Summary
Even at their very worst,Call of Dutycampaigns are usually still quite a bit of fun. They may not have a great, or even good story, the performances might be a tad off, and the pacing could be shot to hell, but eventhe most disappointingCall of Dutycampaignshave a ton of bombastic set pieces, some fun character dynamics, and a big action blockbuster plot that might not make a lot of sense, but feels perfectly over-the-top and exciting in the moment.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, however, stands out for all the wrong reasons.
For quite a while, it was rumored that 2023 would be the first year in decades that went without a fullCall of Dutyrelease, but would instead receive a campaign DLC, and that actually relieved quite a lot of fans. So whenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3did end up being announced a few months ago, alarm bells immediately started ringing. And those alarms only kept chiming whenModern Warfare 3received its initial reveal, along with the confirmation that no original 6v6 maps would be coming at launch and that most guns were carrying over fromModern Warfare 2. The more that was revealed aboutModern Warfare 3, the louder those alarm bells got, and that was especially true for the game’s campaign, which doesn’t nearly live up to the legacy of the originalModern Warfareseries.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Campaign Isn’t Nearly as Good as the 2011 Original
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Campaign Feels Lazy and Unoriginal
The original 2011Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is far from the most beloved entry in franchise history. In fact, many fans consider it to be not only the weakest entry ofthe originalModern Warfareseries, but one of the weaker entries in the franchise at the time. Though its multiplayer was solid, its Survival mode was fun, and its campaign was enjoyable,Modern Warfare 3didn’t quite live up to the critically acclaimed games that came before it, with many critics seeing it as just a continuation of the series rather than an innovative next step. But even then, it was still much better than 2023’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, especially in regard to its campaign.
One of the biggest issues with2023’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3campaign, and there are quite a few, is its lack of originality. Though 2011’sMW3was criticized at the time for not really pushing the franchise forward in a significant way, its campaign still has some very exciting moments, with its Paris terrorist attack and final battle with Makarov still being very memorable over a decade later. 2023’sModern Warfare 3, on the other hand, owes all of its best missions to previous games in the franchise.
The best missions inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 32023 are heavily inspired by past franchise entries, such as its opening gulag prison break mission, its stadium terrorist attack, and its snowy stealth mission. And whenModern Warfare 3isn’t borrowing moments from its past, its campaign ends up feeling just a tad dull, which is the ultimate sin forCall of Duty. Its new open-ended missions feel rushed and lazy, reusing a lot of the sameassets fromCall of Duty: Warzone, and the serious lack of set pieces throughout is uncharacteristically strange for aCoDentry.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Campaign Should Not Cost $70
At the end of the day,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign probably shouldn’t cost the full $70. While it obviously has much better graphics and gameplay than its 2011 counterpart,Modern Warfare 3’s campaign isn’t nearly as original or exciting. It doesn’t help that it’s also by farthe shortest campaign inCall of Dutyhistory, which is really saying a lot.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign feels rushed and half-baked, and its cliffhanger ending doesn’t leave fans wanting more, it just acts as further evidence that it wasn’t worth dropping the full $70.
