It’s been a hard last two years for Activision, though the game publishing giant never showed it. After Infinity Ward all but disappeared and a serious lawsuit between the developer’s founders against Activision for unreceived bonuses, a major portion of Infinity Ward’s staff left to create Respawn Entertainment, now working with Activision’s biggest competitor EA. After Modern Warfare 2′s lackluster single-player and cooperative play modes, there were serious concerns whether Activision and what was left of Infinity Ward could pull together a proper sequel in two years time.

Modern Warfare 3 not only puts those sentiments to rest, it blows them the hell out of this world.

Infinity Ward spokesman Robert Bowling was right when he said that MW3 is Modern Warfare‘s gameplay with Modern Warfare 2‘s technical excellence. Like the classic original, MW3 is a three-part masterpiece cut in two halves, a single player campaign and 16 cooperative missions playable solo, online or split-screen; and a deep, feature-filled online multiplayer made to last for months of continual play, if not years. MW3 is packed to the brim.

The single player campaign is a huge improvement over MW2′s mess of a story, which threw characters in and out of play on the whim of a single plot line, held like a thread for players to reach for but never get. Like teasing a cat with string. No,  MW3 offers a coherent story, well defined goals and characters, and understandable events that make sense. It doesn’t pack the overall punch of the previous two cinematically, with nuclear explosions in space and on the ground, or watching two men beat the stuffing out of each other while pulling a knife out of your chest. What MW3 does have is amazing action during gameplay, without quick-time events. That is a real achievement.

What MW3, which was co-developed by Sledgehammer Games, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software, does so beautifully is that it gives players just the right amount of combat. It doesn’t get boring, it doesn’t get tiresome, and you’ll never go “oh this again?!” Levels and areas are unique, cityscapes are vast and pretty damn impressive, and there’s a real feeling of grandeur at the scope of some segments. It’s not like God of War 3′s full boss-as-a-level or the urban jungle of Crysis 2. Instead, MW3 delivers very focused, very story-driven gameplay. There’s no player choice, but that’s not the point. The point is to have a ton of action sequences that kick ass, and that’s exactly what we get.

I’m particularly impressed with the cover system, or lack thereof. For years I’ve spouted that FPS games should use cover, albeit no game has done a good job at it. The three developers, however, have found a very simple trick around it: conform the cover to players. Now instead of cover fully shrouding players, it’s at gun-level. That means you can shoot over walls at actually at enemies, all while standing or crouching. Players can still get shot, but they’re much more hidden than in other games, where cover leaves players exposed when firing. It’s a wonder no one has thought of this ingenious concept before.

Cooperative play, once again called Special Operations (or Spec-Ops), pits one or two players in various missions with simple objectives. Free the hostages, capture the president, steal data, etc. Nothing too fancy, but every mission actually fits with the story’s overall plot in some fashion, although some don’t actually occur in the game. Players will be both the good and bad guys, will go in stealth and walking-tank body armor. It’s the closest thing, unfortunately, that players will get to full campaign coop, but even then Spec-Ops is tremendous fun. And those are only the missions.

Survival mode  pits two players against a never-ending wave of enemy combatants. Each new wave brings harder, stronger enemies with better guns, better armor, and more chemical and explosive devices. Suicide bombers, dogs with bombs strapped to them, juggernauts (remember those walking tanks? Yeah, you fight them), attack choppers, etc. Whatever you see in the game can come and bite you in the ass. Meanwhile, players have a full arsenal of purchasable items available, spread across three computers for armor, weapons and artillery. Each kill earns money, and specialty kills (head shots, melee kill, killstreaks, etc.) earn even more. It doesn’t take long for these teams of two to feel overwhelmed by the overbearing onslaught of weapons fire, and there is no end. Play on until you’re downed on any of the multiplayer maps.

Survival mode is incredible fun, so much so that I’m surprised that it’s only a two-player mode. Two players just aren’t enough, especially on larger maps. Considering how fun this mode is, and how it’s basically Modern Warfare’s answer to the bi-annual Call of Duty title with Zombies, it really needs to work with more than just two players.

Online multiplayer…with a few days of playtime, it’s hard to say just how good online play is. The game is made to last through the next year, and that’s very clear with just how long it takes to level up weapons. While in one night I managed to level up to 20, I couldn’t clear a single weapon even 10% through in that whole time, using it nonstop. Weapons leveling is just as important as personal rank, if not more important, because it opens up new features for weapons, such as weapon perks, attachments and camo. Unlike MW2 or Black Ops, it takes a long time to really unlock new weapons and get the most out of them.

Several new gametypes are included, though the standout is Kill Confirmed, a twist on standard Deathmatch. Players must not only kill enemies, but collect their dogtags before enemies get them first. Without those dogtags collected, kills don’t count. It makes the game a tug-of-war, where players have to keep an eye on both the enemy and their own teammates, to collect any and all tags. Because it’s easy to steal an enemy’s kill, as well as lose your own.

The perk system has also been upgraded to match three different playstyles. Traditional killstreaks (now called pointstreaks) can earn standard strike packages under the Assault class, where three perks can be gained and used by players as they get kills. The Support class doesn’t reset it’s pointstreak when killed, but has limited access to what perks are available, and none of them can hurt the enemy. Instead, the support class has access to reconnaissance and general support abilities, but no calling in airstrikes or missiles. Finally, the Specialist class starts with no perks, but each kill adds a new perk, so players can theoretically become a powerhouse if they don’t die and have a raging pointstreak.

Multiplayer in MW3 is excellent, plain and simple. I’m not a huge fan of the maps, and think that there are far better maps in the past few Call of Duty titles, though MW3 does have a few gems. Too few, however.

There is one major aspect of MW3 that was a disappointment; the score. Modern Warfare 2 was scored by the good folks at Remote Control Productions (the Hans Zimmer studio, which also produced the scores for both Iron Man films, Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, Inception, etc.), and there are several scenes that even now stand out in my mind because of the incredible music. MW3 had nothing of the sort. The score was simply there, simply good enough to move the game along but not enough to make any impact.

As I sit here, completing this review, my biggest thought is to just go back and have fun. That’s really what Modern Warfare 3 is, a good time, and it offers that excitement for all sorts of players. The solo campaign is a mad dash of action and shooting, with an exceptional normal difficulty and challenging hardened and veteran modes. Cooperative play meets two standards, mission play and the never-ending survival mode, a great way to kill 20-30 minutes and really test your skills. And to round it all out, a very deep multiplayer that will keep players enthralled, equally excited and passionate, for months, if not years to come.

Editor’s Choice

4.5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Thanks to Amazon you can grab this new Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 and get $50 credit along with it!

Fresh for the release of MW3 Amazon is offering you some extra credit with your order of the brand new special edition Xbox. This 360 comes with a brand new paint job which spreads to the controllers and of course has a copy of Call of duty Modern Warfare 3 included. In addition it also has downloadable avatar items and of course with $50 of credit to go with it you have plenty to either get more games or more accessories to enhance your gaming experience further. This model includes the large 320GB hard drive, more than enough to meet the gaming cravings you need. This offer won’t last long, nor will this special edition so grab it fast!

Buy this console from Amazon and you’ll not only get COD MW3, but also get a $50 credit that can be used to purchase anything off Amazon.

The 3rd Modern Warfare will rocket into retails stores and people’s door steps in just over a week’s time.  With it will come millions of strained eyeballs, a result of fixating for endless hours on a screen.

To help reduce fatigue, and hopefully increase your frag numbers, Gunnar Optiks has released a pair of Modern Warfare 3 branded eyeware.  They’re designed to increase contrast, enhance detail, reduce glare and improve visual endurance.

We tested a pair of these out a few years ago and based on our experience they’re effective, though nothing beats taking a break from staring at the screen.  Nonetheless, if you know COD fans, than you know that the latter option, isn’t, well, an option.

The COD MW3 glasses will include not only Modern Warfare 3 branding, but a limited edition Call of Duty MW3 branded carrying case and pouch.  They’ll ship with standard lenses, though if need be they can be outfitted with corrective lenses.

You can purchase them online or at a Best Buy store for $99.

You know what’s worse than a film based on a video game?  A film based on a video game shot entirely in first person perspective.  While the style can be effective for select scenarios it’s a mind numbing experience if the whole film is shot from this perspective.

And that’s exactly how coming soon Modern Warfare live action film has been produced, which was released via the site FindMakarov.com (it now forwards to the below YouTube video).  Originally, we thought, as did the rest of the Internet, that it was a teaser site for the soon to be revealed Modern Warfare 3 video game.  Looks like we were wrong.

The quality of the film, based on this short trailer, looks no better than “made for TV”.  Hopefully it won’t end up in movie theaters, but if it does we’re suggesting that it be yanked faster than a parachute’s rip cord.  Anyway, you can peep the footage below

Just a little reminder that MW2′s Resurgence map pack arrives today.  Let’s hope they don’t ‘f’ this one up like they did the last.  Actually, it looks like they’re slowly rolling this one out just in case they run into any problems.

For the price of 1200 MS points you’ll get 3 new boards and 2 old boards found in MW1.  There is “Carnival”, an abandoned amusement park; “Fuel”, a massive oil refinery; “Trailer Park”, a maze of mobile estates; “Strike” and “Vacant”, both of which were found in the COD4.

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MDub, as in Modern Warfare, fans are ravenous when it comes to their map packs.  Well, they can now, or more like soon, feed their insatiable thirst for more mutliplayer combat.  Due sometime this Spring (I’m hearing as soon as April) we can expect the first map pack, which will be called “Stimulus Package” (let’s hope this means cheap).

The DLC will include five new maps – 2 pulled from COD4 and 3 news ones.  Activision has yet to deny or confirm this ‘leak’, but since the video depicting the supposedly new multiplayer boards has already been pulled from Youtube…well, you get the picture.

Update: A new video source for has been added, although it’s just screens

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Available for the PS3 and Xbox 360, Amazon has Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for $59.99 – $15 instant savings + $0 S&H = $44.99 shipped! This is the lowest price we’ve seen for this game EVER.

Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person tactical shooter and the sixth entry in the popular Call of Duty series. True to its name and following the lead of its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, it places players in modern combat settings, as opposed to the WWII environments of the earlier Call of Duty games. This modern approach brings with it new weapons, action and options. Coupled with a variety of gameplay modes including single player, multiplayer and the co-op Special Ops Mode, it is destined to be one of the most popular games of 2009 and a worthy addition to the Call of Duty series.

Looks like perhaps EA wants to get in on this whole Modern Warfare madness.  Isn’t that what Battlefield: Bad Company is?  Good thing for EA that Activision doesn’t have an exclusive Modern Combat license right!

The rumblings going around consist of an ex-EA production intern from 2008 posting somewhere that he worked on a Medal of Honor: Modern Combat title doing some design and software engineering.  Blah.  Other rumor blurbs include a possible real life tie-in to the game via Operation Anaconda, which was an actual mission held in Afghanistan from back in 2002.

The only thing that is confirmed is that there is another “undefined” Medal of Honor game in the works according to EA CEO John Riccitiello.  The last game in the Medal of Honor series was Airborne from 2007.

All this makes sense, but we’ll have to wait and see what rises to the top.

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It looks like Activision has plans to bring the Call Of Duty series to the Nintendo DS.  Called ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised’, it will debut on the same day as the console version, 11.10.09 and will be what sounds like a comparable, albeit portable version of the ultra popular FPS.  But unlike Modern Warfare 2, multiplayer will be limited to 6 people but will include a ‘survival mode’, which requires players to fight off hordes of oncoming enemy forces.  Unfortunately, at the time of this posting no screen shots or a trailer were available.

Full description after the ‘leap’

On the 10th November get ready for more high-speed action, as Activision Publishing, Inc. revealed plans today to deploy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised for Nintendo DS. Developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS by n-Space, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised will deliver an arsenal of cutting-edge weaponry, vehicles and tactics, arming players with precision controls for battle across the world’s most dangerous hotspots. Gamers will fight on the ground in intense building-to-building tactical combat, hack into enemy computer terminals, take the controls of military vehicles like Battle Tanks and UAV spy drones, or man the guns of an AC-130 gunship.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised will bring the epic Call of Duty intensity of Modern Warfare to Nintendo DS fans through a unique storyline and companion narrative. The title will also serve up a array of features, including a six-player online multiplayer mode that allows friends to host their own server, as well as the brand new Survival Mode, giving players a variety of weapons to hold off waves of oncoming enemy forces and an expanded six-player online multiplayer mode. Also, Arcade Mode will allow gamers to replay the game’s single-player with a time limit and running score, with extra points awarded for specific achievements.

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilised will release worldwide on 10th November, in conjunction with Infinity Ward’s highly-anticipated Modern Warfare 2, the next instalment to the record-breaking Call of Duty series and is rated 12+ by PEGI.

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Earlier this week we got wind of a special edition Modern Warfare 2, called the Prestige Edition, and it includes a pair of night vision goggles amongst other things.  Additionally, the community manager for the game did a little unboxing on video.  At the time, though, he failed to mention the price, but we now know that it will cost a whopping $150 when the game is released on November 10th.  That sure is pricey and with a whole bunch of other games that are coming out from Activision for the same price it’s gonna be a serious coin fip and then some for parents and children with not so padded expense accounts.

[Thanks, DJ Kolos]

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I think it’s fair to say that I’m pretty excited about Modern Warfare 2, which releases 11.10.09.  But I don’t think there is any amount of hype that can get me  to spend the coin necessary to obtain the Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition.  Don’t get me wrong it’s cool as all get up but I just don’t see myself strapping on a pair of night vision goggles, especially here in LA, only to get the evil eye and probably arrested by LA’s finest.

You can hit the unboxing video below to see what else is inside or read this: MW2 night vision goggles + a “Soap” MacTavish head display, art book, hardened edition of the game and a token for downloading the first Call Of Duty from Xbox Live or PSN.

[Thanks, John]