With the dust settling and new multiplayer information on the table, Call of Duty"s inaugural convention has finally ended. Call of Duty XP revealed a lot of new information, but even with the tweaks and polish, for me, Survival mode in Spec Ops is the best element ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 revealed so far. 

Every Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer map is available in Survival mode, and each map requires different tactics. Battling the open courtyards of the Resistance map in Paris requires a different style of play than the close-quarters of the desert map Dome. 

These changing tactics and the reliance on your partner alter the pace of the game. Each wave is a surprise and you may get blindsided by two Juggernauts at a time while scrambling for the cash to simply refill your weapons. The immediacy of helping your partner and the impending danger of endless enemy waves provide frantic fun. This is not zombies and a far cry from the low cost of life and death in general Call of Duty multiplayer. 

Granted, I"ve only played a few matches of Survival. But for a series that thrives on polish over drastic overhauls in standard multiplayer, this new mode is a breath of fresh air. I approached Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 with an air of skepticism, but came out the other side impressed by Survival. I"m looking forward to playing Survival on the rest of Modern Warfare 3"s maps and curious to see how the final package comes together.