BF3 is a step back from BF2 in my opinion. The single player campaign has a few (emphasis on few) moments that make it worthwhile (the jet level is quite brilliant) but the rest is unfulfilling and forgetable. BF2 had/has an enormous online community and I have definitely spent many, many hours playing it because of its scope, quality of team-based gameplay and diversity. BF3, even though it will probably get quite a few patches in the future just seems half finished. It's quite a pretty game and the lighting is very realistic but the gameplay is too simplistic. What I feel they should have done is kept the BF2 game and just used the new graphic engine. As for MW3 - well I know little about it. However, I have played a lot of the original MW and a bit of MW2, and Black Ops. This is arcade fun. It's frenetic and unrealistic. The trouble is Battlefield used to be the more realistic and challenging online FPS. Not anymore.
Also, I quite agree with "... those Michael Bay alike 5 hour mindless single player campaigns or the noob friendly, glitch central overpowered killstreaks multiplayer is something to be admired." "Those Michael Bay alike 5 hour mindless single player campaigns" - over-produced, all image and not much content aimed at the lowest common denominator (of which I am one at times - no judgement here). "or the noob friendly" - anyone can pick up and play MW. Some see this as a positive but some hardcore gamers prefer a more realistic approach to gameplay. "glitch central" - more than most, in these games there were/are certainly a few players who like the odd glitch. "overpowered killstreaks multiplayer" - when you got a serious streak it was rewarded with an amazing array of killing ability - again something that is not always welcome in certain online circles. "is something to be admired" - this is actually just lowly sarcasm. Don't get me wrong, I like all CoD games. They are fantastic at what they set out to achieve, I just find myself in the 'prefer a more realistic battle' camp and can see the OP's (of this rant) point.
"I prefer the MW stories." Until BF3 the BF series had no story. I loved the original MW. That bloke who was in Eastenders and The Bill (Billy Murray) as the voice of the SAS chap - marvellous.
