Summary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3has some fairly interesting ideas, and it even manages to execute a handful of those quite well. WhileCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer mode may be unoriginal, with it only having remasteredModern Warfare 2maps, it’s still a lot of fun, and it’s incredibly nostalgic for long-timeCall of Dutyfans.Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies modedoesn’t fare quite as well, but at least it’s still a mode that can be enjoyed with friends.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign, however, is where the disappointment really sets in.
Now officially the worst-rated in the entire franchise, and for good reason too,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign relies way too much on borrowed moments from past entries to keep fans engaged, all while not really understanding what made those moments so memorable in the first place. On top of that,Modern Warfare 3’s characters don’t get much to do, and the story feels ridiculously rushed, with one of the main reasons for that being the campaign’s incredibly poor pacing.
RELATED:One Risky Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Decision Could Backfire
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Campaign Has Some Big Pacing Problems
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Campaign Is Best When it Sticks to the Usual Formula
Fans have wantedCall of Dutyto break free from its usual formula for a long time now, but every time that happens, it doesn’t end up working out all that well. In the past, this has resulted in an increase in the number of stealth missions in aCall of Dutycampaign, some absurdly over-the-top set pieces, and some pretty strange playable characters, includingCall of Duty: Ghosts' stealthy dog Riley. The latest attempt atCall of Dutyrevolutionizing its campaign formula comes in the form ofModern Warfare 3’s Open Combat Missions.
By all accounts,Modern Warfare 3’s Open Combat Missions are by far the worst parts of the game. Unlike the standard linear mission formula thatCall of Dutyhas been following for two decades now,Modern Warfare 3’s Open Combat Missionstry to give players more freedom in how they approach their objectives. While that sounds great on paper, the reusing ofCall of Duty: Warzonelocales, the lackluster mission objectives, and the severe lack of story associated with these Open Combat Missions make them a real drag to play through.
But by far the most heinous act theseMW3Open Combat Missions commit is just how much they get in the way of the rest of the campaign. Open Combat Missions take up roughly half ofModern Warfare 3’s entire campaign, and the way they’re spread out over its duration leads to some incredibly jarring pacing.
Players will often breeze through one or two classic linearCall of Dutymissions, and then get stuck with a 20-minute-long Open Combat Mission that can end up feeling rather tedious by the end. This only gets worse when players discover there’s another Open Combat Mission straight after it, leading to around 40 minutes of lackluster gameplay, and dragging the campaign’s pacing from a brisk sprint to a meandering crawl.
One of the worst parts aboutCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s pacing is just how much it impacts the game’s story and characters. With each handful of missions feeling like pacing whiplash, it ends up makingModern Warfare 3’s storyfeel simultaneously dragged out and rushed. Some story moments feel like they go by in an instant, barely affecting the characters or wider series narrative, while other story beats feel like they go on forever thanks to the campaign’s strange pacing.
