Call of Duty Modern Warfare III aims to bring back the exciting action and movie-like story of the earlier games. The first mission is full of typical Call of Duty experience, just like what we expect from the series. However, as the story goes on, the game starts to struggle. It becomes confusing and doesn’t flow well, showing that it has a hard time establishing its own unique style.
We focus on the single-player campaign, examining its good points and flaws. This review is meant to give players who like to play alone a detailed look, helping you decide if this game is worth adding to your collection.
The change from the first to the second mission shows a big shift. The new “Weapons Free – Open Combat Mission” idea, wherein familiar features from the Warzone are strongly present (It’s like playing Warzone with PVE missions), moving away from the usual straight-path action story and goes for a more open, player-controlled style.
This change has both good and bad points: it gives players more freedom and reasons to play again, but it might make the story less connected and clear. It’s a bold move that could turn away fans who prefer the classic, well-planned Call of Duty experience.
Open Combat Mission, though a new and creative idea, turns out to be a controversial part of the game. It puts the series’ well-known storytelling style at risk, which might not sit well with long-time fans. While this new approach could be exciting for some, it might seem like a letdown to players who loved the straightforward, consistent stories of the earlier games. It’s important to point out in this review because this mode takes up almost half of the game’s campaign.
However, we try to see the positive aspects of this new feature, and we find that it does have its benefits. How you choose to play can either improve or lessen your overall experience. Playing aggressively might go against what the campaign is trying to do, while playing more stealthily brings in a new level of strategy and possibly, a role-playing scenario.
As the campaign progresses, most missions often shift to solo tasks, with companions who appear in cutscenes mysteriously absent during gameplay, deviating from the series’ typical emphasis of squad-based gameplay where NPCs are often part of the storyline and engage in combat alongside the player, providing tactical support, or involved in scripted events that drive the narrative forward. This change is reminiscent of moments in action movies where the main character must confront challenges alone, with assistance arriving only after the most critical scenes. However, it’s important to note that the first and last missions of the game still maintain the traditional squad-based approach, preserving some familiarity for long-time fans of the series.
Adding to the diversity of gameplay, “Modern Warfare III” retains some classic mission styles, such as the air-strike missions. These segments, where players control a ship from the skies to support ground troops, inject a familiar yet exciting element into the mix. It serves as some of the better parts of the single player campaign.
Since MWIII is a reboot rather than a remake of the previous MW3, it alters some iconic scenes and stories from the original game, introducing fresh elements that contribute to the ongoing story of the reboot series. Despite these changes, the overall narrative of the game is commendable and interesting. However, the main drawback is its brevity; the story, while engaging, is quite short.
“Call of Duty Modern Warfare III’s” single-player campaign generates mixed reactions. It stands out with its movie-like cutscene quality and some good part actions, but the new “Open Combat Mission” feature and the focus on solo missions represent a significant departure from the classic Call of Duty formula. This new approach might appeal to players who welcome change, but traditionalists who prefer the standard CoD experience might find it lacking. Considering the campaign’s short duration, it might be wise for those unsure about the game to wait for a sale.
Review Score: 53/100