'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3' Arrives and it's Awesome

Activision's latest entry into the "Call of Duty" franchise launched last night across the world, and while the game doesn't re-invent the wheel, having finally got our mitts on it, we here at the IBTimes can confirm it's pretty awesome.

The IBTimes hit the London launch event last night to sample the game's single and multiplayer.

Playing through the opening level was a blast, taking us out of the dirty, dark jungle locations used in its predecessor "Black Ops," into city streets, full of tanks, troops and explosions -- pretty much everything you'd expect in an urban warzone.

The graphics were in line with what we'd seen in previous demos, crisp and emphasising realism over artistic style -- just as its predecessors did.

The gameplay has likewise remained largely untouched. In our time with the single player, the same duck-and-gun mechanics saw us slowly move forward with our troops descending on a rooskie's laden position.

The controls are also identical to the previous games and players who try the Jon Rambo approach will still die just as quickly as they always have.

Though we didn't see many changes in our time with the game, the fact Treyarch hasn't reinvented the wheel with the new "Modern Warfare" isn't necessarily a bad thing. From what we've seen so far fans who enjoyed the game's predecessors will likely love the new "Modern Warfare."

Stay tuned at the IBTimes for a full review of Activision's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" later in the Week.