Name of Obligation: Fashionable Warfare 3 reveals how custom can (and may) be damaged in some circumstances.

I haven’t been as combined on a Name of Obligation recreation in a very long time since Black Ops 4; one other recreation with a problematic launch given its lack of a marketing campaign. On the one hand, this recreation options a few of the finest foundational gameplay since my favourite period of Name of Obligation. However then, alternatively, it lacks substance and depends too closely on nostalgia finest left in 2009.

Name of Obligation: Fashionable Warfare 3 (PC, PS4, PS5[reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Sequence X|S)
Developer: Sledgehammer Studios
Writer: Activision
Launched: November 10, 2023
MSRP: $69.99

Aimless

Taking part in by means of the 15-mission single-player marketing campaign in Fashionable Warfare 3 usually had me questioning if this recreation was higher off not having a marketing campaign in any respect. To Sledgehammer Video games’ credit score, it seemingly developed this recreation in a fraction of the time of most annual releases, particularly because it simply launched Vanguard two years prior.

However, on the similar time, this strategy reveals how unsustainable and unhealthy this growth cycle is, with the messiest and worst marketing campaign within the franchise so far. The 15 missions it has are misleading, as gamers can end them in a matter of three to 5 hours; a lot shorter than earlier video games.

Worse nonetheless, it eschews the jokes concerning the marketing campaign being a tutorial for multiplayer in favor of being a glorified tutorial for the upcoming Warzone Urzikstan map. Lots of the missions happen in bigger map areas with a couple of goals for gamers to perform and a few freedom of alternative in the best way to go about tackling them.

This sounds positive and dandy as an thought, however in apply, it falls flat. Undesirable components of DMZ and Warzone exist, such because the armor plates, looting provide crates, and parachuting round. There may be virtually no story hook all through these missions they usually just about act as a bridge to the following precise cutscene.

Sadly, these cutscenes don’t provide a lot to reward gamers for finishing the marketing campaign’s bland duties, both. The plot looks like a barely expanded and redone model of 2022’s MW2 with the identical villain and little decision. Actually, it even ends on a irritating and bizarre cliffhanger. That mentioned, there are the occasional “conventional” cinematic, action-packed linear marketing campaign missions right here and there.

However even these aren’t good. As an example, the opening mission “Operation 627” performs like a wild and enjoyable jail break journey, however even it doesn’t final lengthy sufficient. Worse nonetheless, the marketing campaign’s “No Russian” sequel “Passenger” is unnecessarily controversial and egregious in its context. If there’s any recreation the place you may safely skip the marketing campaign and never miss out, that is the one.

Taking part in with out rose-tinted glasses

Multiplayer stays king in Fashionable Warfare 3 and is the place most individuals will probably spend their time. One other odd alternative from Sledgehammer, however comprehensible given the tough growth timeline: remastering all 16 of the launch maps from the unique 2009 Fashionable Warfare 2.

As somebody who got here into the collection simply after that with Black Ops, this was just about my first time testing the likes of Rundown, Karachi, and extra. I’ll admit most of those maps haven’t aged the most effective, particularly with the present fast-paced motion methods.

Final yr’s MW2 didn’t have stable maps and, sadly, that pattern continues this yr with the newest recreation. A number of of them are incredible, akin to Terminal, Invasion, and Skidrow, whereas a lot of the others have been higher left caught in 2009. I’m torn as a result of some recreation modes like Search & Destroy really feel higher than ever on this title.

Nonetheless, a tried-and-true mode like Hardpoint doesn’t work properly on virtually any of the maps on account of them not being made with it in thoughts. This led to me being even pickier than common with what maps I play in multiplayer and fewer general enjoyment.

Transferring with grace

My damaging expertise with a lot of the maps in MW3 feels much more painful as a result of this yr’s mannequin has the most effective motion and gameplay of any Name of Obligation recreation not from the jetpack period. New additions like Tac Stance complement the graceful and improved returning mechanics like slide canceling and dolphin diving.

There isn’t a second of downtime on this recreation, which I like. As an SMG participant who likes to all the time be in folks’s faces, I might zip throughout most maps in a couple of seconds and begin blasting away at some unsuspecting opposing participant. The velocity of this recreation feels unimaginable and good when paired with the higher-than-average participant well being.

This ends in a sensible steadiness of swiftness and heft. Whereas yow will discover enemies very quickly, you want ability with the various and spectacular weapons to succeed. The crossover of all MW2 weapons and most cosmetics additionally means this recreation has a incredible and acquainted basis for present followers as properly. This ends in thrilling gameplay, which mismatches with lots of the maps.

Hope stays

Gamers in search of the most effective elements of MW3 ought to actually look outdoors the standard trappings of marketing campaign and multiplayer. As an alternative, recreation modes like Floor Struggle provide a few of the best and most thrilling moments on this journey. Floor Struggle gave me the high-quality, Battlefield 3-like expertise I’ve been sorely lacking for some time now. That is due to its large maps, massive participant counts, and onslaught of automobiles throughout land and sky. Pair this with the best-in-class motion and gunplay, and you’ve got a grand time.

On the similar time, Treyarch cooked up a novel however welcome tackle Zombies with the open-world Operation Deadbolt. This feels just like the true successor to TranZit, my favourite Zombies iteration. It lacks some course with the open-world maps and plenty of goals, however the horror aesthetic and numerous undead forces give it a particular sense of freedom.

It might use some tweaks in the case of content material, missions, and challenges, however this Zombies expertise is off to a stable begin. General, Zombies looks like the most effective a part of 2022’s DMZ however with a extra compelling enemy risk.

In the long run, Fashionable Warfare 3 begs the query of whether or not this annual cycle ought to proceed or not. Nearly half the sport feels shoehorned in, such because the forgettable marketing campaign. In the meantime, the opposite half has combined ends in the case of the multiplayer maps. But when gamers interact with the actually particular elements of MW3, akin to its distinctive enhancements to gameplay and spectacular various modes like Zombies and Floor Struggle, they’ll discover there’s a worthy expertise in there someplace.