Modern Warfare 3 Reveal Trailer Analysis
By David Bucur | May 25, 2011 | Features | 5 comments | Share
Today was a good day for Call of Duty fans. Infinity Ward finally released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s reveal gameplay trailer; albeit encountering a few problems along the way, the trailer being leaked just two hours before it was supposed to be launched officially. Now we can take a better look at what the next big thing in the Call of Duty series has to offer.
As always, GamerSpawn has made a video analysis, which can be found here: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Reveal Trailer Analysis. Our colleagues at OffDutyGamers.com also posted a trailer breakdown on their website.
The trailer kicks off showing a New York in ruins, during the Russian invasion. Destroyed battleships and cruisers are scattered along the coastline. In the foreground we see a Russian Mi-24E attack helicopter firing its chin turret. Further back there are two jets resembling MIGs emerging from the ruins of Manhattan, flying ridiculously low, and if you watch carefully you can see two helicopters far back. From this distance it’s hard to appreciate what they are, but judging by the silhouettes, they could be Blackhawks.
World's most iconic city in ruins.
In the next shot we can see a gruesome close-up of the world’s largest attack helicopter: the Mi-24E hovering in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Infinity Ward has taken some creative freedom, as the armament seems to be somewhat overdone. Normally the Hind-E would only be boasting a twin 23mm auto-cannon mounted on its chin turret, but it also features the F’s 30mm twin gun on the right side of the fuselage. Two external fuel tanks, two 57mm rocket pods and four AT-6 Spiral ATGM missiles complete the package, all mounted under the wing stubs. You would NOT want to mess with such a helicopter.
The Mi-24E is the largest attack helicopter in the world.
Next we see things from a first-person perspective. A Delta Force operative, armed with an M4, equipped with an M203 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher, passes you a magazine. This operative is most likely “Sandman” alongside whom you will fight, playing as “Frost”.
Sandman and Frost.
As you insert the magazine into your weapon, we get a better look at all the goodies that are mounted on it: a front grip, a so-called “dual-scope” made up of an EOTech holographic sight in front of a scope. The magazine has a magazine pull accessory mounted, which makes pulling out empty magazines somewhat easier. Also note that the top side of the magazine is not accurate, as normally would see the bullets inside the magazine. Another inaccuracy is the front sight of Sandman’s weapon, which looks more like the front sight of an AK, rather than that of an M4 carbine. Last but not least, in the background you also might notice a Striker Infantry Fighting Vehicle, and the wreck next to which the duo are at, also looks like a Striker.
The next scene shows an Oscar-2 class Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine launching cruise missiles at the city. The Oscar class would normally fire P-700 cruise missiles, but what is seen in the video does not resemble any Russian-made submarine-launched cruise missile. If somehow the submarine looks familiar it’s because you’ve probably seen it in one of the many documentaries about the K-141 Kursk submarine, also an Oscar 2, which sank in the year 2000 with all 118 crew on board in the Barents Sea.
We get a glimpse at the sky from below, as Mi-24s and cruise missiles fly above and then the action switches to England, as SAS troops disembark what looks like a Littlebird, with the Big Ben overwatching the action.
SAS in action.
There are several Volvo look-alike police cars in the area, blocking the road. We then see how the SAS open fire with their MP5 submachine guns at a truck which eventually flips onto its side.
The next few seconds take place in London’s underground metro transport system, with two unrealistically fast utility trucks, resembling Opel Vivaros chasing a train. The chase ends badly for the first one, as it gets crushed underneath the train. The crash also derails the train and sends one of the train cars flying, taking out concrete pillars as it tumbles violently. Not realistic, but impressive nonetheless.
The third country under attack by the Russians is France. You appear to be flown in by chopper into a Paris under a chemical weapon attack, with toxic gas lingering in the streets overwatched by the Eiffel Tower.
Welcome to Paris, baby!
A rather interesting sight is the chase scene. A Gendarmerie van is fleeing from a Russian Mi-24 gunship. Where that chase takes place is not known at this time, but it could be the Gare de l’Est train station.
After a few more shots with soldiers fighting we get a glimpse at the US Army’s planned replacement for the Humvee: the JLTV, or Joint Light Tactical Vehicle built by AM General and General Dynamics Land Systems.
Soon after that, attention shifts to Germany where an M1 Abrams tank makes its way through the rubble. Rumor has it that you will play as the gunner in the singleplayer campaign. We then see infantry rapelling down a building while an A-10 Warthog fires its GAU-8 Avenger gatling gun above. The same A-10, probably, swoops down and takes out a Russian T-90 tank.
The next part is the most interesting, and might seem familiar to a lot of you. A building collapses, while the player lies helplessly on the ground. Maybe Infinity Ward took a few cues from DICE, but that doesn’t mean this sight is anything worse than what we see in Battlefield 3’s Fault Line trailer. A burning car wreck then flies by the player, missing him by a few inches.
It doesn’t take the most powerful nations on Earth to create the next global conflict, just the will of a single man.Makarov, Full-Time Bad Guy
As various scenes are shown, with Deltas running across Wall Street and Russians armed with AK’s guarding prisoners, Vladimir Makarov, the man behind all this mayhem shares his thoughts. “It doesn’t take the most powerful nations on Earth to create the next global conflict, just the will of a single man”. As he ends his speech an SAS trooper slowly walks in the London Subway, next to a burning train wreck.
After those short seconds of relative tranquility all Hell breaks loose. Choppers crash, subs surface, SAS storm a building, divers navigate through a flooded Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, an AC-130 opens fire, Russians flee from an oncoming Striker IFV, the player fires a minigun at an Mi-24 gunship from a Blackhawk, an SAS trooper makes his way through a metro station, a cruiser gets hit by a missile while the player and his comrade-in-arms pass by the wreckage of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier in an inflatable boat, and last but not least, the Gendarmerie van pushes a Mercedes look-alike, eventually sending it and it’s three occupants flying through the air.
The last bit ingame footage shows Manhattan in flames, as more jets fly towards it.
From what we can see right now Modern Warfare 3’s singleplayer will be filled with anon-stop action, as we’d expect from a Call of Duty game, but what about the multiplayer? We’ll have to wait and see.
Thanks to Rick Givens for his military expertise.
good info, but the tank in the german part of the video is a lepoard 2a6 not an abrams the arrow like armour on the turret is proof of that the abrms has slanted turret armour. FYI
These have great info, thanks DeltaGamer and GamerSpawn for sharing your thoughts. By the way, why do Deltas still use M4 carbines? Starting from 2006, they've been using HK 416 gas-piston carbines instead. And I love how they finally portray the EOTech Holo sights with a magnifier. It is a scope, however, as it relies on the reticule of the EOTech sight.
In America it is more like two F-22 then Migs due to the game is based slightly in the future, it's size, elevators rudder and the profiling design
its pyscho man, not single man
Nice review, but this trailer doesn't really tell us very much does it?
I'm looking forward to seeing mw3 come out but, I guess cod starts to really bore me after a while of monotonous multiplayer gameplay. Sorry guys but I'd definitly go for battlefield 3.
But I guess this trailer gives a lot of hope 'n joy to a lot of codfans so I actuallu am sincerely happy for them.
Once again nice job Deltagamer.
TC Nuke