Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – what could have been (Picture: Activision)

A reader is disappointed by the latest Call Of Duty and wishes developer Sledgehammer Games had the chance to make good on its new ideas.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has deservedly received a lot of criticism from both fans and critics. Activision, in particular, deserve all the blame, but I do have sympathy for developer Sledgehammer Games. I think if the game was half price, or similar to that of DLC, I think the negativity would be less vociferous. My suspicion is both Activision and Microsoft wanted a Call Of Duty game out no matter what, signalling an end to the Sony marketing deal.

Despite the criticism, there are aspects of Modern Warfare 3’s campaign which make me ponder what could have been. I am referring to the Warzone inspired levels, which could have been so much better if Sledgehammer were given more time. I refuse to jump to the conclusion of lazy developers. I really think they could be onto something if fleshed out more and it has me contemplating an open world Call Of Duty campaign.

Admittedly, I’m a big fan of Warzone, so take my own bias with a pinch of salt. Needless to say, the Warzone inspired levels were my favourite. Aside from my preference, I’m sick to death of cinematic storytelling and all that entails. Scripted, bombastic sequences just don’t do it for me anymore. It’s a style PlayStation games have perfected. The moment I put down my controller, I no longer feel involved and lose all immersion.

I want to play a video game, not watch it. A few button prompts in games like Insomniac’s Spider-Man don’t cut the mustard either. It’s all smoke and mirrors. Naughty Dog is arguably the best in this particular field, but even they can be prone to overindulgence when it comes to cut scenes. The Madagascar car chase sequence from Uncharted 4 being their best work and a fine example of immersive, uninterrupted gameplay.

I have digressed a bit, my point being a less scripted Call Of Duty game appeals to me. Cut out all the copy and paste from Warzone and replace with more realistic options that serve the story. I’m a big fan of games that allow player choice.

I will outline a scenario to best elaborate my point. There is a mission target that is party surrounded by a body of water. You have the option to approach stealthily via the water, parachute in from the air or commandeer a supply vehicle to enter via the main gate. You call in which equipment drop you require, such as silenced weapons, scuba gear and so on. Or you wait for night-time to do a high-altitude insertion. You choose the size of your team, go it alone, or better still, play co-op with friends.

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I confess this all sounds very Rainbow Six Wildlands, but what that game severely lacked was variety. Aside from the Predator mission, they deserve a lot of credit for that! I just feel the Call Of Duty campaigns have become so stale and familiar, there has to be a dramatic change or they will stop making them altogether. But then I have a similar criticism for all games which rely too much upon cut scenes and scripted sequences. I do miss Valve making video games.

Activision is mindful the majority of their playerbase don’t even care about the story campaign, hence why they didn’t even bother for Black Ops 4. It’s such a shame the ideas presented in Modern Warfare 3’s campaign come across as half-baked and a cynical copy of Warzone. I see the potential, so hopefully Sledgehammer is given an opportunity to fully develop their ideas for a future Call Of Duty release.

By Anon

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A reader is disappointed by the latest Call Of Duty and wishes developer Sledgehammer Games had the chance to make good on its new ideas.