hero; using Price and Soap to tie up loose ends. Price and Soap go on a hunt for Sheppard, who's pinned the Moscow attack on them, and eventually kill the man by a knife through the eye.

Modern Warfare 3

Modern Warfare 3 picks up right where Modern Warfare 2 left off. World War 3 is in full swing. Price and Soap have hunted down and killed General Sheppard but Soap was badly injured and both Soap and Price are being air lifted to India to hide from the authorities, their division now disavowed.

Taking out the Russian Sub.

Two Delta Force operators, Sandman and Frost attempt to save New York from Russian invasion. It is clearly stated that New York can not be lost and Delta Force is successful in restoring US communications and destroying a Russian submarine containing enough fire power to level the eastern seaboard. Thanks to their efforts, the Russians are pushed out of America. Back in India, Soap is dying and to make matters worst, Makarov's men have followed Price to India to "tie up" some loose ends. As of this point, the player takes on the role of Yuri, Nikolai's right hand man (he's said to hate Makarov more than anyone else) and thanks to him, Soap is saved and the team flee India.The game now cuts to the Russian equivalent of Air Force One. The president is going to Hamburg to negotiate a peace treaty with the US. It is made clear that Russia wants peace with the west but before the plane can make it to Germany, it's hijacked by Makarov's men. Despite an emergency landing and the best efforts of the president's bodyguards, Makarov kidnaps the head of state in hopes of getting Russia's nuclear launch codes to level Europe.

Price is tipped off that Makarov is smuggling weapons through Sierra Leon to Europe. Soap, Price and Yuri attempt to intercept the shipment but are too late. They signal MI6 (who then signals MI5) that bombs may be set to detonate in London. The british government manage to find and stop one of the bombs but are too late to stop the other three. These bombs are in fact chemical bombs that unleash deadly gas. It should be noted that this is where MW3's "disturbing" content is located. The detonation of one of the bombs is shown through the camera of an American tourist near Big Ben where his young daughter chases pigeons and gets to close to one of the trucks, getting blown up.

Hell in Europe.

Chemical bombs detonate all over Europe (London, Paris, Madrid) as Russian forces begin invading Western Europe. In the midst of the disaster, Sandman and Frost are sent into a now devastated Hambourg to save the US vice president. Price traces back the shipping company that shipped the bombs to a country in Africa and manages to extract information that Makarov's right hand man, Volk, is overseeing operations in Paris and knows where to find Makarov. Still wanted, Price delegates the task of finding Volk to Sandman who completes the mission (said mission gets so intense that the Eiffel tower is destroyed).

After interrogation, Sandman learns that Makarov is planning a meeting in Prague and delegates the information to Price. Thanks to the help of the Prague resistance, Yuri and Soap get in a bell tower overlooking the meeting while Price gets into the building where the meeting is taking place. However, Makarov is aware of the assassination plot, having captured the head of the Prague resistance and nearly kills Price while destroying the tower Soap and Yuri are in. Yuri makes it out but Soap is badly injured. As the three flee, Soap begins to lose more and more blood and when Price finally brings him to safety, Soap dies, telling Price that Yuri knows Makarov personally (he discovered this when, right before the clock tower blew up, Makarov mentioned him by name as "friend").

Price proceeds to interrogate Yuri. It's discovered that Yuri used to work with Makarov. He was there in Chernobyl when Zachayev got his arm blown off, he was there when Makarov pressed the button, unleashing a nuclear bomb in the Middle East. Yuri quickly realize that what Makarov was doing wasn't patriotic, but madness. He's the one who tipped off Sheppard that Makarov was going to shoot up the airport in Russia (he even tried to stop the attack). If Sheppard had not been a traitor, the attack could've been stopped. Price trusts Yuri and together they infiltrate Makarov's mountain fortress.

Vladimir Makarov; primary antagonist.

Of course, Makarov is not there but they discover that the Russian president's daughter (Athena) is in Berlin and that Makarov plans to capture her to make the president give the launch codes. Sandman and Frost fight through a destroyed Berlin to get to Athena but she's captured by Makarov's forces. Western governments having finally realized that Makarov is behind World War 3, Yuri and Soap team up with Delta force and raid a mine in Siberia where the president and his daughter are being held. The operation is a success, in part thanks to the sacrifice of Frost and Sandman, and the US and Russia end the war.

The war might be over but Makarov is still at large. John Price manages to locate Makarov in Dubai where him and Yuri take Juggernaut suits and march right into Makarov's front door. Price slaughters all of Makarov's men and Yuri is badly injured. As Makarov leaves aboard a helicopter from the top of a skyscraper, Price jumps aboard and hijacks the helicopter, crashing it onto the glass roof. As Price is about to meet his end at the hands of Makarov, Yuri attempts to shoot the terrorist but is shot and killed. In rage, Price finds enough force to jump up, take a cable, tie it around Makarov's neck and break the roof. Price swings off Makarov's body to safety as Makarov is hanged. The words "objective complete" appear on screen as Price lights a cigar.

Protagonists

Like in the previous Call of Duty games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 features multiple playable characters belonging to different worldwide military groups that you can expect to jump into and out of very frequently during specific points of the game. Also quite like the previous Modern Warfare games, you can expect for not all of the main protagonists make it out alive.

Task Force 141 (disavowed) / Loyalists

Formerly a multi-national special operations force whose goal was to terminate Vladimir Makarov, Captains John Price and John "Soap" MacTavish became rogue after the betrayal of commanding officer Lieutenant General Shepherd (who used the unit to start the war in attempt to strengthen the power of the United States). On "everyone's shit list", Price and Soap joined forces with the Loyalists (a Russian military force based in Northern India who remain loyal to Russia's established government lost after the events of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare).

• Captain John Price (playable) - Formerly with the S.A.S. and a was the impromptu field commander of Task Force 141. He is playable in the mission "Dust to Dust".
• Yuri (playable) - A Russian Loyalist and ex- Spetsnaz operative who accompanies Price and Soap in their vendetta against Makarov. He is playable in the missions "Persona Non Grata", "Back on the Grid", "Return To Sender", "Bag and Drag", "Eye of the Storm", "Blood Brothers", "Stronghold", and "Down the Rabbit Hole".
• Captain John "Soap" MacTavish (playable) - The main protagonist of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Soap was part of the 22nd S.A.S. Regiment and then a field commander of Task Force 141 prior to this game's events. Part of the game's prologue is shown in his first-person perspective.
• "Nikolai" - Formerly a double agent for the S.A.S. (and a non-playable ally in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare), Nikolai is the code name of a Russian Loyalist who assists Price, Soap, and Yuri throughout the campaign.
• Sergeant Kamarov - A charismatic Russian Loyalist (and non-playable ally in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare) who appears briefly in the missions "Eye of the Storm" and "Blood Brothers", joining Price's squad in the Czech Republic in an attempt to kill Makarov.

Delta Force

Delta Force is one of the elite counter-terrorism forces of the United States and the Special Mission Unit of the United States Army. The primary unit of focus on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is Team Metal, led under the command of Master Sergeant "Sandman", participating in a variety of missions throughout the war. (From hijacking a Russian nuclear submarine in the Battle of New York to rescuing the United States Vice President in Hamburg, Germany)

They are purchasable allies (as Delta Squad) in Survival Mode (in groups of five wielding M16s)

• Staff Sergeant Derek "Frost" Westbrook (playable) - Playable in the missions "Black Tuesday", "Hunter Killer", "Goalpost", "Bag and Drag", "Iron Lady", and "Scorched Earth". Although he usually accompanies Team Metal in missions, he was absent from the mission "Down the Rabbit Hole".
• Master Sergeant "Sandman"
• Sergeant First Class "Grinch"
• Sergeant First Class "Truck"

S.A.S.

The Special Air Service (better known as S.A.S.) is a special forces regiment of the British Army, a team (led by Sergeant Wallcroft) was dispatched after British intelligence received word of a chemical payload arriving in London, England during the war. The SAS receive their orders from a commander identified as 'Baseplate'. His true identity is revealed during a mission briefing cutscene.

• Sergeant Marcus "Michael" Burns (playable) - S.A.S. soldier who helps track down chemical weapons in London, England. Playable in the mission "Mind the Gap".
• Sergeant Wallcroft (formerly seen in the first mission of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)
• Corporal Griffen (formerly seen in the first mission of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare)
• "Baseplate" - Commander of the S.A.S. operations in the war, turns out to be MacMillan (leader of the two-man sniper team with Price during a flashback sequence in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare). One of the few allies of the disavowed Task Force 141.

G.I.G.N.

The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (better known as G.I.G.N.) is the elite counter-terrorist unit of the French Armed Forces, shown during the game supporting Delta Force in Paris, France during the mission "Bag and Drag". The GIGN are one of the factions in online play, and are pitted against the Spetsnaz. The GIGN are the Riot Shield squad, and wield the German-made MP5 alongside their shields. Their leader is identified under the codename of 'Sabre'.

Other

Andrei Harkov - an agent protecting President Boris Vorshevsky and part of the F.S.O. and is only playable in the mission "Turbulence". Despite his best efforts and the fact that he survives an insane plane crash that no human being could ever hope surviving, he fails in his mission to protect the president when while opening the door to a helicopter which he thought was friendly, Makarov appears and shoots him in the chest before finishing him off by shooting him in the head. This is the only time a character dies while the player is in control.

Antagonists

Inner Circle

Vladimir Makarov

• Vladimir Makarov
  Makarov is the Inner Circle commander, and the Inner Circle are his closest allies. Presumably the Circle is built up of some of his surviving loyalist allies from the attack on Zakhaev International Airport at the opening of Modern Warfare 2 though whether or not this is the case or not is open to debate. Makarov acts as the commander for the team during online play, and announces when a UAV is online, etc.
• Volk
  Volk's real name is unknown, but he acts as Makarov's right-hand-man and expert bomb maker. For an unknown reason he chooses to remain in the Parisian catacombs after the chemical attack unleashed upon the city. He is eventually captured and literally dragged to the Eiffel Tower by Delta Squad before they are evacuated as the tower collapses.

Spetsnaz

African Militia

• Waraabe
  Waraabe is the leader of the local African militia in Sierra Leone. The militia is known for its extreme cruelty against its own countrymen; indeed, during operations conducted within the country Soap and Price are able to witness first-hand the cruelty of the militia, who are seen to execute civilians within the area with no remorse. Waraabe meets his end after Price forces him to reveal information, before executing him as revenge for the terrorist attacks in London.

Multiplayer

Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer is similar to the past few Call of Duty games.

Multiplayer Maps

The game will include 16 maps on disc.

• Arkaden
• Bakaara
• Bootleg
• Carbon
• Dome
• Downturn
• Fallen
• Hardhat
• Interchange
• Liberation*
• Lockdown
• Mission
• Outpost
• Piazza*
• Resistance
• Seatown
• Underground
• Village

*DLC

• Overwatch
• Piazza
• Liberation
• Blackbox

Primary Weapons

Assault Rifles

• M4A1
• M16A4
• SCAR-L
• CM901
• Type 95
• G36C
• ACR 6.8
• MK14
• AK-47
• FAD

Submachine Guns

• MP5
• UMP45
• PP90M1
• P90
• PM-9
• MP7
• MP5K
• AK-74u

Light Machine Guns

• L86 LSW
• MG36
• PKP Pecheneg
• MK46
• M60E4
• RPD
• M240

Sniper Rifles

• Barrett M82
• L118A
• Dragunov
• AS50
• RSASS
• MSR

Shotguns

• USAS 12
• KSG 12
• SPAS-12
• AA-12
• Striker
• Winchester Model 1887

Secondary Weapons

Machine Pistols

• FMG-9
• MP9
• Skorpion
• G18

Handguns

• USP .45
• P99
• MP412
• .44 Magnum
• FN Five-Seven
• Desert Eagle

Launchers

• SMAW
• Javelin
• XM25
• M320 GLM
• RPG-7
• AT4

Equipment

Lethal

• Frag
• Semtex
• Throwing Knife
• Bouncing Betty
• Claymore
• C4

Tactical

• Flash Grenade
• Concussion Grenade
• Scrambler
• EMP Grenade
• Smoke Grenade
• Trophy System
• Tactical Insertion
• Portable Radar

Perks

Perks make a return in multiplayer and they work much like they did in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, with you unlocking the pro versions of each perk by doing their specific perk challenges. There are 15 perks total with each tier having five.

Perk One

Recon: Explosive damage marks target on radar.

Pro Ability: Bullet damage marks target on radar.

Sleight Of Hand: Reload your weapons faster.

Pro Ability: Swap your weapons faster.

Blind Eye: Enemy air support and sentries can't detect you.

Pro Ability: Faster launcher lock-on + extra damage vs. enemy air support.

Extreme Conditioning - Allows you to sprint longer.

Pro Ability: Climb obstacles faster.

Scavenger: Replenishes your ammunition when you walk over scavenger bags that are dropped by players when they die.

Pro Ability: Extra starting magazines.

Perk Two

Quickdraw: Allows you to aim down the sight faster.

Pro Ability: Use equipment and grenades faster.

Blast Shield: Greatly reduces explosive damage.

Pro Ability: Makes you immune to Stun and Flash Grenades.

Hardline: Reduces the amount of kills required for killstreaks by one.

Pro Ability: Two assists add one kill towards your next killstreak. Deathstreaks require one less death.

Assassin: Makes you undetectable by UAV, thermal, Heartbeat Sensor and Portable Radar.

Pro Ability: Makes you immune to Counter-UAV and EMP. Enemies won't see a red crosshair or name when targeting you.

Overkill: Carry two primary weapons.

Pro Ability: Your 2nd primary weapon can be equipped with 2 attachments.

Perk Three

Marksman: Allows you to identify enemies from farther away.

Pro Ability: Hold your breath for even longer when steadying a weapons scope.

Stalker: Faster movement while aiming down the sight.

Pro Ability: Delays enemy Claymores.

Sitrep: Highlights enemy explosives and Tactical Insertions.

Pro Ability: Makes enemy footsteps louder.

Steady Aim: Increases hip-fire accuracy.

Pro Ability: Allows you to aim down the sight faster after sprinting.

Dead Silence: Makes you silent.

Pro Ability: You don't take any damage from falling.

Weapon Proficiency

In addition to the character perks Modern Warfare 3 introduces Weapon Proficiency. Weapon Proficiency allows the player to level up their weapons the same way that the player would level up. As the player becomes more proficient with their weapon of choice they unlock upgrades for the gun.

• Kick - Reduced recoil
• Range - Increased range of Sub-machine guns
• Attachments - Equip 2 attachments to the same weapon
• Focus - Reduced flinch when shot
• Melee - Faster melee
• Stability - Reduced sway of Sniper rifles
• Impact - Greater bullet penetration through walls
• Speed - Faster movement with Light machine guns equipped
• Damage - Shotgun shells do more damage
• Breath - Hold breath while aiming down the sights for Assault rifles

Strike Packages (Killstreaks)

Killstreaks are now called Strike Packages, they are now split into three packages, each with their own unique selection of rewards.

• Assault - Killstreaks reset upon death, rewards punish opposing team.
• Support - Your streak persists through death, rewards support and assist your team.
• Specialist - Killstreaks reset upon death, rewards grant temporary perks until death.

Deathstreaks

Deathstreak's make a return from Modern Warfare 2. If the player dies a certain amount of times without killing a single enemy, when the player spawns they receive a Deathstreak. There are a total of 6 Deathstreak's in MW3.

Call of Duty Elite

Early screenshot of Call Of Duty Elite

On May 30, 2011 it was revealed that Modern Warfare 3 will ship with an out-of-game service called Call of Duty Elite that will give subscribers access to bonus content such as maps (which will still be sold separately) and performance gauging features that are modeled after stock-trading websites. In addition, players can join groups with people with similar interests through the service and make friends.

The service is not required to play Modern Warfare 3 online.

Spec Ops Modes

Spec-Ops mode returns to Modern Warfare with a matchmaking option, online leaderboards, a new ranking system and a horde mode type called Survival. Spec Ops will now feature a leveling up system where you will unlock new weapons separate to the multiplayer. This new level progression will also feature its' own callsigns.

The Survival game type will use multiplayer maps and will bombard players with never-ending waves of enemies that ramp up in difficulty as you progress. Enemy types will vary with standard infantry troops and attack dogs with C4 strapped to their backs as well as the Juggernaut featured in Modern Warfare 2. These types of troops are not featured in the singleplayer portion of the game and aren't limited to simple troops since helicopters will be added to the mix as well as toxic gas. As you complete waves, you will unlock points that can be used towards buying new weapons, the ability to calling air strike, even requesting friendly A.I. from simple infantry to the better equipped riot shield troops. The mode ends after both players have died and both players account for one score on the leaderboards.

Survival

All multiplayer maps are playable in Survival mode.

Mission

• Civilian Rescue
• Flood the Market
• Invisible Threat
• Little Bro's
• Out of Africa
• No Fly Zone
• Wing Man

DLC

Content Drop 1 & 2

Two multiplayer maps (Piazza and Liberation) were released 24/01/12 for Xbox 360 Elite subscribers and on 24/02/12 for Playstation 3 Elite subscribers. These two multiplayer maps could also be played in the Survival mode.

Content Drop 3

Multiplayer map Overwatch (which is loosely based off the Modern Warfare 2 Map Highrise. The map was released 21/02/12 on 360 and 24/03/12 on PS3.

Content Drop 4, 5 and 6

This content pack includes 1 multiplayer map (Black Box) and two spec-ops missions. The spec-ops mission Black Ice tasks players with infiltrating a russian diamond mine aboard a snowmobile while Negotiator tasks players with extracting hostages. These three drops were made available on 13/03/12 on 360 and 12/04/12 on PS3.

Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection Map Pack 1

This map pack includes drops 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 and was made available for non-Call of Duty Elite subscribers on 20/03/12 for 360 and 19/04/12 for PS3.

Limited Edition Xbox 360 S Console

On September 2nd, at Call of Duty XP 2011, Major Nelson and AceyBongos revealed the limited edition Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 S console.

Contents include:

• A MW3 branded Xbox 360 S console, with custom paintjob, 320GB HDD and on/off and open/close disc tray sound effects
• Two MW3 branded Xbox 360 S wireless controllers, with custom paintjob; and Transforming D-Pad
• A copy of MW3 standard edition
• 1 month Xbox LIVE Gold membership card
• Exclusive Avatar content

The console will be available on November 8th 2011, same release date as MW3 and retails for $399 (US ERP).

Limited Edition Accessories

Also announced on September 2nd, at Call of Duty XP 2011, Major Nelson and AceyBongos revealed the new, limited edition MW3 branded Xbox 360 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth. Both the MW3 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth and MW3 Wireless Controller can be purchased separately from October 11th 2011. Included with each product are:

MW3 Wireless Headset with Bluetooth - retails for $69.99 (US ERP)

• Charging Cradle
• Ear Loop
• Ear Gels
• Xbox LIVE Token for an exclusive download (unspecified)

MW3 Wireless Controller (with Transforming D-Pad) - retails for $59.99 (US ERP)

• Xbox LIVE Token for an exclusive download (unspecified)

Color Blind Assist

Modern Warfare 3, like Black Ops before it, will come with an option for color blind people. This was announced through the sledgehammer forums, by Michael Condrey:

Research suggests that as much as 6% of the general population suffers from Color Blindness, or more accurately Color Vision Deficiency. Men (9-12%) are 20x more likely to be afflicted than women (0.25-1%). Those numbers vary depending on which source you quote, but we estimate that nearly a million gamers are playing Call of Duty every day with this issue. I am happy to report that we are working on a Color Blind Assist option for Modern Warfare 3.

Wii Version

Modern Warfare 3 was also released for the Wii. The Wii version was released on the same day as the other versions and was developed by Treyarch. It contains some key differences when compared to other versions.

One of the immediately identifiable differences are the visuals, which have been downgraded. The game does not run at 60 frames per second and many effects such as lighting and textures have disappeared entirely. The gameplay is also different since players can choose to play with the wii remote and nunchuck or the classic controller. Like in previous versions of Call of Duty on Wii, players can tweak sensitivity as well as movement speed.

An example of the headshot bug.

Competitive multiplayer is also different from the 360 version. The Wii version does come with the maps and game modes from the other versions but doesn't have the same killstreaks. For example, the Wii version doesn't have the AC-130 or chopper gunner killstreak. The game also doesn't have killcams. Furthermore, the ally system is back where the player can friend request recently met players. However, players can only friend request one recently met player after each game. The multiplayer also contains several game breaking bugs. People can be shot through walls, certain kills count as double headshots and if the wii is turned off mid-match, the save file will be corrupted. The game also lags on the host player during multiplayer matches and also has significant lag when shooting at opponents meaning that the only way to effectively shoot an enemy is to aim where the player thinks he will move to.

PC System Requirements

• OS: Windows® XP/ Windows® Vista / Windows® 7.
• Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom™ X3 8750 processor or better.
• Memory: 2 GB RAM.
• Graphics: Shader 3.0 or better 256 MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8600GT / ATI® Radeon™ X1950 or better.
• DirectX®: DirectX® 9.0c or later.
• Hard Drive: 16 GB free hard drive space.
• Sound: DirectX® 9.0c or later.
• Internet: Broadband connection and service required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet connection required for activation.