Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Campaign Struggles with Recycled Missions and Missed Opportunities

Throughout its history, Call of Duty has consistently offered a strikingly cinematic experience reminiscent of Michael Bay’s bombastic action sequences within the gaming landscape. This first-person military shooter franchise, arguably the most beloved game series globally, has increasingly prioritized its lucrative multiplayer options, incorporating battle passes, microtransactions, and downloadable extras. Nevertheless, several single-player campaigns within the series still serve as definitive examples of explosive gameplay. Iconic missions from Call of Duty are now considered legendary within gaming culture — the harrowing shock of a nuclear explosion, the high-stakes tension of a sniper on a covert mission, and the unsettling consequences of a deceptive terror strike; Call of Duty campaigns have remained steadfast in delivering spectacular, memorable experiences through clever mission structures, unabashed celebration of American military prowess, and immersive cinematic storytelling that enhances the gameplay.

Despite the series’ fluctuations of triumphs and failures in its single-player narratives, the campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III marks a new low. As a subtle reboot of the 2011 installment Modern Warfare 3 and a direct follow-up to last year’s Modern Warfare II, Activision’s latest offering resembles a compilation of fan-favorite missions from the franchise but falters due to a significant lack of creativity and novelty throughout its brief campaign. Players navigate through sequences that are all too familiar, piloting a gunship to unleash fire from above on thermal targets, breaching a heavily fortified gulag under the cover of darkness, and tracking down snipers in snowy terrains. However, none of these moments exhibit the signature flair and extravagance typically associated with a CoD installment. There’s no unforgettable highlight to mention — at least none that MW III can claim as its unique achievement.

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Even more troubling is the seamless infusion of multiplayer mechanics into the single-player storyline. Under the guise of promoting gameplay variety and player choice, Modern Warfare III introduces missions seemingly taken straight from Call of Duty: Warzone, a Battle Royale sensation that has become synonymous with the CoD brand. It’s a stretch to label these tasks as ‘missions;’ they comprise a blend of arbitrary objectives dropped into sections lacking narrative depth or cinematic appeal, opting for a straightforward, monotonous approach to story advancement. The game cycles through its characters who undertake these tasks, but these Warzone-inspired segments feel uniformly dull. You obliterate enemy helicopters within a nuclear facility, disarm scattered bombs around a dam, and retrieve a black box from a crash site — the environments and objectives may vary, yet the methods of execution remain mostly unchanged. This approach ultimately cripples the campaign by stripping it of narrative excitement and creative flair, substituting them for repetitive content.

The campaign, which took me approximately seven hours to finish, kicks off with a prison break. You assume the role of the villains as you stealthily penetrate a Russian gulag in the cover of darkness, equipped with night vision goggles, to liberate the primary antagonist of MW III, Vladimir Makarov. ‘Operation 627’ is one of the more engaging missions in the game, featuring a tense, stealth-driven sequence that involves approaching the prison via water, scaling its tall walls, and silently neutralizing guards as you lower yourself down into the central part. Makarov’s formidable introduction and the audience’s prior awareness of his capabilities create a suspenseful context for the ensuing events, yet MW III quickly runs out of steam after the initial skirmish, inexplicably shoving players into a series of Open Combat Missions. While sold under the premise of encouraging player freedom and choice, these missions are undoubtedly lazy replications from the franchise’s online Battle Royale spin-off.

In «Operation 627,» you infiltrate a Russian gulag in the silence of the night
Photo Credit: Activision

Open Combat Missions feature weapon caches, loadout drops, and perks such as UAV and Airstrike, completely lifted from Warzone. Each mission unfolds in an expansive map zone with three or four generic objectives that can be completed at your discretion. While these sandbox scenarios are operational, they lack excitement. There’s an absence of narrative drama, distinct level design, and curated action sequences to break the monotony of running around and checking off bland objectives. This half-hearted approach is evident even within the specially designed campaign missions, but particularly glaring within these open combat segments, which make up nearly half of the total MW III campaign.

Most of these non-weapon missions blur together, indistinguishable from a brief solo run in Warzone, except devoid of real opponents to engage with. Among the six Open Combat Missions, only one stood out as unique, both in terms of level design and gameplay objectives. Rather than following the horizontal layout of other Warzone-like sections, “Highrise” offers a vertical challenge, requiring players to scale a dilapidated apartment building occupied by mercenaries, clearing each floor until reaching an intense confrontation on the rooftop. Clearly inspired by the cult action film The Raid (2011), “Highrise” becomes a thrilling exception amid the uninspired tedium of the new campaign structure.

The «Highrise» mission is clearly inspired from cult action film The Raid
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Manas Mitul

In addition to the non-weapon sequences, the conventional linear missions that adhere to the classic Call of Duty formula also fall flat. Many of these missions serve as unoriginal reimaginations of classic CoD moments or offer new twists on familiar segments from the original MW 3. In “Payload,” you stealthily approach a missile facility through tall grass to take down members of the Konni group, a Russian ultranationalist private militia featured in the previous game, before chaos ensues. Certain parts of this sequence hark back to “All Ghillied Up” from the 2007 title Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, lacking the tension and narrative depth of the original mission. In “Frozen Tundra,” you guide the notorious Task Force 141 through a blizzard to intercept Makarov’s convoy in Siberia, only for your squad to be ambushed by snipers hiding in the snow. This mission, where the snowstorm intensifies with each passing moment, resulting in severely reduced visibility, stands out as perhaps the most visually impressive piece of MW III.

While the latest Call of Duty may skimp on the over-the-top cinematic moments that have long characterized its campaigns, it does offer disturbing sequences, a staple of the series. In “Deep Cover,” you assume the role of CIA agent Kate Laswell, as you stealthily breach a Russian military facility to make contact with a source. This mission, focusing on stealth, has you primarily relying on impersonating a Russian officer and obtaining key card access to the main compound. However, the objectives shift dramatically when the base comes under a chemical attack. Similarly, in “Flashpoint,” Task Force 141 works to prevent Makarov’s terror strike on a football stadium, delivering an intense mission that offers genuine shock as you race against time to thwart terrorists’ massacre of innocent fans.

The visually striking «Frozen Tundra» mission is a standout in Modern Warfare 3
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Manas Mitul

Among the most troubling (and potentially disappointing) moments is the reimagining of the notorious “No Russian” mission from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2. Renamed “Passenger,” this mission sees Makarov and his associates commandeering a Russian plane for a false flag terror operation, rather than indiscriminately slaying civilians at a Russian airport. Although this new mission is shocking in its depiction, it fails to deliver the emotional impact of “No Russian.” In the original MW 2 sequence, you could choose whether or not to target innocent passengers, making you a part of a horrific act of terror. “No Russian” left a profound mark on the gaming industry, igniting robust debates and stirring outrage globally. It was a defining moment for Call of Duty, propelling video games into a new realm of discussion. The original resonated so deeply that it was instrumental in changing how video games were perceived rating-wise. In contrast, MW III’s interpretation of this harrowing experience feels passive, almost reluctant to put players in control, playing out in a largely cinematic manner. Compounding the issue, the subsequent mission weakens the dramatic stakes established in “Passenger,” trivializing the consequences with a hastily executed resolution.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III resumes the narrative immediately following the previous title. The multinational special operations group Task Force 141 is on the trail of a fearsome adversary. Vladimir Makarov, an ultranationalist from Russia, aims to plunge the world into chaos, orchestrating cataclysmic terror acts globally with assistance from his private militia. Captain Price, along with fellow task force members — “Soap,” “Ghost,” and “Gaz” — alongside other allies, are in a race against time to thwart Makarov’s wicked intentions. The plot retraces familiar narrative paths from the original Modern Warfare 3, while also traversing through time to provide context. Despite the new Modern Warfare trilogy attempts to establish a more realistic and grounded identity, clearly drawing inspiration from military narratives like Zero Dark Thirty, I’ve always favored the more intense storytelling of the original MW titles, where characters were distinctly defined. Makarov was a menacing figure, Price exuded bravery, Soap embodied loyalty, and Ghost was an enigma. In contrast, they have become mere military stereotypes, yelling and grunting at one another as they engage in combat scenarios.

Moreover, while MW III features some of the finest technological cutscenes, boasting photorealistic facial animations and rich movements, the narratives told within them are forgettably dull. The missions transition you from objective to objective, incessantly incorporating Warzone-style elements, ultimately culminating in a deeply unsatisfactory conclusion. The original Modern Warfare provided a comprehensive story that concluded with a fittingly dramatic peak. Here, the storyline limps to an ambiguous finish, leaving hints for potential future expansions.

Despite photorealistic faces, characters fail to stand out in Modern Warfare 3
Photo Credit: Activision

However, the gunplay remains as engaging as ever. As anticipated from Call of Duty titles, the first-person shooting mechanics set a benchmark for other FPS games to aspire to. Weapons are meticulously detailed and provide a satisfying heft. The shooting controls are precise yet loose enough to allow freedom of movement. The feedback received during combat is impactful, with each shot landing feeling like a powerful force. Weapon animations, reload actions, and various combat effects have reached an almost flawless level of refinement. Blood effects convincingly disperse when hitting enemies from afar, and bodies respond realistically to explosions, propelled backward upon impact. Additionally, each weapon possesses its own unique handling traits — heavy machine guns slow you down while light-silenced pistols allow for swift kills. On the PS5, tactile feedback is enhanced through haptic sensations and adaptive triggers, creating a personalized shooting experience for each weapon.

All these elements are brought together by the visually striking presentation throughout the game. Predictably, Modern Warfare III is breathtaking. From the intricately detailed, hyper-realistic character models to the lush outdoor landscapes and superb lighting that enhances even dark indoor scenes, MW III again stands as a graphical marvel. The sound design also bears the hallmark quality of Call of Duty, capturing the booming report of a shotgun fired inside a building, the gentle hum of a helicopter overhead, and the distant crack of sniper fire in the mountains — MW III crafts meticulous soundscapes suitable for each unique scenario. The game performs remarkably well on the PS5, with minimal issues of stutter or frame rate drops.

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Grimy indoor areas come alive in excellent lighting
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Manas Mitul

As a comprehensive technical offering, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is undeniably impressive. However, given the series’ history of raising the bar with previous installments, maintaining the status quo is the least one would expect from the most successful video game franchise worldwide. With ample resources and the combined expertise from various studios contributing to Call of Duty, Activision must aspire to exceed mere baseline expectations. Unfortunately, the Modern Warfare III campaign fails to do so. There has been a gradual decline in the single-player story modes in modern shooters, heavily favoring the excessive emphasis on multiplayer elements. MW III exacerbates this trend by integrating popular battle royale characteristics into its campaign. In its rush to replicate the familiar elements of Warzone, the latest installment essentially discards the carefully crafted drama that characterized past CoD narratives. While the finest tales from Call of Duty emerged in the past, the franchise has also recently produced compelling single-player experiences, such as Modern Warfare I and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This time, however, even the engaging gunplay and stunning visuals fail to elevate a campaign that falters right from the outset.

Previously, Activision chose not to launch a new CoD title this year, instead planning for a “premium expansion” tied to Modern Warfare II. Fearing the financial impact of deviating from an annual release schedule, the publisher later settled on introducing MW III as a standalone entry. Yet, all evidence from MW III’s campaign suggests minimal effort was dedicated to this endeavor. With recycled missions, uninspired Warzone-inspired segments, and a notable absence of typical CoD high-impact set pieces, Modern Warfare III does not convey the sense of a complete game, particularly at a $70 price tag. The groundbreaking original Modern Warfare games reshaped the first-person shooter landscape; the uninspired rerun of this trilogy, in stark contrast, signifies its decline.

Pros

• Precision and responsive gunplay
• Outstanding graphics
• Seamless performance

Cons

• Warzone-style Open Combat missions
• Lack of exhilarating set pieces
• Uninspired missions and narrative
• Unsatisfying conclusion
• Confusing and cluttered menu layout

Rating (out of 10): 5

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III launched on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

Starting prices are Rs. 5,599 for the Standard Edition on Steam and Battle.Net for PC, PlayStation Store for PS4 and PS5, and Xbox Store for Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X.