If you feel like this year’s Call of Duty has a muted presence, at least in marketing, then you’re not the only one. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the follow-up to last year’s sequel in the reboot trilogy, is out on November 10th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC. It’s got interesting ideas but also some serious issues. Let’s look at ten reasons not to pick it up on release, aside from the $70 price tag.
The Campaign
Depending on who you asked, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) either had one of the best campaigns in the series or one of the most dissonant. Either way, Modern Warfare 2 followed it up timidly. There was the same old threat against global peace, with some plot points – like General Shepard’s betrayal – not nearly as impactful. The end would have you believe that we’re truly done with all this, but alas – the post-credits sting of “No Russian”, signalling that Vladimir Makarov is the next threat, appears.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia from the original trilogy or wishful thinking, but Makarov in the reboot trilogy is seemingly overhyped as this ultimate evil that could upend the cosmic order. It’s funny because he hasn’t even done anything in the reboot series as if the writers expect what he did in the original trilogy to be enough backstory. Some of the new mission types – like Open Combat missions – look fun and interesting, but at this point, there’s very little hope of a coherent storyline that doesn’t end with an overdramatic yet underwhelming standoff or tons of explosions.
Washed-out Visuals in Multiplayer
The campaign gameplay showcased thus far has looked pretty good, whether it’s the lighting and shadows or the weather and explosion effects. However, after the recent multiplayer beta, something seems…off, about the visuals. They look washed out and lack saturation, so maps feel dull and grey, even compared to Modern Warfare (2019). This is hopefully just an issue with the beta and not the game because things look utterly lifeless.
Multiplayer Maps Recycled from Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
There are two reasons why the lack of multiplayer maps in the remastered release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 heckled some fans. First was the obvious concern that Activision would sell them back later (little did they know how long it would take and in what form). However, the other reason is they were fun, and revisiting them would have been nice.
Don’t get us wrong, though: Playing a few of them again as core maps in Modern Warfare 3 sounds good on paper, especially with their enhancements and revamps. If the rest were added as post-launch content, then great. However, all 16 are present, with no new maps in the core 6v6 playlist. There are new maps in development, but they’ll arrive throughout the next year via seasons. On the positive side, at least there are three new Battle Maps for Ground War and Invasion and a War map akin to the mode from Call of Duty: WW2. Those have to count for something.
Multiplayer Spawns
Remember when the enemy spawns in Modern Warfare (2019) were bad? And then again in Modern Warfare (2022)? Advanced Warfare was pretty bad, so it’s not an exclusively Infinity Ward thing. However, this year’s Modern Warfare is led by Sledgehammer Games, and the spawns are pretty bad. Coincidence? Probably not.
Either way, it was common during the beta to turn the corner and suddenly see three opponents spawn before your eyes. There are times you could appear right behind enemy lines and start shooting them in the back. Good for your K/D and stress levels, but not so much when it’s happening to you. It’s one thing to ruin modes like Domination, especially on maps like Estate, but it’s 2023, and the spawning logic is still this poor.
Matchmaking
Skill-based matchmaking is a sore subject in any competitive multiplayer title for multiple reasons. On the surface, it’s meant to protect newer and not-as-good players from being devoured by those who are far better. It can also result in longer queue times for high-skilled players and every game feeling super-competitive.
However, in recent Call of Duty titles, the matchmaking feels more lopsided than anything else. You could go one game, stomping everyone, and then the next five games are extremely one-sided. Maybe it’s the game trying to ensure a 50/50 win record for everyone. Maybe the matchmaking doesn’t know how to balance teams at all. Perhaps this is just what Call of Duty is now – a crapshoot where you have no clue if you’ll do well or serve as fodder. Either way, it’s a terrible feeling.
Terrible Netcode
The time-to-kill in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer has increased over previous titles, which should lead to longer gunfights and less twitch-based encounters. However, it feels irrelevant because of the annoyingly inconsistent netcode. If you ever shot an enemy from behind several times, only to have them suddenly turn and erase you, good news – that’s back. While the series has always had these issues, Modern Warfare 3 feels especially egregious. It may be wishful thinking to hope it’s improved by launch, but alas.
Horrendous UI
Remember the horrendous UI from Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and its massive tiles, the sheer amount of wasted space, the small text for things like Daily Challenges or the vertical scrolling to navigate the menus, which feel like a mobile game? It’s all here and uglier than ever. Not only does it feel non-intuitive, but the amount of space that is left unutilized is simply jarring for the senses. While it could receive some improvements by launch, this is pretty much the UI for the rest of the year, and it sucks.
Footstep Audio
The overall sound effects aren’t the best, especially with weapon sounds, but the footstep audio in multiplayer is probably the worst. Your allies’ footsteps sound much louder than the enemy’s, resulting in you turning and shooting them more often than not. Footstep audio has always been an issue, even in Modern Warfare (2019), but you would think that the third game wouldn’t regress to that. Maybe the overall audio mixing will improve by launch, and maybe it won’t, but the footstep audio needs some serious work.
No Round-Based Zombies
On the one hand, a Zombies mode taking place in a large, Warzone-like map with multiple other teams working together to fight the horde sounds enticing. It looks cool when everyone is working together to take down some of the bigger creatures in the series. However, the fact that traditional round-based Zombies is absent doesn’t sit right. Yes, you can discover Pack a Punches and secrets and have your Juggernog, but it doesn’t feel the same as fighting for your life as long as possible while seeing everything a map has to offer.
Rumored to be Premium DLC
Before Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was even announced, there were rumors of premium DLC for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The franchise would skip a year, but this DLC would include campaign missions and remastered maps from previous titles (not just 2009’s Modern Warfare 2). Honestly, it wasn’t the worst proposition, especially if it launched for $40 to $50. The powers that be decided it should be a full-fledged release instead for that sweet, sweet $70.
However, it doesn’t feel like it’s expanded into a proper game. Modern Warfare 3 feels like a stop-gap, a road bump, a pitstop – any number of metaphors you could come up with to describe this current state because that’s what it originally was. It will receive post-launch support, Warzone integration and copious amounts of cosmetic bundles, but as it stands, this year’s Call of Duty feels like a rudimentary release instead of a big deal.
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