Xbox 360 Critic Reviews

Modern Warfare 3 is a shining example of refinement and improvement. It's familiar, sure, but here familiarity doesn't breed contempt, just respect and reward for those who've dedicated so much time to the series. And for new players, it's the perfect starting point, more accommodating and encompassing than ever...A game which is undoubtedly going to be played for a long, long time to come, and deservedly so.

The Infinity Ward engine is far from cutting edge – the overall look of the game has not moved on enormously since MW2. But the vision, the choreography, the sense of scale and detail – they are awe-inspiring at times.

Modern Warfare 3 concludes the trilogy with a solo campaign that goes beyond my expectations, and a multiplayer with subtle yet efficient revisions. It boasts better balancing and takes into account the supportive players more than ever compared to the regular solo guns blazing hero. Quite comprehensive, it also re-introduces the beloved Spec Ops mode, and the launch of Call of Duty Elite grants him the best available service in that category. Even though in terms of production values, and scope of the competitive multiplayer, Battlefield 3 harms Activision's champion, it remains a title that is firmly anchored to its traditional strengths, and doesn't get lazy. The lovers will be ecstatic, the haters gonna hate.

Call of Duty manages to raise the bar with each game that arrives year after year and Modern Warfare 3 is no exception, except this time the franchise has made a much bigger leap than it has in years past. For starters, the online game is the deepest and richest CoD multiplayer experience to date and the Spec Ops co-operative mode is worth the price of admission alone.

It's hard to believe Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has finally arrived let alone lived up to all the hype surrounding it.

Like a divorced parent trying to win the affection of an only child, the game dishes out rewards with every breath.

All of that aside the final product that is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the complete package. It has a solid, single-player campaign (which is long enough if played correctly but feel free to complain if you want); a feature-rich multiplayer mode that has new modes and will be played by millions of gamers for years to come; a great Spec-Ops mode that includes an all-new Survival gameplay mode; and is the first Call of Duty title to launch with the new Elite service, something that will become a standard in the CoD franchise for years to come.

Familiar-yet-new territory comes in the form of AC-130 missions, only these are far more robust, and desperate. You're clearing a path on-the-fly for teams on the ground, but equally switching between the two. And it's not just decimating ground forces, either. There's no arguing Infinity Ward make a chopper crash look the best in the biz, and you'll be swatting enemy helicopters from the sky like so many flies under your fly-swatter.

Overall, Infinity Ward (what's left of the original gang) and Sledgehammer Games have stayed loyal to the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare brand in the name of all their loyal fans.

Modern Warfare 3 really is the best multiplayer shooter on console right now. It's not changing the landscape of shooters - it's honing it to its sharpest point. It's a no-brainer purchase for console gamers.