Black Ops 3's multiplayer is available for cheap - for a limited time only

Knowing that the multiplayer is the real attraction (and hook) of the Call of Duty series, Activision has released the Black Ops 3 Multiplayer Starter Pack at a fraction of the cost of the full game.

The Black Ops 3 Multiplayer Starter Pack is now available on Steam, so PC players are the testbed, with a pricetag of €14.49. It's a limited time offer though, so you need to grab it before February 29th.

The standalone download is exactly what the name implies, a starter pack. You get access to certain aspects of multiplayer, such as public ranked matches and customisation of your weaponry and appearance.

• But here's what you don't get access to:
• Zombies game mode
• Campaign game mode
• Ability to play in Multiplayer custom games
• Ability to Prestige (your level will be capped at 55 in the Starter Pack)
• Mod tools or modded content (once released)
• Unranked server browser (once released)
• Ability to Fresh Start your profile
• Ability to access Dead Ops Arcade II and Nightmares mode

It's an interesting ploy; we've seen backlash of late to the price of multiplayer-only games, while developers have said that people don't finish campaigns and that's the side of development that soaks up a significant amount of the budget. Could this be the start of a new direction for Call of Duty or is it just a new way to get those hooks into new players that were put off by the full price tag?