This is obvious virtually from the off in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s marketing campaign. After a flashy opening stage that tells the story of how Makarov returns to wreak havoc on the world as soon as extra, you’re thrust into a brand new mission kind that’s not been seen in a Call of Duty marketing campaign earlier than: Open Combat Missions. For these missions, you’re dropped right into a large-ish open setting the place it’s good to supply your weapons and gear on-site and work by way of an inventory of aims. On paper, this sounds prefer it may very well be fairly enjoyable, however in actuality, it’s an absolute bore fest and solely actually serves these with stealthy playstyles. There are six of those missions all through the marketing campaign, and it is clear that the thought behind them has been lifted straight out of Call of Duty’s DMZ mode, besides you don’t really get to do the enjoyable little bit of DMZ and extract with the loot you’ve discovered. Nor are there any thrilling and bombastic set items right here; you simply go in, tick off a couple of packing containers, and the mission ends.
It feels as if these Open Combat Missions are there to pad out Modern Warfare III’s pathetically quick marketing campaign. It took me 4 to 5 hours to finish the marketing campaign, and actually, I don’t bear in mind a lot about it. Sure, it seems beautiful, and the animations and sound design are unequalled, however it’s a misfire in the case of each gameplay and story. Familiar favourite set items return, akin to being a gunner in an AC-130, however these are nothing new and really feel like the best hits of issues we’ve seen in earlier Call of Duty video games. It’s due to these uninteresting ranges and quick marketing campaign that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III completely doesn’t deserve its ending. You spend far too little time with the characters to essentially care about any of them, together with the massive unhealthy Makarov. The story doesn’t transfer on the overarching Modern Warfare plot in any significant approach and is basically a waste of the participant’s time, which is a disgrace as a result of the voice actors, animations, sound, and visuals are all glorious all through.
Thankfully, Modern Warfare III’s multiplayer is fairly good, supplied you’re not in search of a lot new content material. While I didn’t thoughts Modern Warfare II’s multiplayer, this 12 months’s launch has improved on the final gameplay in just about all areas — motion is quick and fluid, time-to-kill has been lengthed due to elevated well being, and the mini-map has returned (hallelujah). On high of this, the gunplay feels punchy and is deeply satisfying, although I discover that’s all the time often the case with Call of Duty.
As for maps, Modern Warfare III options all 16 of Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer maps, which supplied me with a giant hit of nostalgia when leaping again into the likes of Terminal and Highrise. While it’s nice to have these incredible maps out there to play as soon as extra, they’re, once more, older content material that’s been revamped for this launch — some new maps at launch would have been good.
The similar might be stated for multiplayer recreation modes. Modern Warfare III introduces only one new recreation mode referred to as Cutthroat. Here, three groups of three go face to face, and the winner is the group that reaches a goal variety of spherical wins. While it’s not essentially the most unique thought, it’s loads of enjoyable and does present some tense moments while you’re the final individual alive in your squad. Aside from Cutthroat, there isn’t something you haven’t already seen earlier than — War mode from Call of Duty: WWII returns, although that is at the moment restricted to only one map and shortly turns into repetitive.
Modern Warfare III’s tackle Zombies is not fairly what I hoped when Activision first introduced the mode could be coming to a Modern Warfare recreation for the primary time. MW III ditches the confined, round-based Zombies mode for a totally open-world expertise. While it’s good to see Sledgehammer attempting one thing new right here, it’s clear that the DNA of Zombies has simply been grotesquely mashed into DMZ mode to utilize its risk-reward system. Multiple groups of three are dropped into the upcoming new Warzone map Urzikstan and work cooperatively to finish aims earlier than extracting with as a lot loot and high-powered weaponry as potential. The map is huge, and with no PvP between different groups, it feels virtually secure loads of the time. There’s by no means any actual urgency or stress on you and your group due to this lack of PvP — it’s solely as much as you to make up your individual enjoyable, which is a really completely different expertise from earlier iterations of Zombies.
Areas of the map are sectioned off into completely different menace ranges, and the chance turns into higher the additional inward you progress, however so do the rewards. Do you progress into the Threat Level 3 space in hopes of a higher-tier weapon, or do you play it secure in a quieter space and extract with what you might have? Threat Level 1 is fairly tame and type of uninteresting consequently — ranges 2 and three are the place you’ll have essentially the most enjoyable. It’s in these areas the place issues can get actually frantic, and also you’ll have to improve your weapons at Pack-a-Punch machines and seize your perks if you wish to keep alive for various minutes. I like these areas of various enemy issue as a result of in case you’re not paying consideration, you and your squad can simply grow to be overwhelmed by what looks like tons of of zombies or AI troopers. However, they do considerably hinder the general expertise, too, as most of your time might be spent looting, finishing aims, and grinding for gear to get your self geared up sufficient to tackle the larger and badder enemies. This is most egregious while you die and lose all of your gear.
While Zombies does have some chaotic and exhilarating moments within the latter levels, supplied you’ve pushed your self to go there, all of it simply feels a little bit underbaked and doesn’t provide a lot by way of replayability. You’ll most likely get a good quantity of hours out of this mode whereas taking part in with mates, however when you’ve seen and accomplished all of the completely different goal sorts, taken on a stronghold or two, and shot a zombie within the face for the billionth time, there isn’t a lot left to see. There is a narrative to uncover in Zombies mode, however it’s buried beneath one million mini-missions (open 25 Loot Crates, gradual ten Hellhounds with Cryo Freeze Ammo, that kind of factor), which simply doesn’t enchantment to me in any approach.
As for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III achievements, it is a rattling disgrace to see Sledgehammer and Activision lowered the listing to only a DLC pack for the brand new Call of Duty launcher. Putting that to at least one facet, although, the listing is fairly robust. You’ve bought a great mixture of marketing campaign and Zombies achievements, and whereas the marketing campaign achievements look enjoyable, the Zombies achievements are going to be a grind, particularly in case you’re a solo participant and do not like matchmaking with different randoms.
Summary
Cobbled collectively from components of earlier video games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is without doubt one of the worst entries into the sequence. From the vapid marketing campaign with these woeful DMZ-like open fight missions to the Multiplayer that depends on nostalgia for something attention-grabbing and the toothless, uninspired Zombies mode that’s simply an ungainly model of DMZ, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III completely nowhere close to justifies its $70 price ticket.
* Sean spent round 16 hours taking part in by way of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s marketing campaign, multiplayer, and Zombies mode on an Xbox Series X. The writer supplied a recreation code for this evaluation.
