World at War

Exhaust World War II for gaming grist, your only alternative is to invent a sequel. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 gets its own HONK trailer (Modern Warfare 2's reveal trail being one of the earliest examples of this blaring alarm noise tease trend I can think of), detailing a world-wide extinction conflict. London popping up here as a rain-lashed locale, after missing out on last year's installment, despite some fleeting early bird assurances to the contrary. It's good to have the SAS back. I'm feeling pretty catered for this year; Battlefield 3 for wet-work reportage, Modern Warfare 3 for 'Europe Must Die!' scenarios.

It's hip to kick the Call of Duty franchise, and the Infinity Ward talent exodus last year had me trembling, but at the very least this reel allays fears we'd be getting a half-arsed side-story. Activision have drafted Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software to plug Infinity Ward's holes, and deliver a pure rugged conclusion to Modern Warfare's unseen war. After some limp teasers, thunder utterly stolen by Kotaku's spoiler-bomb details leak, it's only sensible to go with spectacle. Whether it is or isn't, it feels like a make or break year for Activision's annual Call of Duty production model. Call of Duty: Black Ops's rather dour multiplayer hasn't had quite the same legs as Modern Warfare 2's caffeinated buzz. Nazi Zombies mode aside, there's an idea that the Treyarch installments are merely tolerated, with Infinity Ward providing the real juice. With the studio only a shadow of its former self, is that trend able to continue? Disaster Year hopes so!