As if you needed any more proof, Modern Warfare 3 shows without a doubt that Call of Duty games are now being made with the digital equivalent of a cookie cutter. It is the same basic elements of past Call of Duty games, only modified slightly and polished up a bit. But is that such a bad thing? One would assume that Call of Duty has been successful for a reason, right? And even though Modern Warfare 3 is essentially a polished version of Modern Warfare 2, that polishing does make a difference.

Modern Warfare 2 was highly criticized for the short length of its campaign mode. MW3′s campaign mode was promised by the developers to “feel longer.” Well… it doesn’t. This tester finished the game in less than five hours, playing on regular difficulty level, which is extremely short for a video game. The plot is also extremely simple, and contains similar elements to that of MW2, such as jumping back and forth between different sub stories.

Special Ops is also back and follows exactly the same format as it did in MW2. It even starts off with an obstacle course/shooting range. They have tried to liven up this section of the game a bit by adding “Survival Mode,” in which you face endless waves of enemies, each getting progressively harder – possibly an attempt to match the successful Zombie Mode from TreyArch’s games. It can provide a good change of pace if you are getting bored with other features in the game.

Where MW3 truly shines is in its multiplayer mode, which is good, as this is undoubtedly the most popular feature of the game. The same engine is used that was used in MW2. However, there are many modifications that give it a slightly different feel, a better feel. Changes such as new maps, a new kill streak system, different perks, the addition of “weapon proficiencies,” new weapons with different levels of damage, and polished visual features make the gameplay feel like somewhat of a hybrid between Black Ops and MW2, a balance that most will find pleasant.

So the what’s the bottom line? It is definitely a solid game, and although it is a lot like other Call of Duty games, it is one of the better ones. If you have never played Call of Duty before, this would certainly give you a good impression of the franchise.