The battle for FPS supremacy will never end, with generations of shooters battling it out over the years. From Wolfenstein and Counter-Strike in the 90’s, to Halo 2 and Counter-Strike: Source in the mid-noughties, the fact first person shooters are such a popular genre has always made things that much more interesting. Now that we’ve completed our reviews of both Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, we thought it was time to pit the two latest contenders against each other, head-to-head.

Graphics

There’s not much to say here really. Battlefield 3 just looks better than Modern Warfare 3 in every way possible. Character models, the weapons and the environment in BF3 all trump that which you’ll find in MW3. Infinity Ward didn’t do a terrible job by any standard, but in terms of its competition, Modern Warfare 3 is just not up to scratch. Sorry.

→ Winner: Battlefield 3

The Engine

Everyone has jumped on this band-wagon, including me in my Modern Warfare 3 review. DICE have worked tirelessly on Frostbite 2 and the results in Battlefield 3 speak volumes. On the other hand, Infinity Ward continue to defend the MW3 engine (also known as the IW 5.0 Engine) and in fairness it isn’t that bad unless you compare it directly to Frostbite 2 or one of the other, newer engines out there. The bottom line is that Infinity Ward need to overhaul their engine at some point very soon if they’re to remain competitive in years to come.

→ Winner: Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 Image Gallery

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Campaign

The campaigns in each of BF3 and MW3 are extremely entertaining and deliver hours of fun, and although neither can be credited with an original concept for a storyline, we feel Modern Warfare 3 has more ‘epic moments’. Intense firefights, depictions of world changing events (in general, not ‘that scene’ – which we felt was a little cheap) and smooth play give Infinity Ward (and Sledgehammer) the edge here.  DICE using a very similar concept for their storyline, after the Call of Duty franchise had been running with it for a few years, didn’t help their cause either. Yanks versus Russians? Creative.

→ Winner: Modern Warfare 3

Online Multiplayer

This one is awkward. Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 offer two very different gaming experiences online. MW3 is very much an arcade shooter, while BF3 places a huge emphasis on patience, strategy and teamwork. As much as I love ‘survival mode’ in MW3 Spec Ops, I personally believe BF3 delivers the more polished and entertaining package. This one really boils down to personal preference though and on that basis I’m gonna call it a draw.

→ Winner: Draw

Modern Warfare 3 Image Gallery

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Conclusion

The general opinion of the masses has been that Modern Warfare 3 is simply Modern Warfare 2 in a new box, along with a few extra maps and features.  However, regardless of that view being correct or not, MW3 is still a solid game that will keep you entertained for months on end. Unfortunately for Infinity Ward and Activision, Battlefield 3 on the other hand is a revolutionary product. It is polished, engaging, entertaining and visually stunning. The online action may not be as fast-paced as that in Modern Warfare 3, but this only adds to its charm as you find yourself carefully moving around the maps and picking the opposition off, as you would in a real warzone. Both games have their merits, but I can’t look beyond Battlefield 3 on this occasion and I feel many award panels will do the same over the next 6-12 months.

→ Overall Winner: Battlefield 3