When does Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 (2011) get good?

Give it 3 hours. In the first 2 hours 1 in 5 reviews are negative (21%); after 10h it's 1 in 11 (10%). The biggest drop-off is between “Back in the Fight” and “Too Big to Fail”: from 100% to 90% of starters.

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Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 (2011)

Nov 8, 2011 Steam: Very Positive

Give it 3 hours

Gets good by 3h almost every game dips in hours 2–3

Started playing 84% of owners

Steam reviews 89% positive of 39,935

What the data shows

In the first 2 hours 1 in 5 reviews are negative (21%); after 10h it's 1 in 11 (10%).
The biggest drop-off is between “Back in the Fight” and “Too Big to Fail”: from 100% to 90% of starters.
84% of owners got the first achievement.

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 40,016 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 297 reviews: 8.7h for positive, 7.2h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (84.1% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Started playing 100%
Back in the Fight Start the Single Player Campaign on any difficulty. 100%
Too Big to Fail Destroy the Jamming Tower. Complete "Black Tuesday" on any difficulty. Most players quit here 90% −10
Wet Work Take back New York Harbor. Complete "Hunter Killer" on any difficulty. 87% −4
Carpe Diem Escape the mountain safe house. Complete "Persona Non Grata" on any difficulty. 83% −3
Frequent Flyer Defend the Russian President. Complete "Turbulence" on any difficulty. 81% −2
Up to No Good Infiltrate the village. Complete "Back on the Grid" on any difficulty. 79% −2
One Way Ticket Make it to Westminster. Complete "Mind the Gap" on any difficulty. 77% −2
Welcome to WW3 Save the US Vice President. Complete "Goalpost" on any difficulty. 74% −3
Sandstorm! Assault the shipping company. Complete "Return to Sender" on any difficulty. 73% −2
Back Seat Driver Track down Volk. Complete "Bag and Drag" on any difficulty. 71% −2
We'll Always Have Paris Escape Paris with Volk. Complete "Iron Lady" on any difficulty. 70% −1
Vive la Révolution! Reach the church. Complete "Eye of the Storm" on any difficulty. 69% −1
Requiem Escape the city. Complete "Blood Brothers" on any difficulty. 68% −1
Storm the Castle Discover Makarov's next move. Complete "Stronghold" on any difficulty. 67% −1
Bad First Date Find the girl. Complete "Scorched Earth" on any difficulty. 66% −1
Diamond in the Rough Rescue the Russian President. Complete "Down the Rabbit Hole" on any difficulty. 65% −1

story milestone ending biggest drop-off

Story milestones were labeled by AI from achievement names and descriptions; mistakes are possible.

All achievements (76)

story milestone ending side

Back in the Fight Start the Single Player Campaign on any difficulty. 100%
Too Big to Fail Destroy the Jamming Tower. Complete "Black Tuesday" on any difficulty. 90%
Wet Work Take back New York Harbor. Complete "Hunter Killer" on any difficulty. 87%
Carpe Diem Escape the mountain safe house. Complete "Persona Non Grata" on any difficulty. 83%
Frequent Flyer Defend the Russian President. Complete "Turbulence" on any difficulty. 81%
Up to No Good Infiltrate the village. Complete "Back on the Grid" on any difficulty. 79%
One Way Ticket Make it to Westminster. Complete "Mind the Gap" on any difficulty. 77%
Welcome to WW3 Save the US Vice President. Complete "Goalpost" on any difficulty. 74%
Sandstorm! Assault the shipping company. Complete "Return to Sender" on any difficulty. 73%
I Live Survive 1 wave in a Special Ops Survival game. 71%
Back Seat Driver Track down Volk. Complete "Bag and Drag" on any difficulty. 71%
We'll Always Have Paris Escape Paris with Volk. Complete "Iron Lady" on any difficulty. 70%
Vive la Révolution! Reach the church. Complete "Eye of the Storm" on any difficulty. 69%
Requiem Escape the city. Complete "Blood Brothers" on any difficulty. 68%
Storm the Castle Discover Makarov's next move. Complete "Stronghold" on any difficulty. 67%
Bad First Date Find the girl. Complete "Scorched Earth" on any difficulty. 66%
Diamond in the Rough Rescue the Russian President. Complete "Down the Rabbit Hole" on any difficulty. 65%
Who Dares Wins Complete the campaign on any difficulty. 64%
Brag Rags Earn 1 star in Special Ops Mission Mode. 57%
Birdie Kill 2 enemy helicopters without getting hit in a Special Ops Survival game. 39%
Jack the Ripper Melee 5 enemies in a row in Single Player or Special Ops. 36%
Kill Box Kill 20 enemies with the Chopper Gunner in a single run in "Return to Sender." 33%
Danger Close Take down a chopper with an AC-130 smoke grenade in "Bag and Drag." 22%
Flight Attendant Kill all 5 enemies during the zero-g sequence in "Turbulence." 21%
The Best of the Best Complete the campaign on Hardened or Veteran difficulty. 17%
Serrated Edge Finish a Juggernaut with a knife in Special Ops. 17%
Strike! Kill 5 enemies with a single grenade in Single Player or Special Ops. 15%
Ménage à Trois Destroy 3 tanks with a single 105mm shot in "Iron Lady." 14%
The Big Apple Complete "Black Tuesday" and "Hunter Killer" on Veteran difficulty. 13%
No Assistance Required Complete a Special Ops Mission Mode game on Hardened or Veteran with no player getting downed. 13%
Out of the Frying Pan... Complete "Persona Non Grata", "Turbulence", and "Back on the Grid" on Veteran difficulty. 12%
50/50 Complete a Special Ops Mission Mode game with the same number of kills as your partner. 11%
Payback Complete "Mind the Gap", "Goalpost", and "Return to Sender" on Veteran difficulty. 11%
City of Lights Complete "Bag and Drag" and "Iron Lady" on Veteran difficulty. 10%
The Darkest Hour Complete "Eye of the Storm", "Blood Brothers", and "Stronghold" on Veteran difficulty. 9.4%
This Is My Boomstick Kill 30 enemies with the XM25 in "Black Tuesday." 8.6%
Get Rich or Die Trying Have $50,000 current balance in a Special Ops Survival game. 8.4%
Informant Collect 22 Intel Items. 8.4%
This is the End Complete "Scorched Earth", "Down the Rabbit Hole", and "Dust to Dust" on Veteran difficulty. 8.4%
For Whom the Shell Tolls Destroy all targets during the mortar sequence with only 4 shells in "Back on the Grid." 6.9%
Tactician Earn 1 star in each mission of Special Ops Mission Mode. 6.2%
Defense Spending Buy all items from the Survival Equipment Armory. 5.9%
Slippery Slope Complete the "Black Ice" Special Ops mission on any difficulty. 4.3%
Danger Zone Buy all items from the Survival Air Support Armory. 4.2%
What Goes Up... Destroy all the choppers with only the UGV's grenade launcher in "Persona Non Grata." 4.0%
Overachiever Earn 48 stars in Special Ops Mission Mode. 3.7%
Scout Leader Collect 46 Intel Items. 3.7%
Shotgun Diplomacy Complete the Special Ops mission "Negotiator" on any difficulty. 3.7%
One-Four-One Complete the "Kill Switch" Special Ops mission on any difficulty. 3.4%
Survivor Reach Wave 10 in each mission of Special Ops Survival mode. 3.2%
Nein Kill 9 enemies with A-10 strafing runs in "Scorched Earth." 3.1%
Unstoppable Reach Wave 15 in each mission of Special Ops Survival mode. 2.9%
Don't Tread on Me Complete the "Iron Clad" Special Ops mission on any difficulty. 2.7%
Handle with Care Complete the "Special Delivery" Special Ops mission on any difficulty. 2.7%
Stay Frosty Complete the "Arctic Recon" Special Ops mission on any difficulty. 2.7%
Apex Complete the "Vertigo" Special Ops mission on any difficulty. 2.5%
Ice in Your Veins Complete the "Black Ice" Special Ops mission on Veteran difficulty. 2.5%
Siege Complete the "Light 'Em Up" Special Ops mission on any difficulty. 2.5%
Arms Dealer Buy all items from the Survival Weapon Armory. 2.4%
Untouchable Use only one self revive care package in the "Special Delivery" Special Ops mission. 2.4%
EMPressive… Complete the "Kill Switch" Special Ops mission on Veteran difficulty. 2.3%
Skilled Negotiator Complete the Special Ops mission "Negotiator" on Veteran difficulty. 2.3%
High Roller Complete the "Iron Clad" Special Ops mission on Veteran difficulty. 2.1%
Deliver This Complete the "Special Delivery" Special Ops mission on Veteran difficulty. 2.0%
Helipocalypse Destroy 6 helicopters in the "Kill Switch" Special Ops mission. 2.0%
Lights Out Complete the "Light 'Em Up" Special Ops mission on Veteran difficulty. 2.0%
Not a Scratch Finish with your tank at full health in the "Iron Clad" Special Ops mission. 2.0%
Pinnacle Complete the "Vertigo" Special Ops mission on Veteran difficulty. 2.0%
Sub Zero Complete the "Arctic Recon" Special Ops mission on Veteran difficulty. 2.0%
A Baker's Dozen Run over and kill 13 enemies with the snowmobile in the "Black Ice" Special Ops mission. 1.9%
dr0n3d Complete the "Arctic Recon" Special Ops mission in under 3:30. 1.9%
Not on My Watch Rescue all the hostages in the Special Ops mission "Negotiator." 1.9%
Deer in the Headlights Stab five stunned enemies in a row in the "Light 'Em Up" Special Ops mission. 1.8%
Discriminating Buyer Use exactly one of each care package in the "Special Delivery" Special Ops mission. 1.8%
Flyswatter Destroy all helicopters in the "Vertigo" Special Ops mission. 1.8%
To Jugger or to Jugger-Naut Kill all juggernauts after they land on Veteran difficulty in the "Vertigo" Special Ops mission. 1.8%

Steam page Updated: 2026-10-18.