Game reception and rating: COD MW 3

Modern Warfare 3 has received generally positive reviews from critics, currently holding aggregated scores of 88% for the Xbox 360 version, 88% for the PS3 version, 80% for the PC version, and 71% for the Wii version on Metacritic.[85][86][87][88]

The Daily Telegraph gave the game's Xbox 360 version 5 stars out of 5, stating, "The series has always been renowned for elements like the excellent sound design, the gloss, polish and compulsion of its gameplay, but with Modern Warfare 3, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games have created a game that not only lives up to the brand hype but exceeds it. A game where the mass appeal is justified, and the expectations are met."[95]

IGN gave the game's Xbox 360 version a 9.0 out of 10.0, pointing out that the game offers "great multiplayer, [a] fun campaign, tons of content, but [also] a forgettable story."[93]

GameSpot qualifies the game, stating that "the series' signature thrills have lost some of their luster. Modern Warfare 3 iterates rather than innovates, so the fun you have is familiar" but concludes its review by affirming that, "Fortunately, [the game is] also utterly engrossing and immensely satisfying, giving fans another reason to rejoice in this busy shooter season."[91].

The Wii version of the game has not gotten as positive reviews. IGN rated the game a 4.5 out of 10, blaming the lacking graphics and poor friend code system for bringing it down.[98]