OXM UK: 9/10 - Like it or not, it's heartening to know that the most popular game on the Xbox 360 is also one of the best.
Edge: 9/10 - Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare trilogy stands as this generation's defining FPS series - and Modern Warfare 3 is an emphatic, feature-packed and sometimes stunning final act.
OXM: 9.5 - When everything here is this well-executed and offers so many enduring thrills, it's hard to knock it too much. MW3 absolutely delivers.
GamesRadar: 9/10 - If you're looking for a new kind of shooter, look elsewhere. Modern Warfare 3 succeeds by doing more - much, much, much more - of what's always worked spectacularly for the series. We still can't get enough.
Guardian: 5/5 - The Infinity Ward engine is far from cutting edge - the overall look of the game has not moved on enormously since MW2. But the vision, the choreography, the sense of scale and detail - they are awe-inspiring at times.
Telegraph: 5/5 - Modern Warfare 3 is a shining example of refinement and improvement. It's familiar, sure, but here familiarity doesn't breed contempt, just respect and reward for those who've dedicated so much time to the series. And for new players, it's the perfect starting point, more accommodating and encompassing than ever.
AusGamers: 9.6/10 - Don't go hating on this because it's Call of Duty. This is Modern Warfare 3 - the final chapter in an epic tale, and part of a series that changed the first-person shooter landscape forever. It's an absolutely solid title, the best entry in the series and something that should keep you playing for some time to come. More than worth the investment.
Destructoid: 9.5/10 - Whether you like what it does is a matter of personal taste, but the skill and experience brought to the table is hard to refute. Modern Warfare 3 gets it done, and it gets it done damn well.
GameTrailers: 9.3/10 - If you're expecting a huge departure from what's come before you'll be disappointed, but fans will get exactly what they're looking for. World War III shouldn't be this fun.
1UP: A- - I'm glad to say the multiplayer remains addicting and is more balanced than ever.
VideoGamer: 9/10 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 doesn't do anything new, but it also doesn't do anything wrong. For better or worse, this is a slick and well-metered trio of modes that make an entertaining package, but Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward are simply looking to augment previous games rather than expand the series into pastures new
Joystiq: 4.5/5 - Modern Warfare 3 is a great Call of Duty game, just as every other entry in the franchise is a great Call of Duty game. However, it shares more than quality with its predecessors - it, like its forefathers, leaves you waiting for something perfect.
IGN: 9/10 - Despite its flaws, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 takes the fantastic series we've come to love over the years and iterates on it with great success. The multiplayer is hands-down the best it has ever been, with more features, more modes and a ton of new levels and ways to interact via Call of Duty Elite. The singleplayer campaign and Spec Ops mode add value to the overall package, creating something that may not be perfect, but is too damn addicting to pass up.
GameInformer: 9/10 - When it comes down to it, Modern Warfare 3 meets expectations. The core elements of multiplayer and the campaign remain fundamentally unchanged, but the game serves as a great example of how many subtle tweaks can add up to an improved overall product.
GameSpot: 8.5/10 - This is some of the best online shooter action around, and with the daunting challenges of Spec Ops and the exciting, globe-trotting campaign, Modern Warfare 3 stands tall as another great descendant of the game that changed a generation.
GiantBomb: 4/5 - Modern Warfare 3 feels split between the great excitement of its time-tested multiplayer and the feeling that this whole style of game has just gotten old.
Eurogamer: 8/10 - That the single-player story brings the Modern Warfare saga to a fairly definitive end is, then, cause for celebration. Whatever next year's entry brings, some measure of reinvention will be essential. For now, its exuberant blend of testicular bravado and blockbuster gloss ensures that Call of Duty retains its crown as the shooter genre's biggest, boldest rollercoaster ride for at least one more year.
sigh