User Score
3.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 5387 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Nov 9, 2011
    10
    Metacritic really need to sort this out, If you like the franchise and really only want more maps then this is still one of the most addictive multi-players out there.
  2. Nov 8, 2011
    10
    A brilliant game. The multiplayer feels a lot more refined and is in my opinion, better then Call of Duty 4's, the one most people call the best. There isn't much in the way of innovation, and i'd probably give this game an 8 out of 10, but due to the attacks from people I can only assume have some sort of grudge against Call of Duty, i'll give it a 10 on here just to help bump up the user score.
  3. Nov 8, 2011
    10
    Good....Good...Let the butthurt flow through you. Seriously fan girls, whats wrong with you? Its not battlefield so it sucks. Same can be said the other way around.
  4. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    This game is not that bad as the user score says. I don't think it is a perfect game but I am hoping to offset the user score a bit by giving it a 10. It is pretty fun game. It has a good co-op mode that uses splitscreen multiplayer that battlefield 3 does not have at all. You can take a friend online with you which I think is a great feature. I know that it has been in previous games butThis game is not that bad as the user score says. I don't think it is a perfect game but I am hoping to offset the user score a bit by giving it a 10. It is pretty fun game. It has a good co-op mode that uses splitscreen multiplayer that battlefield 3 does not have at all. You can take a friend online with you which I think is a great feature. I know that it has been in previous games but this is where COD has an advantage over Battlefield. The online is fun and single player is good as well. That is why I don't think the user score is deserved. I can't compare it to previous games since I didn't play many previous COD games but a fps cannot change that much. The online cannot change from game to game in my opinion unless a new mode or different point system is implemented. I think the only things that can change are the campaign and single player modes. I don't know how people can ask for a lot of change from one fps game to the next that is not really story driven. Also by madden or any sports game, I don't buy the game every single year but wait a few years between each game for major changes to happen. Expand
  5. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    if it is not broke do not fix it, this is the same COD that everyone loves with more surprises and support options, just keep being the best. not complain that you are putting 0, I think they are frustrated lovers Battlefield.
  6. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    This is the biggest selling game in such a short period for a reason...It delivers! Its not about the campaign which is average at best. Its the Multiplayer (B) and Spec Ops (A)...Spec ops is an absolute blast and nothing compares!!! If you dont like it, sell it at Gamestop...
  7. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    I was originally waiting until Christmas to play this and but was given it as an early present and I must say it is easily the best of the series... unlike its predecessor, the multiplayer is now finely balanced and the stupid fun of the solo campaign has been taken to new heights and in a game fun should always be taken into consideration unlike certain other po-faced FPS 'battles'. ToI was originally waiting until Christmas to play this and but was given it as an early present and I must say it is easily the best of the series... unlike its predecessor, the multiplayer is now finely balanced and the stupid fun of the solo campaign has been taken to new heights and in a game fun should always be taken into consideration unlike certain other po-faced FPS 'battles'. To top it off is the vastly improved Spec Ops co-op that is now fine-tuned to be an equally enjoyable solo experience to the campaign with Survival discovering how to balance solo and co-op where Zombies et al could not.
    People may argue that the game runs on an old engine but briefly ignoring the fact that this is a very nice-looking game with a silky smooth 60FPS: since when have engines been the be-all and end-all of a game's success... Ocarina of Time 3D is still one of the best games of the year despite running on an engine from a decade ago so that cant be a detrimental factor to MW3.....
    The highlight of the series and the most fun I've had with an FPS since Portal 2 (and there have been many in between you'll all note) :)
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  8. Nov 8, 2011
    10
    I would tell anyone on the fence about buying this game to ignore the bad reviews. Its a good game, they delivered exactly what they wanted, a new game with the same feel as what made modern warfare popular. When nhl 09 or 10 or 11 or 12 or comes out do they change everything?? no they just improve things slightly, the same could be said for games like halo, every big game is gonna haveI would tell anyone on the fence about buying this game to ignore the bad reviews. Its a good game, they delivered exactly what they wanted, a new game with the same feel as what made modern warfare popular. When nhl 09 or 10 or 11 or 12 or comes out do they change everything?? no they just improve things slightly, the same could be said for games like halo, every big game is gonna have its share of haters and those people are dumb if they dont know what to expect when buying a call of duty fps. I tried to like battle field but didnt like the controls and thats why i like mw3 more, the controls dont feel clunky to me and thats one of the reasons i enjoy playing it online. Bottom line is the game is good and with so many titles not living up to its hype , its nice to see one that does Expand
  9. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    This game is not a 10, is an 8, but you all must grow up 2.2 is an unfair score for the game.
    I am loving the single player, is fast paced and fun, and the multi player is fun to. So my score is 8 but to compensate the low score i will give it a 10.
  10. Nov 9, 2011
    10
    Really enjoying this, as much as I loved MW2, there were aspects of the game which I saw as negatives, but it seems as if they've all been fixed in MW3!
  11. Nov 8, 2011
    10
    So it's an expensive map-pack? Correct. However you won't find more people online playing a game with a more solid foundation and set of mechanics. Shame? Yes. Could they have done more? Yes x2. Is it still going to keep you hooked for months? Yes x3.
  12. Dec 7, 2011
    10
    ATTENTION USERS! BEWARE! I just found two reviews posted in my name that I did not wrote. One of them, I haven't even played the game. Don't know how it happened, if someone hacked my account or my informations were given away. Anyway, check your reviews and ratings, see if everything is right. (sorry to do this as a review, but it was the only way I found).
  13. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    I came here after seeing that Glen was looking for honest reviews and I will do as such. I have played all the CoDs, BFs, and other shooters. simply put mw3 is a great game but it doesn't aspire to greatness like the other CoDs did. the massive exodus from infinity ward is obviously stated in this games under development and inspiration. it makes me excited for respawn studios game though.I came here after seeing that Glen was looking for honest reviews and I will do as such. I have played all the CoDs, BFs, and other shooters. simply put mw3 is a great game but it doesn't aspire to greatness like the other CoDs did. the massive exodus from infinity ward is obviously stated in this games under development and inspiration. it makes me excited for respawn studios game though. this game plays the exact opposite of bf3. where bf had a bland campaign and innovative mp, mw3 has done the opposite. play this game for the campaign, prestige once in mp just to check out the new system then leave it. black ops was more more creative with its emblem system, wager matches, and map creation. if infinity ward has anything to do w the next mw I will be passing on it. single 9.5/10 multi 8/10. Expand
  14. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    What I would say is that what people have to remember is that the current iteration of this franchise is nothing more than a corporate cash cow. It was the first game to raise the RRP of a videogame to £55 and now with this version Activision are also flogging a £35 subscription (annual) on top of that.

    There is also the argument of rehashing the same game - and
    What I would say is that what people have to remember is that the current iteration of this franchise is nothing more than a corporate cash cow. It was the first game to raise the RRP of a videogame to £55 and now with this version Activision are also flogging a £35 subscription (annual) on top of that.

    There is also the argument of rehashing the same game - and I think you cannot compare this game to sports franchises... because at the end of the day the parameters of a sports game are finite - you can't suddenly start putting anti-grav on a football, etc. but with something like this - where you are only restricted by the minds of the designers and their creativity... this version is just like McDonald's creating one of their "Tastes of America" - it's got a slightly different sauce on it, but essentially it's the same grey, tasteless meat inside...

    I've played all of these and the problem is the quality isn't that good... floaty mechanics, pea-shooter effects and a really old graphics engine - who cares if it's running in 60FPS if it looks like an original Xbox or PS2 game?

    The problem is that the hatred isn't just for the game, but for the treatment of gamers by Activision - and of course their vision of what a game should be... it's no longer about the enjoyment of the audience or the creativity of the designer, it's about milking the market for as much as they can... and don't get me started on their charge for playing online if you buy one of their games second hand as well as their grotesquely over-priced maps popping up every other month (about £10 each for usually 3 or 4 maps that have featured in old games).... and before you say you don't have to buy them - in order to play online with friends and get maximum chance of joining a match - they pretty much make it essential.

    At some point we (including the press) have to say enough is enough. We're not just here to be milked for cash - £55 for the game, £35 for subscription, £10 a time for maps, £10 if you want to play it online, etc. etc. and all for the privilege of playing the same game remixed... is it worth 5 stars? Really?
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  15. Nov 21, 2011
    10
    Haven't started single player or special ops yet but I hear their excellent, iv'e been completely glued to multiplayer since purchase on release day. So many great additions to MW3 online, there isn't really a bad map IMO, loads of fun, loads of pace, nice tweak to the killstreak system means anyone can now pick up kill streak rewards, all in all best COD game to date.
  16. Nov 9, 2011
    10
    What a piece of ****
    It's just a copy Of MW2!
    Same graphics,same extremely outdated engine,almost the same multiplayer,short and lame singleplayer.
    The console peasants might be pleased with this but i am not!
  17. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    I'll help this suspiciously low meta critic score. It's so funny even with a low score MW3 will out sell Black Ops. I am a huge Battlefield 1942, 2, 2142, BC2 and 3 player. Loved all Battlefields especially BF3. I just wish all Battlefield players could enjoy the best of both worlds. It's a mistake to hate CoD just because it competes with Battlefield. I am proud to play both andI'll help this suspiciously low meta critic score. It's so funny even with a low score MW3 will out sell Black Ops. I am a huge Battlefield 1942, 2, 2142, BC2 and 3 player. Loved all Battlefields especially BF3. I just wish all Battlefield players could enjoy the best of both worlds. It's a mistake to hate CoD just because it competes with Battlefield. I am proud to play both and love both.

    MW3 is addicting, the maps are many and are extremely fun. The unlocks are amazing and seem like they will never end. This gives me such joy and motivation to keep playing. That is what makes CoD so special. Another aspect of CoD that I really enjoy is the Kill Cam. It helps me to see how I am killed so that I can improve and learn from mistakes. I wish Battlefield would add a Kill Cam. I am playing Domination religiously and I have had many good moments and went to bed around 2:30am last night.

    The best part of CoD is its controls and fluid game play. There is no chop chop in this game as it runs at a cool 60FPS. Playing Black Ops and then playing MW3 will show you the difference in the controls. MW3 has that solid flow to it compared to Black Ops cumbersome feel. I will play Black Ops and do ok, but with MW3's excellent control I do much better. Last night I went from level 8 to 18 in just a few hours. I know I have improved but I am able to track better in MW3 than Black Ops.

    Kill streaks are an incredible staple to the CoD franchise. The support strike packages are a welcome addition. They allow you to keep your kill streak alive even if you die. The assault strike package acts like the kill streaks from past CoD games which resets your kill streak when you die. I am not the best player by any means and will have a poor kill/death ratio. So this support strike package allows me to enjoy the kill streaks. So far I have spawned a UAV, SAM Turret, Remote Machine Gun Turret and a Stealth Bomber. The SAM Turret is cool because there are always kill streak planes flying over head. It's sweet to see missiles from your SAM Turret streak towards a Stealth Bomber!

    Speaking of missiles hitting Stealth Bombers or Helicopters, my rockets when locked hit the plane or helicopter but never seem to destroy it. I have hit a helicopter with a rocket and had it get extremely damaged and "Look" like it was going down but then stay in the air. I don't have another rocket so I cannot take it down. They should explode from one rocket IMHO or give me 2 rockets.

    My biggest disappointment is the knifing. This has gone unchanged and is still the fast air slash it was in the past. It would have been great to see a KZ3 or BF3 animated stabbing death. Other than that I don't have anything to complain about.

    There are 16 maps which I find very generous. They are from many different locations. I don't have a favorite yet as I am enjoying all the maps. I am sure over time as I learn the names I will enjoy my favorites. One thing I really love about CoD is that when you are killed it's so easy to get back in the action. It is unending and exhilarating.

    The audio is top notch falling a close second behind BF3's sound. The guns explode with realism along with the explosions. The planes and different kill streak sounds are amazing!

    IW and Sledgehammer did a great job. I don't feel like this is MW2.1 at all. This feels like a different game that has a lot to offer. They took a great formula and perfected it. This is the best CoD released yet. It is a shame that many of the CoD faithful have given a score of 0 when they are playing MW3 right now and really enjoying themselves. It appears that hypocrisy knows no bounds. I will be enjoying this one all year. Hopefully Treyarch can come back with a better effort than Black Ops. Zombies is amazing, but they need to do better on the CoD control feel and MP component.
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  18. Nov 19, 2011
    10
    ok before everyone rips my head off with the no button i must say this my review is not actually a 10 it is mor like an 8 but this game does not deserve all of these bad scores yes it is not perfect but i am still sucked in for hours. everyone is Bitc*ing and moaning that it is the same game with different maps, well what do you expect its COD its been the same thing year after year sinceok before everyone rips my head off with the no button i must say this my review is not actually a 10 it is mor like an 8 but this game does not deserve all of these bad scores yes it is not perfect but i am still sucked in for hours. everyone is Bitc*ing and moaning that it is the same game with different maps, well what do you expect its COD its been the same thing year after year since COD4 MW and if they change the game none of you will like it and you will complain about that if you are going to complain about this then why did you spend 3-4 hours in line for a game that you were going to hate anyway. Ok now that i have adressed the trolls i can get on with my review, as always i have to force myself to play the COD campaign since they all feel stale dispite the amazing visuals and gunfights but anyone who buys this game for the story is pretty dumb because it is only like 4-5 hours long but fourtunatly there is so many other things to do. The multiplayer is fun and addictive and also easy to pick up and play for anyone new to the series and will keep you entertained for hours and the new game mode they added has become my new favorite thing to play. This game has also brought back Spec Ops if you somehow manage to get bored of the multiplayer with missions you can do that have nothing to do with the story and they also included a new survival mode. for those that dont know survival is basicly the same thing as zombies but they are actual people with guns trying to kill you instead of mindless animals and i like it way more than zombies and it actually gives you a feeling of accomplishment where as in zombies there is absolutly no gain and it is generally a waste of time. if you were expecting something different you should shoot that thought out of your arse because it is almost exactly the same thing and if you havent already picked up a copy of this game i think that you should defenatly try this out you will not be dissapointed Expand
  19. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Modern Warfare 3 is the best in the series. If you played MW2 you will love MW3. The first thing you notice when you play is that there's a lot more ways to play the game. If you're not the type to get a bunch of kills in a row then the Support Package is for you. Your "streak" doesn't reset when you die. All of you other Pro COD players will probably stick to Assault Package since itsModern Warfare 3 is the best in the series. If you played MW2 you will love MW3. The first thing you notice when you play is that there's a lot more ways to play the game. If you're not the type to get a bunch of kills in a row then the Support Package is for you. Your "streak" doesn't reset when you die. All of you other Pro COD players will probably stick to Assault Package since its similar to what you're used to. Once you hit level 20 you can pick the Specialist Strike Package. This has no killstreaks. Instead the more kills you get,the more perks you get. I recommend this for only the most expert of players. This package has no deathstreaks so making a comeback will be especially difficult. There are 2 new modes in the game that are really cool. Kill Confirmed is basically Team Deathmatch but you have to pick up these dogtags to confirm the kills. You can also pick up your own dog tag and deny the other teams kills. Team Defender is a fun twist on Capture the Flag. In Team defender the objective is to play keep away with the flag. The longer you have it the more points you get. If you play with your friends and have a strategy you will have a good chance of dominating. Expand
  20. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    November 8th 2011, was one of the most important dates in the history of any Call of Duty fan. The anticipation, excitement, anxiousness, nausea, or as in my case hyperventilation when the delivery arrived because at that moment I hadnâ
  21. Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Only reason this game gets a 7 from me(I'd give it a 7.5), is because they are still using Host Migration when they have been making plenty of money to use dedicated servers. That and there are still quite a few bugs they need to kink out.

    Everything else, is exactly what I expected. I never bought into the hype, and came out satisfied. Spec Ops missions are where this game truly shines
    Only reason this game gets a 7 from me(I'd give it a 7.5), is because they are still using Host Migration when they have been making plenty of money to use dedicated servers. That and there are still quite a few bugs they need to kink out.

    Everything else, is exactly what I expected. I never bought into the hype, and came out satisfied.

    Spec Ops missions are where this game truly shines though, Kill Confirmed is my new favorite mode now too.
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  22. Nov 12, 2011
    10
    All of the Call of Duty titles play very similarly, in fact there is very little difference in the way it plays going way back to the original Call of Duty. Why are people only just figuring this out? Is that a bad thing? Hell no! The game has been tweaked and tuned to perfection along the way. There is a reason why it's the #1 Franchise. Love it or hate it. MW3 runs brilliantly on allAll of the Call of Duty titles play very similarly, in fact there is very little difference in the way it plays going way back to the original Call of Duty. Why are people only just figuring this out? Is that a bad thing? Hell no! The game has been tweaked and tuned to perfection along the way. There is a reason why it's the #1 Franchise. Love it or hate it. MW3 runs brilliantly on all ports and add's some neat features to keep the fans happy. Not to mention the gritty campaign we have all come to appreciate from all of the Call of Duty titles. It's not perfect, dedicated servers and added pc features such as FoV etc would have been nice. However I'm going to give this a 10 to compensate for all the thoughtless 0's I'm seeing. Good job Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer! I look forward to your next installment. Expand
  23. Nov 8, 2011
    10
    it's not a DLC of MW2 the MP has improved over with the spec ops giving the shine it is just as good as zombies and the unlocks will keep you going on for a while and Prestige and 80 levels will definitely be alot of time too., COD Elite is just as good as Battlelog everything is good (MP is a dead heat) and Campaign is Amazing. The only reason this game has such a low score is because ofit's not a DLC of MW2 the MP has improved over with the spec ops giving the shine it is just as good as zombies and the unlocks will keep you going on for a while and Prestige and 80 levels will definitely be alot of time too., COD Elite is just as good as Battlelog everything is good (MP is a dead heat) and Campaign is Amazing. The only reason this game has such a low score is because of all those Battlefield wa*kers. Expand
  24. Nov 15, 2011
    10
    No matter how much people hate on the series it doesnt deserve such a low score so thus im giving it a ten.sefsfsfesfsefefffefeffsfefeffeefesddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
  25. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Half the people giving it negative reviews are haters.
    I was disgusted by Black Ops,
    but after playing MW3 I was pleasantly surprised. It's easily the best of the series. I was never a big fan of the multi-player, but this one blows the previous games out of the water with amazing map design, seruisly these are the best multiplayer maps I've ever seen in any video game. they're larger,
    Half the people giving it negative reviews are haters.
    I was disgusted by Black Ops,
    but after playing MW3 I was pleasantly surprised.

    It's easily the best of the series. I was never a big fan of the multi-player, but this one blows the previous games out of the water with amazing map design, seruisly these are the best multiplayer maps I've ever seen in any video game.
    they're larger, better and more strategic.

    I also found that the survival mode has so much content and so many maps that you could literally be hooked played it for weeks or even months, I can honestly say that Survival beats the hell out of Nazi zombies and Zombies were the only thing worth replaying in black Ops.
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  26. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    Great game! I bought BF3 on launch, and I loved it. Then when MW3 came out, I decided to go buy it, I was not disappointed! Keep in mind this is the first Modern Warfare game I have purchased. The campaign was amazing, online is spectacular, and spec ops is sweet, especially survival mode.
  27. Nov 21, 2011
    10
    This game is not a 10 out of 10, but its not a 2.8 either. All of these 0's are trolling at its finest. Sure this game is largly similar to the last few iterations, but the games this slightly improves upon is a great game. Why fix somthing if it isn't broken? That said, the improvments made are (mostly) welcome ones. The campaign brings a satisfying conclusion to a story started 4 yearsThis game is not a 10 out of 10, but its not a 2.8 either. All of these 0's are trolling at its finest. Sure this game is largly similar to the last few iterations, but the games this slightly improves upon is a great game. Why fix somthing if it isn't broken? That said, the improvments made are (mostly) welcome ones. The campaign brings a satisfying conclusion to a story started 4 years ago. It includes the big budget stunts and set pieces that we've come to expect from CoD. Every explosion is bigger and every set piece is more exciting. I have never been a huge fan of CoD multiplayer, but MW2 was perfection incarnate. With MW3 every map, weapon, and perk seem to favor fast, twitch response gameplay over the larger, more deliberate maps and "Play how you want" mentality of MW2's customization options and I find that disappointing.

    The new survival game mode is the normal horde mode with a CoD twist. Adding CoD's frantic, sweat enducing gameplay to a tried and true mode of many other games. This isn't the greatest game ever, maybe not the greatest CoD, but what new aspects it brings to the table, the hard work of the makers of the game, and the innovation the series has brought to it's genre are not deserving of the 0's people have given it because they want to send a message, or they want to show everyone they aren't part of the crowd, or just out of boerdom. CoD doesnt deseve this, Infinity Ward doesnt deserve this, potential buyers dont deserve this, and Activision? well maybe Activision does deserve this.
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  28. Nov 11, 2011
    10
    What a great game, absolute streets ahead of the competition! Great story mode which lasts a lot longer than bf3. ,multiplayer is a head of it's time, it' wondrous, amazing, beautiful, courageas and marvellous. Quite simply the best fps of all time. Sorry bf3 but you failed miserably!
  29. Nov 29, 2011
    10
    i buy this game and i have to say,the best call of duty ever made,the campaing may be short but it's fantastic,the engine may be old but still looks great and runs well,the sound of guns needs a little work,but the rest of the audio is mind-blowing,the gameplay still the same,but i don't care about innovation and the multiplayer along with the spec-ops are excellent.......A REAL CALL OFi buy this game and i have to say,the best call of duty ever made,the campaing may be short but it's fantastic,the engine may be old but still looks great and runs well,the sound of guns needs a little work,but the rest of the audio is mind-blowing,the gameplay still the same,but i don't care about innovation and the multiplayer along with the spec-ops are excellent.......A REAL CALL OF DUTY FAN WILL BUY THIS GAME AND WILL SAY:" I DONT CARE ABOUT THE CRITICS AND THE OTHERS GAMERS,THIS GAME IS IS THE BEST FPS GAME I EVER HAD.".... Expand
  30. Nov 13, 2011
    10
    Best Cod out yet. everything that is good about the other COD's and then some, it is a large re-hash of MW2, but the online is still very very very fun.
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 39
  2. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. Feb 10, 2012
    90
    There's a tangible insistence from gamers that this series needs to evolve, but it seems unwarranted when it still leads the FPS class. The engine's definitely in need of an overhaul, but when it comes to thumping set-pieces and addictive multiplayer design, Modern Warfare 3 is still in a league of its own.
  2. Feb 1, 2012
    85
    By sticking to the series' strengths, Modern Warfare 3 delivers some of the best competitive, cooperate, and single-player shooting in the business.
  3. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    Jan 4, 2012
    90
    As a complete package, Modern Warfare 3 takes the cake. [Jan 2012, p.67]