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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision, marks the third reboot of the renowned modern warfare series. This game is a direct sequel to Modern Warfare II.
As Captain Price and commanding Task Force 141, we face ultranationalist terrorist Vladimir Makarov in MW3. The game includes not only the campaign but also the popular Multiplayer mode and the Treyarch fan favorite, Zombies mode.
There are doubts as to whether MW3, which apparently began as a premium DLC for the previous game, lived up to fans’ expectations. The campaign disappoints, especially compared to the original game. Zombies mode was a pleasant surprise, despite being a combination of different modes rather than traditional round-based maps. Multiplayer, despite being released with some bugs, proved to be superior to MW2, especially for responding to community requests regarding character movement.
Class Creation
Assembling classes and load-outs is a crucial aspect of Call of Duty, and MW3 presents several improvements in this aspect compared to the previous title. As an intermediate solution to the community’s requests, MW3 introduced the vest system, which, although it does not offer as much freedom as Pick 10, represents a good innovation in class customization. There are six types of vests, each with its pros and cons, allowing you to sacrifice a grenade in exchange for additional equipment, for example.
The game also features gloves and boots, equivalent to the franchise’s tier 1 and 2 perks. While it doesn’t completely solve the problem of grenade spam, the new system is intriguing and considerably better than MW2’s perk system, where perks were acquired through playtime. Anyway, picking up additional accessories like Cod MW3 Boosting can improve performance.
Another improvement is the removal of the weapon accessory fine-tuning functionality, present in MW2, which allowed changing accessory statistics. Although theoretically interesting, in practice, this generated complexity and potential imbalance, as well as confusing new players.
As far as changes to the game go, MW3 introduced aftermarket parts to the gunsmith. These modification kits drastically alter a weapon’s function and identity, offering significant improvements. They are unlocked by completing weekly challenges with the weapon at its maximum level, both in multiplayer and Zombies. Upon unlocking all 4 kits during the season, the player receives a special camouflage, initially the Rio Dourado camouflage.
In addition to the 37 new weapons, MW3 also includes the entire arsenal from Modern Warfare 2. An interesting innovation is the ability to unlock weapons, equipment, perks, field improvements, and killstreaks through daily challenges, instead of just leveling up in the game.
Maps and Game Modes
One of the topics that generated the most debate and divided opinions in the community was the announcement that all 16 maps from the original release of Modern Warfare 2 had been updated for Modern Warfare 3. In recent years, issues with spawns have greatly hampered players’ experience, and the beginning of MW3 is no exception, especially in Conflict Zone mode. Activision even removed some maps from rotation temporarily to fix bugs, which in theory shouldn’t take long to adjust. In addition to the return of classic game modes such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, Confirmed Kill, and Ground War, among others already known, the game brings some interesting new features:
One of these is “By a Thread”, a new mode in the franchise. In it, 9 players divided into three teams participate, competing on the main multiplayer maps. Each operator has only one life per round, similar to the Find and Destroy mode. To win, you must eliminate the opposing teams or capture the flag in overtime.
Another addition is the return of War mode, which debuted in Call of Duty: World War 2 in 2017. This mode involves protecting capture points and escorting an armed tank. It’s particularly fun because it doesn’t include SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) and blocking killstreaks. Additionally, casualties and deaths do not affect the K.D. (ratio of eliminations to deaths) of the player, providing a constant combat experience in a more casual environment.
Gameplay and playability: Pleases or disappoints?
Modern Warfare 3 reintroduces the agile, fluid movement that gained popularity in the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot. This includes Slide cancel (which now does not restart tactical sprinting), partial reload cancellation, and more agile obstacle crossing. Although it is not as fast as before, the game now offers players greater freedom and speed during matches, which, on the other hand, increases the skill gap, that is, the difference in skill between players. Another significant innovation is the tactical posture, which becomes a valuable resource in close-range combat. And no less important is the return of the map voting function and the red dot indicators on the minimap, which signal when and where an enemy fires with a weapon without a silencer.
However, not everything is perfect. The controversial and feared SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) is back and for many, even more, intense than in other games in the COD series. This system groups players of similar skill into lobbies, with the aim of preventing beginners from being paired with very experienced players. It is worth mentioning that several players from the franchise took a stand against this match system.
So is this version worth it? For us, from our direct observations, YES!
