What is it?

The 2011 edition of Call of Duty features the same Hollywood-style, action-packed gameplay we've become very familiar with. It does have a new Spec Ops mode, though....

Why is it cool?

The new Spec Ops co-op takes a page from everyone's-doing-it Horde mode. Instead of the objective-based missions from Modern Warfare 2, now you and another player (yes, it's still just 2P) must survive against waves of A.I. enemies for as long as possible.

In this version, however, the more kills you get, the more cash you accumulate to buy better hardware. You start off with an FN57 pistol, and if you don't feel like dirtying your hands to pick up the guns of your fallen foes, you can go to the weapons station to buy submachine guns, assault rifles, machine guns, more ammo, and even upgrades like red dot sights.

Other "stores" let you buy defensive gear like juggernaut armor or sentry guns; equipment like claymores, C4, or various grenades; or air drops like predator missiles or A.I. squadmates (some even equipped with riot shields).

The moment we will get extra excited

With the above features plus boss fights (juggernauts, gunships, etc.), this Spec Ops is definitely next-level survival mode, but oddly enough, it's awfully similar to Gears of War 3's Horde 2.0. (Unless one developer has an inside spy at the other, this is probably coincidence, as both parties debuted their respective feature sets at roughly the same time.)

During E3, I kept prying to see if Modern Warfare 3 will see MW2's style of Spec Ops, with varied missions, sometimes with asymmetrical play (one person's an AC-130 gunner-in-the-sky while the other's fighting on the ground, for example). No one would confirm anything, but the general vibe I got was that Activision's not done announcing what else is coming this fall for this mode....

Looking for more E3 news, previews, videos, and analysis? Check out our E3 2011 Coverage Hub.