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Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer preview

Shacknews jumped into a rotating hopper to bring you our impressions of Modern Warfare 3's 'Kill Confirmed' mode as well as test out some of the major changes made to the game's multiplayer mode.
Xav de Matos
13
Though Capture the Flag, Domination, and Team Deathmatch are featured gametypes at the first annual Call of Duty XP event in Los Angeles, the newest mode for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on show here is one entitled 'Kill Confirmed.' Shacknews jumped into a rotating hopper with all four gametypes during a press night at the XP venue last night. Read our impressions of the newest mode and some of the major changes made to the game's multiplayer mode after the break. As someone who enjoys playing team based games with his team in mind rather than a kill/death ratio, I'm really excited for what the Strike Packages and Point Streaks in Modern Warfare 3 will offer. Playing the game, I'm happy to note that my excitement was not without merit. It works remarkably well. Gaining streaks based on everything you do, and not just kills, gives players of all skill level more of a fighting chance. We've already detailed how the streaks work, but to summarize: streaks are now separated into three packages. Assault favors those that hunt others, Support favors team-oriented players, Specialist favors those that like utilizing perks to get the job done. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the return of Death Streaks, a bonus that is offered to players that are constantly on the end of my boom stick. These streaks include simple things like giving players faster speed when they respawn and, yes, the infamous Martyrdom ability. I literally groaned out loud when I saw it in the game's menu.

Modern Warfare 3

The game plays similarly to Modern Warfare 2. Controls are exactly as they have always been. I played on a number of maps: Resistance, a Eastern European style cityscape complete with cobblestone streets; Dome, a satellite station with underground walkways; Village, a jungle-based area with waterfalls and a small collection of huts; and Underground, a level that takes place in and around a light-rail station. Though the engine is showing its age, each of the maps impressed. They are sizable and offer plenty of tactical decisions. None were as abrasive as Black Ops' Nuke Town. Kill Confirmed was the major highlight of the evening. The game type tasks players with killing the opposing team, but unlike Team Deathmatch, points can only be scored by collecting the dog tags of downed enemies. Once they are killed, a pair of golden tags float above their body. When you or members of your team are killed, a pair of red tags appear. Players must collect the tags to "confirm" the kill and, subsequently, they can collect tags of their fallen allies to "deny" enemy kills. There's a good give and take where players learned that immediately rushing towards tags didn't always work. As friends died around me, I would lie in wait for enemy troops to swoop in for the score. This gave me the ability to take out the enemy forced and deny a score, while also grabbing a few points for the good guys. I've typically stuck to support roles in multiplayer games, a position Call of Duty has never been good at supporting. Streaks had favored those that hunted kills, even when the mode being played was completely objective based. For that reason, I'm extremely excited for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer offerings. It honestly doesn't feel like ideas thrown into a box to meet an annual cycle. My time with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 proved the developer's willingness to change things in order to craft a better, well-rounded experience. Hardcore fans still have their beloved title, but those with less experience have a fighting chance to stay in the game. There are some great ideas in here and it has me excited for more. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 8 for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

Xav de Matos was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • Shacknews legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    September 2, 2011 1:30 PM

    Xav de Matos posted a new article, Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer preview.

    Shacknews jumped into a rotating hopper to bring you our impressions of Modern Warfare 3's 'Kill Confirmed' mode as well as test out some of the major changes made to the game's multiplayer mode.

    • heyrobscott legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 2, 2011 1:52 PM

      so i'm confused, do these assault/support streaks still reset at death?

      • XAVdeMATOS legacy 10 years
        reply
        September 2, 2011 3:29 PM

        Assault and Specialist Streaks reset at death. Support does not.

    • anbilow legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 2, 2011 2:14 PM

      Xav... What the hell man, you're actually making it sound appealing.

    • TwwIX legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 2, 2011 2:25 PM

      6 separate articles on Modern Warfare 3 on the same day? Really, guys? How much did Activision pay you to advertise their redundant game series?

      • TylerJSmith legacy 10 years
        reply
        September 2, 2011 2:53 PM

        Today is the kick-off of the Call of Duty XP event, so there's a ton of new content out for Modern Warfare 3.

      • anbilow legacy 10 years
        reply
        September 2, 2011 3:50 PM

        Yea, fuck those guys for writing about the next game in the biggest franchise of the past 4 years.

      • Mr Gore legacy 10 years
        reply
        September 2, 2011 6:15 PM

        As Tyler said, today was the first day of Call of Duty XP. What, were you expecting a flood of Battlefield 3 content? Its just common sense that there will be a flood of new information on MW3.

    • MarkcusD legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 2, 2011 4:02 PM

      Maybe it was good to get some new blood in IW.

    • Demon4231 legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 2, 2011 6:53 PM

      Are you sure that's the right videos? It has the same graphics, sounds, guns, physics, and kill steaks as MW2. I think this is just another map pack.

      • Mr Gore legacy 10 years
        reply
        September 2, 2011 8:14 PM

        That'd be hilarious if this video didn't prove everything you said wrong.

    • Jish9099 legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 3, 2011 12:00 AM

      Can somebody please elaborate on what the hell just happened at around 3:00?

      Also, "Kill Confirmed."

      • Cygnus X-1 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        September 3, 2011 12:07 AM

        The article pretty much explains it. I'ts a new Gametype. I'ts tons of fun =)

      • XAVdeMATOS legacy 10 years
        reply
        September 3, 2011 12:09 AM

        It's a new defensive device that detects what kind of attack is in the area and responds accordingly. For example, if it detects a RPG shot, it will fire countermeasures to destroy the RPG.

        If it's a person, it launches a mine.

        It's based on experimental technology, according to IW.

    • hmm666 legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 3, 2011 5:44 PM

      why would you need to preview the MP for COD? isnt it just the same as the last how ever many COD games? :/

      • Damann66 legacy 10 years
        reply
        September 4, 2011 9:05 AM

        did you even read it?

        • angryavatar legacy 10 years
          reply
          September 5, 2011 12:04 PM

          read an article before commenting on it? this is the internet!

          I was pretty meh on MW3 but the pointstreaks and strike packages won me over to a pre-order. They really do change how the game is played and saying it's the exact same game is ignorant.

        • kurumba legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
          reply
          September 5, 2011 2:13 PM

          I read it, it sounds like MW2 and Black Ops but instead of Killstreaks we now have strike packages. Big deal, I used to love the COD franchise. The setting hasn't changed much since COD4 and now we have another copy of the game we played 4 years ago. How about a call of duty game set in the future? Or maybe a different franchise made by the same team?

          I wouldn't mind so much if they changed the engine and worked on some new features, but to add a couple of game types and some weapon skins doesn't warrant paying yet another £45 for it. After Battlefield 3 I'm done with modern combat settings in games, it has been butchered by the gaming media just as bad as WW2

    • Vogerl legacy 10 years
      reply
      September 5, 2011 10:17 AM

      Thank you very much for that video; I will now absolutely not shell out 60€ for this stand-alone addon >_>

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