The launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 managed to split fans of Activision’s storied shooter franchise. While its short single-player campaign fails to add anything meaningful to the revamped Modern Warfare universe, other areas of Sledgehammer Games’ title are a return to Call of Duty’s fast-paced, action-packed heyday.
Instead of attempting to reinvent the wheel and encountering widespread backlash like Infinity Ward did with the launch of 2022’s Modern Warfare 2, Sledgehammer Games decided to promote Modern Warfare 3 by highlighting everything that was missing from Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer and bringing it back.
Although the death of Soap has arguably killed the latest Modern Warfare trilogy, the rest of Modern Warfare 3 doesn’t deserve to receive a bad reputation when its multiplayer and zombie experiences are everything a Call of Duty should be.
Let’s kick things off with Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer. As part of celebrating 20 years of the franchise, 16 reworked launch maps from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 alongside the recent arrivals of Rio, Greece, and Meat provide a map pool that’s managing to balance nostalgia with fresh battlegrounds to satisfy those who enjoy climbing to the top of the tower in the centre of Rust and those that want new content to warrant the game’s hefty price tag.
Alongside the maps, Modern Warfare 3 features the largest weapon arsenal ever seen in a Call of Duty title. Thanks to the carry forward initiative, players have access to over one hundred weapons that come with limitless customisation options to suit any style of play imaginable. Want to shred through the opposition with the Pulemyot 762 LMG? Not a problem. Want to slide cancel all over the place with a Lachmann Sub in hand? The option is there. There’s never been so much choice and variety this early on in a Call of Duty cycle before which results in players not sticking to the best guns and weapons every match, creating a different experience every time the pre-game countdown clock ticks to zero.
Sledgehammer Games is synonymous with acknowledging player feedback which is already adding value to the Modern Warfare 3 experience. Shortly after launch, the developer made widespread changes to the game’s spawn logic to improve modes such as Domination and Hardpoint and in recent weeks, it even plans on sharing details surrounding the often-divisive topic of skill-based matchmaking. Infinity Ward refused to listen to any player feedback that headed its way during the Modern Warfare 2 cycle, resulting in a stale multiplayer that was salvaged by the intervention of Treyarch and its hugely popular Ranked play offering.
Elsewhere, adjustments to player health and movement mechanics have gone down a storm. The higher health values have resulted in a longer time to kill, creating a more balanced environment when two players attempt to secure the kill during a match. Despite a minority of more passive players continuing to be frustrated by the ability to slide, dive, and Tactical Sprint across the map, the significant increase in pace has successfully restored the fast, run-and-gun arcade shooter feel back to Call of Duty. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I’d much rather be eliminated by a player that has superior mechanical understanding rather than sitting in a corner surrounded by claymores.
It’s not just multiplayer that’s injected a much-needed breath of fresh air into Call of Duty. The arrival of Modern Warfare Zombies offers a unique take on an extraction shooter and the difficulty of outlasting endless waves of undead opposition. The addition of threat zones adds similar levels of spice familiar to those that make it into the high rounds of round-based Call of Duty zombies and when combined with the need to make it to the helicopter alive,
Granted, it’s not the round-based offering many were hoping for, but it’s a fun co-op mode that’s bound to set the scene for Treyarch’s next zombie project expected to launch with 2024’s Call of Duty rumoured to be set in the Gulf War.
Considering there are still five and a half seasons of the Modern Warfare 3 cycle remaining, completely dismissing it in the opening weeks due to some of its flaws may not have been the right call for some players. Sledgehammer Games is continuing to improve various aspects of the game and providing reasons behind its decisions, a welcome change for Call of Duty fans. On top of that, regular additions of new maps, weaponry, and weekly challenges mean there’s minimal chance of the game becoming stale. If you look past the campaign, Modern Warfare 3 is one of the best Call of Duty games released in recent years. Instead of constantly innovating with pointless features, sticking to what works could start the beginning of a golden era for Call of Duty.