Warning: Spoilers ahead for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign mode.WhileCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3has yet to fully release, the game will be facing an uphill battle when it does become fully available. Not only are Zombies fans split on the idea of an open-world mode, as many miss round-based maps deeply, but gamers have also criticized the title;s multiplayer for leaning too much into nostalgia with all its remadeMW2maps. If that was not enough,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s early access campaign has backfired, as the singleplayer mode has been heavily criticized ahead of the full launch. There are many reasons for this, though one of the most significant is its lack of setpiece moments.
Obviously, there are issues with the campaign beyond setpieces. ManyCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3players are frustrated overSoap’s death, arguing that he was just beginning to become interesting as a character and someone else should have died in his place. Similarly, players wish Shepherd’s death was handled differently, believing it should have been Ghost to do the deed, or that he should have been saved for a future game. Makarov’s new No Russian attack ultimately being pointless is another problem, and beyond the narrative, fans are frustrated with the gameplay. Though there are many issues in that area, like enemy AI, graphics, and level design, most missions lacking standout moments is truly a death sentence for the campaign.
Call of Duty’s Campaigns Are Defined By Their Setpieces
Older CoD Campaigns Are Full of Wow Moments
TheCall of Dutyfranchiseis full of big moments, as they have always helped to make the campaigns more memorable and worth playing. While there have been some great slow-pace missions like All Ghillied Up as well as memorable narrative sequences like No Russian or the originalBlack Ops’ big twist, it is the big set pieces that really stick with many fans of the franchise.Modern Warfarein particular has always been home to these, making the lack of them in the latest game all the more strange.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s nuke sequence was harrowing and unforgettable, while the game’s opening mission helicopter jump felt very special at the time.The originalModern Warfare 2was packed with special moments, from the EMP sequence that made a White House setting even more special to the Cliffhanger mission letting players scale an ice wall and leap across a huge gap in a snowmobile.Modern Warfare 3featured a submarine infiltration, an epic train sequence, a building collapsing on the player, and so on - even set dressing like the Eiffel Tower collapsing felt special. While the first entry in theModern Warfarereboot aimed to be more grounded,MW2brought back fun setpieces, like Gaz being hung upside down from a helicopter while fighting vehicles. Sadly, these moments were not present in the newestModern Warfare.
The main reason forCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s lack of setpiece moments is likely the use ofOpen Combat Missions. With these missions being open-ended and letting players approach objectives in different ways, it is harder to give them an on-rails moment that is full of spectacle.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Almost Entirely Abandons Setpieces
Unfortunately, there are no real “wow” moments to speak of inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, with the closest being a brief underwater sequence whereTask Force 141attacks from below some ice. Between the well-animated and well-acted cinematics, players go through the motions, carrying out some basic FPS objectives and engaging in countless gunfights. There is a massive lack of special sequences where players are caught in over-the-top moments, or wield a powerful weapon like a juggernaut suit or helicopter minigun - both of which were seen in the originalMW3’s campaign. While repetitive objectives, poorly integrated stealth mechanics, and a strange approach to checkpoints in Open Combat Missions all hurtModern Warfare 3, it is the lack of spectacle that really makes the campaign forgettable.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
