This year’s Call of Duty is a bit of a let down.

At £70-odd, you’d expect all the blockbuster bombast of previous hits like Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard.

But Modern Warfare 3 feels more like a half-effort, a piece of DLC, than a fully blown game.

And I suspect that’s because that’s what it basically is, and the high price for old multiplayer maps and a short, dull campaign isn’t justified.

There are reports the team at Sledgehammer had only half the time to put this title together compared to other CoDs.

And it shows.

The single player storyline is okay, featuring our favourite video game cockney Capt Price and his motley crew.

It’s only about four hours long - which for me, should be at least double for a full-priced CoD.

There are plenty of gun fights as you'd expect
There are plenty of gun fights as you'd expect

And the open combat levels are like something out of the free-to-play Warzone, allowing you to tackle missions in large sandbox arenas in your own way.

This is different from the far more on-rails movie-like experience of past games and it often loses its momentum as a result, reducing the feeling of intensity and breakneck action that’s required in a CoD.

Multiplayer is a total rehash of all the old 2009 Modern Warfare 2 maps.

They’re all given a glossy next-gen makeover for the PS5 and they play as well as they ever did.

But long-term CoD fans may well be disappointed as we’ve already played these maps to death in the past and as a result it hits a repetitive vibe quickly.

Those who have never come across these levels before though will enjoy some classic online action.

And the gameplay, guns, visuals and audio are excellent.

There’s also a Zombies mode which sets you down in Warzone territory again and tasks you with completing contracts.

Zombies mode returns to the franchise in this instalment
Zombies mode returns to the franchise in this instalment

That’s a large gameplay area and it again spreads out the threat and diminishes it as a result.

Zombies works best in really tight sandboxes packed with the undead ready to chomp your face off.

Overall, a poor Call of Duty but there will still be enough in the multiplayer for fans to enjoy for months to come.

Just ignore the campaign unless you have an afternoon to kill.

VERDICT 3.5/5

**Gunnar Optics have released two tie-in pairs of gaming glasses with the game.

You can get the CoD Alpha and CoD UAV specs to limit the tiring effect of blue screen playing on your eyes.

They also offer 100% UV protection, according to the American firm, and the lenses are anti-reflective and smudge resistant.

They start at $59 and can be bought and shipped to the UK from the firm’s US website.