Sitting down in front of a "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" multiplayer station during Activision's celebration of all things "Call of Duty" this weekend, I prepared myself for what would surely be – well, another "Call of Duty" game. And, as it turns out, "Modern Warfare 3" multiplayer doesn't really break the mold much, but the changes made are more than enough to draw you right back to into the fray.
FAN SERVICE
In a lot of ways, "Modern Warfare 3" could be the most fan-centered episode in Infinity Ward's increasingly venerable series. Remember how the community was outraged over a number of perceived offenses with the launch of "Modern Warfare 2?" Amazingly enough, the developer has almost universally addressed those concerns.
"Every element of the game has gotten more balanced," said Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling. "That means no One Man Army, no shotgun to secondaries, definitely no Commando perk, and no Last Stand."
If you're unfamiliar with the series' multiplayer, those were all fairly reviled features in previous "Modern Warfare" titles, now omitted as Infinity Ward apparently attempts to appease series fans. Added to the developer's acceptance of previous complaints in regards to dedicated servers for the game's PC version, "Modern Warfare 3" looks like a game built for those who have supported the franchise.
I spent quite a lot of time with "Modern Warfare 3" over the weekend during "Call of Duty XP," playing a large amount of multiplayer, as well as the amazing Spec Ops mode (you can check out our previous Spec Ops coverage right here). My time with multiplayer was focused on the the game's new "Kill Confirmed" mode.
A NEW MODE: KILL CONFIRMED
Kill Confirmed adds an enjoyable new facet to the traditional Team Deathmatch scenario. You know how kills in deathmatch modes don't really take a whole lot of tactics? There's the planning that goes into understanding the layout of a map, and outfitting your soldier with the correct gear loadout, but once you've downed an enemy – or they you – that's pretty much the end of it. You're off to the respawn point or the next kill, just endlessly repeating that cycle.
Where Kill Confirmed breaks that mold is in what happens immediately following those kills. Whenever you've taken out an opposing player, a pair of gold dog tags will hover over their corpse. Pick up those tags, and you've earned the kill. Of course, that dead guy's teammates can also see those tags, and if they beat you to them, you'll lose the kill point. While it's a simple concept, this addition to the deathmatch formula is immediately satisfying, and you'll sense the danger – an enemy waiting for you to move towards the tags – every time you land a kill.
NEW CLASSES
Beyond the new Kill Confirmed mode, Infinity Ward has changed the way you'll play this "Modern Warfare," removing the traditional killstreaks in favor of "Strike Chains," which are directly tied to three new character classes, also known as "Strike Packages." According to Bowling, the team felt that the old killstreak system was really only optimized for deathmatch.
While they're not exactly confined to the restrictions of a "Battlefield" class-system, the strike packages will nonetheless have you deciding what type of "Modern Warfare" character you want to play. Each has their advantages, and each will probably suit a different type of player.
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