The world of first person shooters has left gamers with a lot to talk about lately, with Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 coming out two short weeks apart. Since reviewing only one would make the fans of the other mad, here’s a comparison.

First matter of business is the story. Many of you don’t care an iota about the story and just want to hop right on multiplayer, but that doesn’t mean a developer should get away with omitting a story mode.

There’s no contest here. MW3 takes this one hands down, wrapping up (AND tying in) the first two games, complete with all the characters you’ve come to love. You might think Infinity Ward has lost their way with surprises at first, but you’ll be proven wrong in no time. The writing and voice acting are great, epic setpieces abound, and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Battlefield, on the other hand, took a tired premise and added it to brand new characters who aren’t developed, and to top it all off, it’s all a FLASHBACK. Man in an interrogation room being pressed to recall his military past? Sounds familiar, I think I played it on Xbox in 2006 when Black came out, then I avoided it by not buying Black Ops, and now EA decided it wasn’t beaten to death yet. To top it off, there’s more unnecessary Godd*** cursing than I could ever m*****f****** think of how to f****** explain, and it’s glitchy to boot.

Now for what most of you care about: the multiplayer. This time I’ll start with Battlefield.

If you like vehicles and absolutely massive 64-player battles, this is the game to go with. The maps are beautiful and detailed (more so on the PC version), and the vehicles add a lot of diversity in typical Battlefield style. It runs surprisingly smoothly for having so many combatants, and that alone makes it noteworthy. The weapon customization system is also great, although one assault rifle starts to feel like the next after a while. Overall, this game has a more impressive multiplayer offering, although console players will be disappointed with halved maps and the need to pay 10 bucks for a new multiplayer code if you’re buying it used.

Modern Warfare 3 sticks to its tried-and-true six-a-side formula for most gametypes, and it works well. The textures have all received an upgrade, and the guns sound much more realistic, whereas in MW2 they tried a bit too hard to make them all sound unique. The major changes here include the killstreak loadout options, which will leave you completely lost. The first time a tiny helicopter flies in front of you you’ll probably be confused, and I know I freaked out when I saw FIVE helicopters flying in on the radar. Overall, if you like the Modern Warfare series, this is more of what you love and then some.

While it’s impossible to go into enough detail for both games in 600 words, I’ll sum it up for you. If you want the entire game experience, go with MW3, no question. This trilogy ends with a bang, and it’s a great sense of closure. If all you care about is massive multiplayer battles, go for Battlefield, and stick with PC.

If you’re mad that I rated MW3 higher, consider this: I’m rating the whole game, and not just multiplayer. Battlefield’s complete failure on campaign earns it one star lower, and gives Modern Warfare 3 the easy recommendation.