Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Reviews

E3 2011 Hands-on: Modern Warfare 3’s Spec Ops Survival mode

Ryan Fleming
By

Where Black Ops has the zombie mode, Modern Warfare has the Spec Ops challenges.  Of the two, the zombie mode has gained the more loyal following, but that might change thanks to the upcoming Spec Ops survival mode on Modern Warfare 3.

At E3, Activision was busy showing off Modern warfare 3, and while the campaign was not playable, nor was the competitive multiplayer, we were given the opportunity to check out survival mode.

The idea for survival mode is not new, far from it. If you have played Gears of War 2, it is a modified version of the Horde mode. It is a co-op gameplay style that has been copied several times recently—and with good reason, it’s fun. And the Spec Ops survival mode is no exception.

The mode is designed for two players to work as a team. The levels are taken from the multiplayer maps, and each begin with you and your teammate wielding a simple pistol. As you kill incoming enemies you can take their weapons.

With each kill you earn points, and the better the kill the more points—if you kill five without taking damage you earn “killstreak” points (but you do not receive traditional killstreaks—at least not in that way), headshots are worth more, you can earn “rampage points” and several other point boosters. As you earn cash, you can access boxes scattered around the map to purchase items, starting with new weapons. Once you have a gun you like, you can then pay to upgrade it with things like a scope and a grenade launcher. You can also fill your ammo between rounds and purchase a second gun if you like.

As you progress and the enemies grow more powerful, you can then move on to the two other boxes–all three boxes are available at the start, but it makes sense to start with weapons. One of the boxes offers a handful of traditional killstreaks including attack dogs and sentry guns. The other offers things like an airstrike or a Delta Team, which will send in four AI controlled allies who remain until the die.

In many ways the game feels similar to the zombie mode, but with different enemies. There aren’t areas to unlock, but the maps are fairly big, and the ability to purchase weapons is a familiar—albeit welcome touch. but in zombie mode you and your teammate cant each set up turrets and claymores, then lure enemies into a killing field while laughing maniacally. Granted, the laughing manically may not be common.

The level of enemy difficulty grows to a ridiculous level quickly as helicopters attack you, then juggernaut soldiers in full body armor come after you, not to mention the suicide enemies with C4 strapped to their chests.

But regardless of how far you make it, you can always do better next time, as Spec Ops now offers leveling and experience points. The details were still being withheld, but Spec Ops games will feature their own leveling system that is completely separate from the competetive multiplayer.

The most surprising thing about the survival mode is how fun it is. It seems like something that you have played before in other games—and it is—but the Call of Duty movements and weapons offer something fresh to the style. Shooting dogs strapped with C4 is always entertaining too, but the co-op aspect is going to make for a new way to play for many that skipped over the Modern Warfare 2 mode. Adding two more players might have been nice, but the frantic intensity of just you and a buddy may be worth it.

It might sound like a minor addition, but the Modern Warfare 3 Spec Ops survival mode is something worth keeping an eye on.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Is Modern Warfare 2 cross-platform?
Characters running on highway in Modern Warfare II.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is one of 2022's biggest games, and it'll likely reach millions and millions of players. Since multiplayer is such a major component of Modern Warfare II, you might be wondering if the game features cross-platform play, which platforms the game supports, and how cross-progression works.

In this guide, we'll explain everything to know about cross-platform play in Modern Warfare II.

Read more
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 contains the series’ most uncomfortable mission yet
Simon "Ghost" Riley holding weapon and aiming down for Modern Warfare II promo art.

There’s something uniquely mean-spirited and depressing about Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2022)’s campaign. The Call of Duty series has always had issues with its pro-foreign occupation stances, but the sequel to the 2019 reboot hosts one of the most harrowing moments in the entire franchise. It's a moment that isn’t an edgy, marketable feature on the box art or making Fox News headlines like previous games in the series have had.

No, it’s more understated and subtle, but sticks out all the same for its troubling implications.
Borderline
The fifth mission in Modern Warfare 2’s campaign, “Borderline,” sees two Mexican Special Forces agents chasing a terrorist over the border into the U.S. and through a rural town. When they cross the border, the two remark that they don’t have any jurisdiction in the U.S., but can’t let the terrorist just get away, so they’ll sort out the legal details later and make sure to be careful.

Read more
The best weapons in Modern Warfare 2: every gun ranked
Soldiers running in Modern Warfare II.

Your performance in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has a lot to do with the weapon you come equipped with. Sure, a skilled player can excel with most weapons in the game, but having the best firearm for any given situation will lead you to more victories -- regardless of your playstyle. Modern Warfare II has over 40 primary weapons across seven categories, each with different stats, strengths, and weaknesses.

The meta in Call of Duty games shifts constantly as weapons are added and tweaked, so it's always a good idea to stay on top of the latest updates. In this guide, we'll rank each weapon in Modern Warfare II across all categories (with the exception of the Riot Shield). This ranking is in descending order, with the first spot being the best and the last spot being the worst. We'll also link to loadout guides for the weapons on this list so you know exactly which attachments to use.

Read more