Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 first impressions

Modern Warfare series was rebooted in 2019, this is the third entry. Small rant here I don’t understand why you don’t call this modern. The studio behind this title is Sledgehammer Games with Infinity Ward original creators of the series. Infinity Ward now acting like a satellite studio but updating Warzone. Tons of studios working on Call of Duty, three main studios and many others.

I have not played a Call of Duty game in years and similar to the older games. Combat is fast and smooth, maps are redesigns of modern warfare 2 core maps. New art improves the look and feel of the legacy maps. A list of confirmed maps can be found here.  Honestly rather happy with that list, some really good maps here. Not going to call it a beta but more a demo, the final release is due in November.

Perks return, and other things.

Let’s talk about the negatives

The art design of operators blends into the maps so easily. Not just that it really difficult for me to work out who is friendly or foe. This has been a problem for years and drives me mad. Countless people have similar problems.  Call of Duty has been removing information from players for years now and is core to the formula.

Progression is locked by levels, including upgrading your weapons. I’m not sure weapon challenges exist for progression I hope not. Speaking of which you can’t build your own loadout at level 1 which is really annoying.

One thing I did notice is minimap no longer gives you red dots. Given how fast you die I could have missed that detail.

Outside of that, it is just more call of duty nothing groundbreaking. More single-player, more zombies and more online madness. Not sure how many guns will be in the full game but the selection here is limited which is okay. Balance has been a problem for a while, trying to balance a range of guns is hard.  Sway feels like it returns but not sure.

Grown out of the call of duty as I got older mainly tiny things that annoy me remain.

Infinity Ward

Call of Duty Infinite Warfare thoughts

Feedback from loud minority, rather negative.  Claiming game does not feel like call of duty. Previous titles far to similar, complaining newest is different.  Criticism rallied against core game formula. Minority of fans attacking the game they love so much. Vast majority of content creators, seeking secure income.  Number purely dedicated content creators is reduced.  Common trend creators have diverse income portfolio.   Remastered edition of modern warfare suffering same fate.  Loving how fast people die, hating quick deaths. Older title feels slower compared to the original.  Original highly praised with cult status earned. Looking through Rose tinted glasses.

Call of duty formula favoured defensive players.  Weapons non challenging super powerful dozens of killzones.  Title has always favoured defensive players.  Claim the title is easier now over the past is wrong.  No major changes which make the title easier.  Confusing to say the least.

Video games have complex networking code.  Millions of users paired into games per day. Battlenonsense analysis could contain errors.  Offers an insight behind the networking code. Standard used are bare minimum required.  Fine tuning could solve some of the complaints. Reducing the delays within the system, allowing less latency. New engine would not solve any problems.  Software is upgraded every year.  Technically gaining new engine every year.  Massive upgrades to technology can’t be done each year.

Series may not hit high water mark again. Some armchair pundits claimed series is dying. Call of duty still the king when comes to video games. Would not call billion dollar sales a dead game.  Only handful of games have kept the magic alive over decades.  Call of duty needs to slow down at some point.

Call of duty infinite warfare first impressions

More call of duty nothing new here at all.  Movement system copied from Black ops 3.

1. Menu serve the purpose, loads options hidden away.
2. Linear progression system returns no change.
3. Shotguns return pre black ops 3 damage models.  Making spread very importants on pellets. No bonus for aiming down sight.
4. Heath is unchanged
5. Ping bar numbers are unclear
6. No change in time to kill
7. Limited focus on vertical elements
8. Colorful maps
9. Supply drops are back

Game feels like ghosts does call of duty with nothing new. Don’t understand complaints about the game.  Most complaints boil down core freatures in the formula. Nothing else to say, sorry.

Call of duty infinite warfare beta weekend is here.  Disclaimer not played the beta, opinion is based on gameplay. Taken break from call of duty this year.  Currently have no interest in the series at the moment.

• Time to kill – Standard call of duty
• Movement system – Black ops 3 wasted due map design
• Map design – Design wise linear none vertical
• Latency problems/matchmaking
• Linear progression system

Nostalgia call of duty modern warfare remastered

Nostalgia something we all feel, desire to return back to the past.  One of the reasons why the idea of time travel so magical.   Massive amount of nostalgia, when comes to this game for many.  Including myself this game holds special place in my heart.  Only couple games have I taken the time to remember everything single little detail.  Low playerbase means often get high ping lobbies can’t recreate the same experience.

Almost 10 years old, average player used to be in school. Now the average player has a job with massive amounts of income.  Listen I liked the game however have little to no interest currently. Reason is the current business model being used by activision.  Fear game I loved is going to suffer from serious corruption.  Ideas flooded the series being added to drive profits.

Big flaws no problem

Can still remember various flaws which were never fixed.  Various guns which have bugged attachments.  Bunch of cheesy methods to get kills without any real counter.  Developers behind the project have stated they plan on not fixing any of it.  Without great deal of love and care fear memories of the title could be ruined.  Many seek to recreate the old days by going back.  Fear playerbase won’t stick around going to disappear fast as people remember everything they hated.

Various bugs which are included in the game never going to be fixed.  Team behind the title have added new animations and icons touching up couple minor things.  Would like to see these bugs fixed over celebrated by the community.  Flaws addressed with more content added to the base game for free. Expect the playerbase to disappear within months. If people wanted to play call of duty 4 they could right now. Remaster does bring up interesting point about games legacy support.  Should studios hand over control to fans once a game has passed it prime.

Right now voting with my wallet, want to buy stand alone title.  Want to see what release day like how long playerbase sticks around.  Other games which can provide the same experience.  Right now have no interest in call of duty remastered at the current price.

Over past couple of months loud minority within call of duty community has provided some interesting feedback.  Loud minority claims be part of ‘community’ speaking directly towards the studio.  Firmly rooted in modern military first person shooter genre keeping to the gameplay standards.   So the ‘community’ wants modern military first person shooter above all else.  Would like to see remastered version of older games, returning to boots on the ground.

Claiming this would return the series back to former glory with sales number hitting the roof once again.   Obvious that some people dislike change even minor change to series can cause the player base to get upset.  Call of duty is the best selling game every year has been doing that for almost 10 years now.  Even if the game no longer breaks records still outselling rival games on the market.

Claims that ‘community’ wants call of duty to return to return backwards are just opinions of small group of people.  Often with an audience who come to see that person speak .  Asking for remastered version of the older titles or game moving back towards tactical gameplay.  Ends up being small opinion over the wider picture.

Call of duty success targeting lowest common denominator with various gameplay mechanics. Anybody can pick up play the game do okay at it.  Impressive thing is illusion given so many players ‘king for day feeling’.    Seen many okay players say the game has moved towards children to much should be hardcore war theme game.  Covered horrors within theaters of war but that was ditched moved toward modern age.

Willing take whatever comes next from call of duty which is my relax game over super serious. Don’t think movement system works within the game but that just my own personal view.  Not to say does not work just not feel right.  However nice change of pace compared with modern standards which got stale.  Most of the complains I have due to business strategy and plan.