Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation

Gameloft Montreal

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	Montreal , Canada
Key people	Arnaud Bonnard (executive producer), Charles Ayotte (producer), Stanislas Dewavrin (creative director), Alexandre Charbonneau (lead designer), Arthur Hugot (world art director), Christophe Latour (Montreal art director), Arnaud Galland (audio director)
Products	Modern Combat series, including Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation
Parent	Gameloft

Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation

Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation is a first-person shooter launched in 2011 by Gameloft Montreal, available on platforms including iOS, Android, Bada 2.0, and BlackBerry PlayBook. This title represents the third installment in the Modern Combat franchise, following the earlier releases of Modern Combat: Sandstorm (2009) and Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus (2010). Subsequent entries in the series include Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour (2012) and Modern Combat 5: Blackout (2014). The storyline unfolds in the year 2028, depicting a coalition formed by North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan launching an invasion against the United States, triggering a worldwide conflict.

Development and Release

Developed and published by Gameloft Montreal, the game was initially released for iOS on October 27, 2011. The Android version followed on December 19, 2011. Later, it became available on Bada 2.0 as of June 7, 2012, and on BlackBerry PlayBook starting August 31, 2012.

Game Details

The title belongs to the first-person shooter genre and supports both single-player and multiplayer modes. Key contributors to the project included executive producer Arnaud Bonnard and producer Charles Ayotte. Creative direction was led by Stanislas Dewavrin with Alexandre Charbonneau serving as lead designer. Visual elements were overseen by world art director Arthur Hugot alongside Montreal art director Christophe Latour. The audio direction was managed by composer Arnaud Galland.

Gameplay

Fallen Nation offers gameplay reminiscent of earlier Modern Combat titles, drawing clear inspiration from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The single-player campaign spans thirteen missions set in diverse locations including Hollywood, Alaska, and the Middle East. Players alternate between characters such as Corporal James Walker, Master Sergeant Carter, and Sergeant Anderson (a returning protagonist from Black Pegasus).

Control is managed through on-screen virtual buttons: movement is handled by a joystick positioned on the left side, while aiming involves swiping across the touchscreen. Devices like the iPhone 4, fourth generation iPod Touch, and select Android models support gyroscopic controls. Additional actions include crouching, throwing grenades, utilizing weapon iron sights, reloading, switching and picking up weapons, performing melee attacks with a knife, climbing over obstacles (mantling), and firing—all executed via touchscreen prompts and buttons. Users can customize these controls through the main menu. The single-player mode also incorporates Quick time events to enhance interactivity.

Multiplayer

File:Modern Combat 3 gameplay.jpg

A Modern Combat 3 screenshot depicting a capture the flag multiplayer match.

Continuing the tradition of its predecessors, Fallen Nation includes a robust multiplayer mode. Notably, the maximum player count has been increased to twelve, compared to six in Sandstorm and ten in Black Pegasus. Players can compete across six unique maps with eight distinct game modes: "Battle", "Team battle", "Capture the flag", "Zone control", "Manhunt", "Bomb squad", "Destruction", and "Team Manhunt". Progression is achieved by earning experience points through eliminating opponents and completing objectives, advancing through 90 ranks. Upon reaching the highest rank, players receive a Veteran Symbol and have the option to reset their rank to one without forfeiting any acquired items.

An update released on June 7 introduced new content including a fresh game mode ("Team Manhunt"), two additional maps ("Warehouse" and "Rapture"), a new perk called "Stealth," and equipment designed to reduce incoming damage.

Plot

The narrative background centers on a coalition of terrorists from North Korea, Pakistan, and Russia, collectively known as the K.P.R. Alliance. Under the leadership of General Popovich (a supporting antagonist from Black Pegasus), this alliance declares war against the United States. After overpowering American defenses, K.P.R. forces invade US territory and deploy multiple WMDs within American cities.

The storyline opens in Los Angeles, where Corporal James Walker infiltrates an NSA facility alongside Privates Colt and Kelly to extract critical intelligence from its servers. Despite overcoming several K.P.R. soldiers and completing their objective, Colt and Kelly are killed prior to extraction when their transport is destroyed. Walker manages to evade capture and rendezvous with Captain Turner’s squad in the lobby. However, heavy enemy fire causes the building's collapse. Both Walker and Turner survive and fight their way to an extraction point.

The perspective then shifts to Master Sergeant Carter aboard an AC-130 gunship, providing aerial support by targeting bridges to halt enemy advancement. His team successfully disables key infrastructure, preventing K.P.R. forces from expanding their control.

During a mission aimed at destroying anti-aircraft defenses in the Hollywood Hills, Turner is killed in combat. Subsequently, Walker is recruited by Sergeant Downs (a prominent character from Black Pegasus) into the elite "Phantom Unit." Together, they are dispatched to the Alaskan wilderness to locate members of "Razor Squad" who have gone missing and uncover enemy plans. After locating Razor Squad survivors, they escape using an off-road vehicle. Anderson joins alongside Corporal Washington as part of Phantom Unit; they then assault the Yongwang, a K.P.R. warship stationed in the Bering Strait. The team eliminates Captain Sung and discovers advanced stealth fighters, which facilitate their escape. Later missions involve infiltrating a weapons factory in Siberia, where they destroy significant K.P.R. munitions stockpiles.

Phantom Unit next travels to Pakistan with orders to capture Edward Page, a former US Army Green Beret turned K.P.R. operative. Although Carter and Corporal Washington sustain injuries during this operation, Page is apprehended successfully. He reveals that General Tong—a high-ranking K.P.R. official—is planning an attack on America using North Korean bases. The unit launches an assault on a North Korean airfield intending to thwart Tong’s plans; however, Walker and Anderson are captured by Tong’s forces. Just before their execution, Anderson escapes captivity and frees Walker, who then kills Tong.

The team proceeds to infiltrate Kijang, a K.P.R.-controlled village storing nuclear weapons. During this raid, Popovich captures both Downs and Walker, informing them before they lose consciousness that their mission has failed as nuclear missiles are set for launch against the US. Locked away in captivity, Downs and Walker manage to break free from their cells. While Popovich flees, they succeed in disarming two out of three missiles. At the final missile site, they find that Popovich has altered launch codes; unable to prevent launch conventionally, they plant C-4 charges on it before pursuing Popovich in what appears to be a suicidal effort. The missile detonates upon confrontation—killing Popovich’s guards and severely injuring Walker. Awakening moments later, Walker finds Popovich assaulting an unconscious Downs; despite his weakened state, Walker pushes Popovich onto a sharp pipe and stabs him in the neck before Popovich shoots him. The game concludes with an extraction helicopter arriving as Downs remarks wryly about local liquor options.

An epilogue depicts US forces reclaiming territory from K.P.R., city block by city block. However, it ends with Edward Page being revealed as free while an audio recording plays his ominous declaration: "You have no idea how far I'm willing to go."

Weapons

While Sandstorm offered seven weapons and Black Pegasus included fifteen, Fallen Nation expands its arsenal to twenty-one firearms, supplemented by throwing knives, five grenade types, seven equipment items, and seven distinct "perks." Players can enhance their weapons with various attachments such as red dot sights or silencers.

In contrast to the mostly authentic weaponry featured in Sandstorm and Black Pegasus, the armaments in Fallen Nation are entirely fictional creations inspired by real-world models.

Among the available weapons are the Bravel-1 (modeled after the SCAR-H), MC81 (inspired by the MP7), Intercept-L200 (based on the CheyTac Intervention), ACM (Adaptive Combat Rifle variant), Shred-4 (derived from the MG4), OPS55 (similar to the UMP-40), KT-44 (modeled on the AK-47), Maiden (reflecting the FAMAS), TXR-Reaper (based on the TDI Vector), TZ4-Compakt (a take on the M4 carbine), KR600 (modeled after the GM6 Lynx), Automat-X (variant of the AUG HBAR), and ZN6-Prototype (inspired by the XM8).

AirPlay

The iPad edition of Fallen Nation introduced a novel "AirPlay" feature, enabling gameplay to be mirrored onto an HDTV at 1080p. This dual-screen functionality permits players to link their iPad to a television while retaining game control via the iPad's touchscreen, which continues to display the control interface. Nigel Wood from TouchGen described AirPlay as "an interesting addition, though ultimately a gimmick. Playing this way is challenging since you often have to glance down at the screen to locate buttons due to no tactile feedback."

Reception

Similar to its predecessors Sandstorm and Black Pegasus, the iOS version of Fallen Nation garnered generally positive feedback, narrowly missing "universal acclaim" by two points on the review aggregator Metacritic.

Justin Davis of IGN praised it as "an expansive, intense, and polished shooter," deeming it "the finest FPS available on mobile platforms." Rob Rich from 148Apps remarked, "Visually stunning without doubt, but it's the finer touches like animations and occasional slow-motion kill shots that captivate. The game’s appeal lies in its sheer enjoyment. The over-the-top set pieces are impressively grand for a handheld device, and multiplayer—with its experience-based currency system for unlocking weapons and customization—is outstanding."

Conversely, Will Wilson of Pocket Gamer criticized the iOS version for a "lack of maturity," highlighting design flaws such as humorous AI errors like misnaming squads during Alaskan missions or awkwardly dragging players to safety by slightly moving their arm. Despite these issues contributing to a knock-off feel, he acknowledged that "the single-player campaign closely mirrors Call of Duty more than prior entries, with relentless set-piece sequences including collapsing buildings, tanks breaching walls, and helicopter assaults." He concluded that while flaws exist—such as poor AI, clumsy level design, and awkward touchscreen controls—the game's strengths slightly outweigh its weaknesses.

Chris Reed from Slide to Play was more enthusiastic, describing Modern Combat 3 as "a visually impressive and adrenaline-fueled game that effectively answers mobile gamers’ call of duty." Troy Woodfield of TouchArcade recommended it as essential for anyone interested in first-person shooters on iOS devices.

Nigel Wood of TouchGen echoed this sentiment, calling it "unmissable" and lauding multiple aspects. He regarded the single-player campaign as "the best FPS experience on iOS so far," praised its graphics for delivering a convincing real-world atmosphere—highlighting effective blur effects during movement—and commended multiplayer for its depth. He noted features such as 100 ranks to achieve, extensive weapon unlocks tied to player progression, multiple attachments per weapon, and challenges spanning weapons, gameplay styles, attachments, and modes. Additionally, he highlighted loadout customization and the introduction of kill chain rewards allowing players to unleash devastating attacks after achieving long kill streaks.

External links

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