So I just finished the campaign for MW3 on Veteran mode. Took me a bit over ten hours. I hear you can beat the campaign on normal in about 5-6 hours, so it's safe to say that Veteran definitely adds length to the game, no doubt from the massive amount of times I died. Not that anyone who's ever beaten a CoD game on Veteran doesn't know that already. It's really quite a bitch.

Now...one thing CoD is known for is the fast pacing in the campaigns. The constant moving and shooting that often has to be done in order to get from one level to the next and progress through the story. This campaign is no different. It's just as explosive as the others, if not more so. Vehicles crash, explosions go off all around you, and hordes of enemies swarm you and your allies. I think the main difference between MW3 and the other games in the series is that the story in this game will keep you engaged enough that you won't care about the pacing. You just want to finish the game and find out what happens to Soap, Price, and the respective characters you play as.

Which leads me to my first point about how I was impressed by Modern Warfare 3. Over the course of the MW series (excluding Black Ops and WaW of course) they've been building the two main characters, Soap and Price, into characters the player actually cares about, something that is kind of rare in modern shooters nowadays. It's cool as you're playing to see how the relationship between the two heroes has changed over the course of the games. Soap going from Price's underling to his partner and equal. Since you play as a different character that fights side by side with both of them on most of the missions in this game, you get to see how the two of them interact and I think that adds some depth to their characters. As I played, it was as if I could feel the will in both of them to keep each other alive, so...(MASSIVE SPOILER) when Soap dies, you feel pain just as Captain Price does.

Now, some gamers are no strangers to deep, meaningful characters. Anyone who's played a story-driven RPG is probably saying "wow Crake, you think Soap and Price are DEEP characters?" Compared to the better story-driven games out there, CoD definitely doesn't have deep characters. It's just, I was surprised at how much I cared for them in a game that people claim only focuses on the multiplayer component.

I think it's a shame how many people no doubt skip out on the single player in this game and go straight to the multiplayer, oftentimes not even touching the campaign. I think they're missing out on a great, engaging story with characters that you'll never forget. I also found it cool how they kind of give a tribute to past games with certain dialogue and some of the missions. Like the classic stealth mission. In the first game in the series, it was Price and Macmillan, then Soap and Price in MW2, and then Yuri and Soap in MW3. It's a nice touch that brought a nostalgic feeling for me.

Finally, I'd like to touch on the ending. Man, what a perfect ending to this game. Captain Price gets revenge for all his dead friends (Soap, Gaz, Ghost, all the SAS troopers), Yuri redeems himself for his past misdeeds by saving Price's life, and the world is saved by Makarov and his lunacy at last. And I couldn't even describe the feeling of awesomeness that came over me when you see Makarov's body swinging there, and a wounded Captain Price, who you just used to kick ass, sits down in his own blood and lights a cigar.

I'm not a huge shooter fan by any means, and I do think the rage and hysteria over MW3's multiplayer is a little ridiculous (not that I won't be playing it myself), but all I have to say is: Infinity Ward, Bravo.

Actually, veteran's about six hours while the easy to normal difficulty takes about four. Like MW2, I really enjoyed this one, and still am. I'm not much of a multiplayer type of player, so I'm glad the campaign is just as fantastic as the second was. It was weird for me personally when the second came out, because you talk about how it's weird for caring about the characters, and while I didn't really care so much for them in the first Modern Warfare, I cared a lot for them in two.

The characters this time around did some of the coolest things they've done yet (in my opinion). Like the part where Soap was shot so while playing as Yuri, you had to carry him for a short period, then after a while you had to get Soap and Price's back as you ran for cover. Then all those times Soap either jumped cover, or jumped through windows like a (dare I say it) bad-ass. I don't know, they may not be significant, but it looked cool and I was fully immersed in those moments. It's too bad Soap died. I'm glad you liked it, and I too find it unfortunate people care little about its single player portion.

I freaking loved the ending! I was literally screaming "Choke that fucker!" during the QTE. And yeah, that cigar was brilliant.

Just beat it. Was I the only one that thought Price died as well? He took one last puff and faded away?

@Barrock said:

Just beat it. Was I the only one that thought Price died as well? He took one last puff and faded away?

I thought about that as well but I don't think he was badly wounded enough to die. I can't remember how many times he was shot or if he was stabbed at all. I just wonder what the police will do when they find him there. I mean, he's wanted by just about everyone dead or alive. He took down Makarov which is no doubt a favor to everyone but to the outside world, he basically murdered America's top general.

I think the ambiguity of the ending lets the gamer imagine the outcome his/herself. No matter what though, Price ended it. 
 
I got to almost 8 hours with veteran.

I just beat it in 4h22m22s on Regular. Loved the campaign.

I wasn't as sad about Soap dying as I was about Ghost dying in MW2. Also, leaving Sandman in the Pit was brutal.

sounds like it's good. i was thinking about renting it for the story, since i'm tired of call of duty games.

It was really good, actually. Act III was excellent. My main gripe was that there were too many missions that started out with the "Be quiet and follow my lead while we walk super slowly and you do absolutely nothing" thing.

The campaign is the only part I like about Call of Duty now. With that said, I really liked this campaign. When Soap died, I wasn't all that shocked because I saw it once Price was were compromised. You see Soap bleeding a shit ton of blood when you and Price are dragging him back and it was just to obvious. I knew he wouldn't make it. Since CoD4, I've cared about the characters. In the last mission of CoD4, I was angry when Gaz and Griggs died. Like in Black Ops, it sucked when you see Dimitri die and Reznov might be dead as well. Seems like IW and Treyarch like killing off every character.

I beat it on normal in one sitting in almost exactly 5 hours.

I agree though, over the course of the series I've grown attached to both Soap and Price.

Not to say that I, really, love the games that much. They're serviceable at what they do. It kind of makes me wish there was a movie or novelization of the story so I could soak it in that way.

As far as the ending, it actually had me cringing. It was really brutal. It was like the ending of God of War 3 cranked up. Not in pure gore, but the effect and feeling, and then just seeing him hang there for a few minutes. Shivers.

That ending.... man, that was so good. It felt amazing beating up Makarov and then watching him swing back and forth with his broken neck for a good minute or so. I couldn't help but laugh at how cheesy the cigar was, but I loved it. Couldn't have ended any better.

Just finish the game, 5:40 on Harderned and its was the best COD campaing!

@Barrock said:

Just beat it. Was I the only one that thought Price died as well? He took one last puff and faded away?

I thought about that as well but I don't think he was badly wounded enough to die. I can't remember how many times he was shot or if he was stabbed at all. I just wonder what the police will do when they find him there. I mean, he's wanted by just about everyone dead or alive. He took down Makarov which is no doubt a favor to everyone but to the outside world, he basically murdered America's top general.

@RedneckedCrake

@Barrock said:

Just beat it. Was I the only one that thought Price died as well? He took one last puff and faded away?

I thought about that as well but I don't think he was badly wounded enough to die. I can't remember how many times he was shot or if he was stabbed at all. I just wonder what the police will do when they find him there. I mean, he's wanted by just about everyone dead or alive. He took down Makarov which is no doubt a favor to everyone but to the outside world, he basically murdered America's top general.

I did. Optics that before the mission started, the Task Force 141 logo didn't have DISAVOWED across it. Perhaps... Just perhaps... He's been pardoned.

It's good fun but I wish they had expanded a little more on some of the levels, also, transitions and QTE's felt a little iffy. I would have liked a longer Mind the Gap, I think the warehouse stuff could have been bigger and more interesting...

Nice to see some good things being said about the campaign for a change, I thought it was awesome, fast paced and highly entertaining and they got a lot more out of the characters that I was expecting.

I really hated abandoning Sandman though, I thought that part was done extremely well.

That cable would have taken Makarov's head off with that drop and I was fully expecting it to happen, kind of sad it didn't happen but you know, it's all for the game. Price clearly didn't die after that moment. Maybe troops stormed in and finished him but that moment was the sort of relaxing you do after you've finished the incredible and just sink for a moment. If you've hit the top of Dead Woman's Pass on the Inca trail - it's like that.

I liked it a lot more than I thought it would. I felt like Soap's death could have been done better.

@ThePhantomnaut said:

@DoctorTran said:

@RedneckedCrake

@Barrock said:

Just beat it. Was I the only one that thought Price died as well? He took one last puff and faded away?

I thought about that as well but I don't think he was badly wounded enough to die. I can't remember how many times he was shot or if he was stabbed at all. I just wonder what the police will do when they find him there. I mean, he's wanted by just about everyone dead or alive. He took down Makarov which is no doubt a favor to everyone but to the outside world, he basically murdered America's top general.

I did. Optics that before the mission started, the Task Force 141 logo didn't have DISAVOWED across it. Perhaps... Just perhaps... He's been pardoned.

Well the Russian President knew the truth behind the situation which would have helped Price's case.

Exactly.

On another note... I really wish that you got to keep the Juggernaut armor on a little longer.

Played through on Normal difficulty in a little over five hours, but I was stopping and picking up every piece of intel along the way so that definitely slowed me down. Just started a Veteran difficult run this morning, and the first two levels took me maybe thirty minutes. I thought it was fun. Not as over the top as as MW2 was, but not as grounded in reality as the original Modern Warfare either. I thought they found a good place in the middle for the story.

yeah i have to admit it was a pretty good story and ended great.

I liked the story, made much more sense than Modern Warfare 2's. Seriously, that story made you think...but not really in a good way. Still, the levels in MW2 are some of the best I've ever played (Cliffhanger came very close to surpassing Ghillies in the Mist). MW3 I did enjoy, especially the ending (even if the Juggernaut part bored me a little). Soap's death wasn't that bad, but could have been better. Really liked how Yuri had actually played a big part throughout the whole story from the attempted assassination of Zakhaev in Chernobyl to the death of Makarov at the end of the game. And I agree, I felt a lot for the characters. Price returning in Modern Warfare 2 nearly had me cheering due to the epicness of the situation. You burst in on him choking a guard...that's Price for ya.

I greatly enjoyed MW3s story and felt some nice closure for the MW series as a whole, In comparison to another COD I thought the story was massively better than Black Ops( Ed Harris and Gary Oldman notwithstanding) In Black Ops I really only enjoyed the Vietnam levels in MW3 I was pretty much enjoying it throughout.

Genuinely enjoyed the campaign, but I certainly agree with the OP about being more interested in what happened to main characters. I think on balance this was pretty good send off for their story arc. The only reason I bought this game (besides a fleeting enjoyment of the multiplayer) was to see this admittedly batshit character driven story through to the end. The gameplay is pretty played out by now, and I would guess that what's left of IW know it, certainly not buying into another COD till they create something completely fresh.

@DoctorTran said:

@ThePhantomnaut said:

@DoctorTran said:

@RedneckedCrake

@Barrock said:

Just beat it. Was I the only one that thought Price died as well? He took one last puff and faded away?

I thought about that as well but I don't think he was badly wounded enough to die. I can't remember how many times he was shot or if he was stabbed at all. I just wonder what the police will do when they find him there. I mean, he's wanted by just about everyone dead or alive. He took down Makarov which is no doubt a favor to everyone but to the outside world, he basically murdered America's top general.

I did. Optics that before the mission started, the Task Force 141 logo didn't have DISAVOWED across it. Perhaps... Just perhaps... He's been pardoned.

Well the Russian President knew the truth behind the situation which would have helped Price's case.

Exactly.

On another note... I really wish that you got to keep the Juggernaut armor on a little longer.

multiplayer has a lot of juggernaut its just noobs gang up on you

Loved MW3, as well as the whole series. Probably my favorite FPSes. Don't play multiplayer much, but the campaigns are just so enjoyable. MW3 was no different. Excellent end to the trilogy. Honestly, CoD has some super subtle storytelling that people don't give it credit for. You can pull so many small touches from Soap's journal that you get with the Hardened edition, and just little nods and buildups in all the games, and it can become quite fascinating. For instance, Frost and Sandman are in that Operation Kingfish film, which is why they know Price in MW3. Totally random, but just a cool sense of continuity that you don't see in military shooters.