I can't help but feel a little conflicted when talking about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. I'm frustrated that it exists, because Activision made it seem like we had two years of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II to look forward to, before going back on that and instead deciding to continue with its annual release plan for the series with this game. Likewise, the fact that this title is so similar to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from 2009 is both something that disappoints and greatly excites me. On on hand, seeing so much recycled content (much of which has been used in CoDs of the past too) being offered at a full and expensive price tag drives me mad, but the fact that the content that is being recycled may just be the best bits of Call of Duty of all-time eases that frustration considerably. So, heading into the beta for Modern Warfare III, you could say that I had a lot on my mind.
But this game has surprised me at times. Where I found Modern Warfare II to be quite a challenge to enjoy due to its low time-to-kill values that meant you had to be very, very focussed to have a decent game, Activision has decided to make a bunch of changes that alter the way this game plays. It's still Call of Duty without question, but it's less demanding and punishing, and there are steps that have been taken that seem to reduce the overwhelming nature of the buildcrafting and perk systems.
The Gunsmith is just a step further on from where it currently is, allowing users a bit more creativity while still serving up a truly massive amount of options. But the perk system on the other hand has been changed so that it no longer acts like passive abilities that just intrinsically suit your character. Now, you equip your soldier with a specific combat vest, gloves, boots, and so on, each of which offer different abilities. This might be a longer Tactical Sprint duration, or less fall damage received. These aren't major perks that drastically affect the gameplay, they're just minor additions that better suit the realism the Call of Duty world wants to reflect while allowing you to play the way that suits you.
Before I touch on the maps and the gameplay itself, it's worth noting that this beta only gave a very brief look at the customisation and progression options. Some of the additional and promised new features in this game were not present, such as the Aftermarket Parts that will be able to dramatically affect the way a gun operates and acts. There were options to play around with new Killstreaks and Field Upgrades, such as the a tool that can capture objectives by leaving it within an objective's vicinity and mines that scatter over a wide away and detonate when enemies come near, but it was far from the full offering that will be present come launch.
But anyway, the gunplay. Modern Warfare III feels very similar to Modern Warfare II in most ways, it's just a little slower and less demanding on the player. The movement and shooting systems feel tight and responsive, and the physics engine that has been so impressive in CoD for so many years, is once again fantastic here. Bullet penetration works brilliantly, throwables feel accurate and travel in the angle you expect them to, and explosives have the potential to cause major havoc. It's really not that different from the latest batch of Call of Duty games, but in my eyes, that's a good thing because Activision has been steadily refining what an excellent Call of Duty experience is for the past few years.
But if it is so similar (and if Activision plans a degree of parity between MWIII and MWII), why should you be excited for this game? Well, that solely comes down to the nostalgia factor. To this day, Modern Warfare 2 is still my most-played Call of Duty of all-time, and I spent countless days playing that game in my early teens, so to see the original slate of maps that made that game unmatched in the shooter space in 2009 back and better than ever is a very exciting thing. This beta featured {Skidrow, Favela, and Estate}, and each is exactly the way I have always remembered them. The learning curve of understanding a new map is non-existent here if you played MW2, they are that similar. Estate still sees action revolving around the woodland cabin, Skidrow is all about navigating tight corridors, and Favela is arguably one of the most hectic full-sized CoD maps of all-time still. Each is so well made and iconic and they will bring plenty of fans to this game just to bask in the nostalgia they offer.
However, even with the brilliance of maps like {Highrise, Rust}, and the cream of the crop, Terminal, planned for the full game, I still can't shake the fact that a full premium price tag for this game is going to feel hard to digest. With the parity it shares with MWII, a map list solely made up of remade maps from 2009, a collection of weapons that MW2 fans will instantly recognise (even if they have unfamiliar new names) and a story that seems to be heavily inspired by the original Modern Warfare trilogy to boot, there's a very real feeling that this game lacks in creativity and fresh additions.
As you can see, I have concerns about this game without question, but if none of that bothers you, I'll simply cap off with this. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III's beta felt incredibly tight, polished, and precise, and will no doubt serve as the next step forward in this storied and beloved action franchise - even if it could be leaning too heavily on the past for inspiration at times.
