Multiplayer review: 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'

Since the arrival of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007, the longtime first-person shooter franchise has been the gold standard when it comes to online multiplayer. The combination of frenetic combat and a continuous stream of enticing rewards have made each year's release very difficult to put down.

So don't be too surprised when you find the multiplayer component in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is very similar to previous releases.

Never played Call of Duty online before? Here's a quick overview: Players hop into a series of matches with fellow players online, earning experience points to boost rank and weapons. Matches range from Team Deathmatch (earn the most kills), Capture the Flag and Domination (capture points on a map).

The multiplayer experience starts as usual: Players are greeted with a handful of match types and default classes to choose from. Once players reach level 4, they can create and customize classes, selecting primary and secondary weapons, perks and other gear.

Modern Warfare 3 introduces several new, interesting features to the mix, starting with Strike Packages. When a player creates his or her class, they choose one of three packages: Assault, Support and Specialist. Each of these packages gives players battlefield assists when racking up consecutive kills or reach a specific point threshold.

Assault is the traditional option for Call of Duty players, providing players rewards for notching consecutive kills. They include options such as Predator Missile, Attack Helicopter and Ospreys, and players can use these assists to keep their killstreak going.

Support is a more defensive package, giving players a selection of rewards such as UAVs, ballistic vests and -- my favorite -- the airdrop trap. Unlike Assault, Support rewards are earned through points, and don't reset after death. So, really good players can cycle through Support rewards a couple of times in a match. It's a nice option for newer players, since they can snag points by performing objectives outside of simply killing enemies.

Specialist -- unlocked at level 20 -- unlocks a fourth perk after two straight kills. Notch two more and you unlock a fifth, then a sixth. When used with the right combination of perks, it can be a very effective package. For example, I have a class using the perks Blind Eye (undetectable by air support), Stalker (move faster while aiming) and the useful Hardline (killstreaks require 1 less kill). Using a Specialist package, when I reach the maximum number of consecutive kills, I add Assassin (invisible on radar), Sleight of Hand (faster reloading) and Quickdraw (faster aiming).

Players will also have Weapon Proficiencies to select when building classes. Not only do players gain experience to increase their rank (which is now at a max of 80), but "level up" their weapons to earn attachments and a proficiency. These can range from reducing kick to improving bullet impact or adding an extra attachment (the Warlord perk from Black Ops).

Most of the perks available should be familiar to Call of Duty veterans, only the names may have changed. Assassin, for example, is basically the Ninja perk from previous installments, while Extreme Conditioning is a variation on Marathon. Others have been tweaked a bit, such as Sleight of Hand, which now adds a bonus of faster weapon swaps.

Overall, there's a lot more customization involved with building out classes. There are also countless ways to level up. I haven't finished a map yet where I didn't unlock a new camo or weapon attachment or boost in rank. This is what makes Call of Duty so addictive; there's always a cool upgrade right around the corner.

Players will find the standard selection of match types -- broken up into Standard and the more challenging Advanced playlists -- with 16 maps to choose from.

Two new match types are available: Kill Confirmed and Team Defender. The first is a twist on Team Deathmatch, where two teams race to collect dog tags. After each death, a player drops a call tag. Although players get credit for the kill, their team doesn't score until the dog tag is picked up. They can also collect teammates' tags to deny a kill.

It's adds an interesting layer of strategy to Team Deathmatch. During one battle, my squadmate kills an enemy before being slain. Initially, I run to grab his tag and my opponent's, but I choose to wait it out behind a wall. Two enemies rush past, and I take them out, collecting an extra two enemy tags in the process. Players can easily spend time just running through maps and notching points by picking up tags.

Team Defender is a spinoff of Capture the Flag. Once the flag is captured, a team fights to hold on to it for as long as possible, adding points for each second it stays in their grasp. Neat concept, but didn't myself enjoying it as much as Kill Confirmed.

Outside of these upgrades, this is the Call of Duty multiplayer experience players have come to know and love (or hate, depending on your perspective). The maps are gorgeous, presenting plenty of intricate details. Each weapon feels powerful and gratifying to use, while matches feels frantic, almost to the point where a player can be overwhelmed. Gunfire and grenade blasts go off everywhere, while attack choppers and bombers roam the skies. It's a very intense experience.

For those jumping from Black Ops to Modern Warfare 3, there are a few things that have been eliminated, including the COD Points currency system and other perks and rewards (bye-bye, Attack Dogs).

In many ways, Call of Duty multiplayer has become the Madden of first-person shooters. With annual releases, don't expect the overall experience to change drastically. As last year's Black Ops showed, 25 million can't be wrong. The core Call of Duty experience online is incredible, and with some intriguing new features, Modern Warfare 3 is more proof of the franchise's strength.

Score: 3.5 stars (out of 4)

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REVIEW:  The single-player campaign in Modern Warfare 3

SURVIVAL MODE:  First impressions