Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 PS5 Campaign Review - Return Of The Makarov

 

Modern Warfare 3's campaign picks up directly from where its predecessor, Modern Warfare 2, left off. The iconic Task Force 141, led by Captain Price, is back in action, and the central antagonist is revealed to be Vladimir Makarov, a significant figure from the original Modern Warfare series. The game starts with a high-impact opening that introduces Makarov, setting the stage for an intense confrontation. However, the introduction of the new Open Combat missions disrupts the narrative's flow, leading to a somewhat lackluster ending.

In Modern Warfare 3, familiar faces from the rebooted series make a return, including characters like Kate Laswell, Farah Karim, and Alex Keller. Even General Shepherd and Commander Phillip Graves of Shadow Company, despite their previous antagonistic roles, reappear as the threat of Makarov unites them all.

The campaign commences with Operation 627, a mission involving a stealthy infiltration of a gulag. This level offers a visually captivating experience, with players rappelling into the Gulag equipped with night vision goggles and clearing guards level by level as they descend. It's a more traditional and enjoyable mission in the Modern Warfare 3 storyline, featuring the kind of bombastic action and cinematics that Call of Duty is known for. The presence of Makarov is immediately felt, setting the stage for a thrilling confrontation. However, the game stumbles after this strong opening as it transitions into two consecutive Open Combat missions.

Open Combat missions aim to provide players with more freedom by expanding the playable area and offering a variety of options to complete objectives. While this approach might sound promising, it comes at a cost. While it offers more player agency, it sacrifices the atmosphere and cinematic tension usually associated with traditional missions.

The negative impact of these new mission types becomes evident after the opening of the second mission, Precious Cargo. The mission begins with an emotionally charged scene featuring Farah and a close companion, followed by an Open Combat mission where players collect gear and engage in combat as Farah. This mission feels more like casual multiplayer matches, lacking the emotional impact that a scripted Call of Duty mission could have provided.

Modern Warfare 3's gameplay, particularly in Open Combat missions, loses some of the scripted and cinematic quality that the series is known for. While the game tries to innovate by offering players more freedom, it sacrifices the momentum and emotional depth that traditional missions can provide.

The campaign is narratively strong but is somewhat hampered by the Open Combat missions, which make the storytelling feel disjointed. The game presents a powerful narrative but fails to fully realize it due to the format of these missions. While the first half of the story effectively portrays Makarov as a ruthless extremist, some missions resort to shock value, potentially crossing a line with uncomfortable themes. Unfortunately, the campaign concludes with an unsatisfying ending, despite early promise.

The campaign highlights that rely on nostalgia, such as revisiting the Warzone's Verdansk map, tend to fall short in terms of gameplay enjoyment. These missions heavily depend on the novelty of returning to familiar settings, but they don't offer particularly enjoyable experiences.

Although Modern Warfare 3's traditional segments still exhibit impressive graphics, over-the-top action, and responsive gunplay, there are not enough of these moments to create a cohesive gameplay experience.

The campaign also fails to serve as a strong introduction to the multiplayer mode. Many weapons are carried over from Modern Warfare 2, despite promises of new additions. The game's core multiplayer mode features remastered maps, creating a disconnect between the campaign and multiplayer aspects.

In terms of campaign length, Modern Warfare 3 boasts 14 missions, but the actual playtime should be relatively short, around 4-5 hours, unless you spend a lot of time exploring Open Combat areas. Unfortunately, these Open Combat missions feel more like filler content, serving to introduce Makarov's return rather than significantly enhancing the narrative.

Overall, while Modern Warfare 3 sets up an intriguing narrative, it struggles with pacing issues, abrupt transitions, and an underwhelming conclusion. The Open Combat missions, while offering more player freedom, compromise the immersive and cinematic experience that the Call of Duty series is known for. As a result, it ranks as the weakest entry in an otherwise strong reboot series.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is available on Amazon for PS5 ( click in the image below)