Highlights
- The introduction of the Gunsmith in the 2019 reboot of Modern Warfare revolutionized weapon customization in the Call of Duty series.
- While the Gunsmith has received significant attention and updates, other aspects of the game, such as graphics and sound design, have been overlooked in Modern Warfare 3.
- The focus on further enhancing the Gunsmith may have taken away from addressing player concerns about customization and other features, such as the lack of an emblem editor and the absence of the Prestige Shop. Going forward, a focus on areas other than the gunsmith would be appreciated.
The 2019 reboot of Modern Warfare had a massive impact on the Call of Duty franchise that is continuing to be felt to this day. The 2v2 hit Gunfight that was introduced within the game has led to new iterations of the mode as well as similar concepts like Vanguard's Champion Hill and MW3's Cutthroat. The game was the start of Call of Duty’s seasonal model and battle passes, while also being the foundation for the free-to-play battle royale title Warzone. And, perhaps most important of all, it marked the debut of the Gunsmith.
Prior to the introduction of the Gunsmith, weapon customization in the Call of Duty series was relatively simple. Players would pick from a handful of attachments like FMJ and red dot sights, being constrained by mechanics like the Pick 10 system. With the debut of the Gunsmith, though, they were given significantly more control over how they set up their weapon of choice, being able to make changes that have a huge effect on the gun while equipping more attachments than ever before. Over the years, the Gunsmith has seen some big adjustments, which could have fans of other parts of the game wishing that this level of attention was given to their preferred features.
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Other Call of Duty Features Could Have Used as Much Love as The Gunsmith Gets
Since it was introduced, the Gunsmith has been tweaked in a few noteworthy ways. Attachment Tuning in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may have become a forgettable gimmick, but the idea of adjusting the performance of every single attachment to get the best possible build was intriguing. Now, in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Aftermarket Parts are being added that will completely transform the performance of a gun, making an LMG more like an Assault Rifle and turning a Pistol into an SMG.
While support for the Gunsmith makes sense, as gunplay is integral to Call of Duty’s success and the feature has proven to be a hugely popular addition to the series, it does feel like it has taken attention away from other aspects of the game. For instance, the graphics of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 beta have come under fire, with a previous map remake for Rust offering better lighting and shadows than the newest version. Similarly, MW3’s sound design has been bashed by many fans, as the game's weapon sounds are a noticeable step-down from its predecessor.
Beyond focusing some more attention on gun sounds and visuals, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could have addressed some issues that players have with customization instead of leaning further into the Gunsmith. As indicated by the beta, Call of Duty’s finishing moves cannot be viewed in the menus once again, despite this being doable prior to Modern Warfare 2. Additionally, fans have been wanting the return of an emblem editor for some time, so devoting some time to bringing that back would have been welcome.
Other customization improvements could include the return of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s piece-by-piece gear options, letting players edit every bit of their Operator. Some mix-and-matches bundle sets could look truly incredible, and it would allow Activision to start selling individual outfit pieces within Call of Duty’s in-game shops. Further, instead of abandoning the Prestige Shop after Black Ops Cold War, Sledgehammer Games could have come up with ways to restore and expand this special store. Considering how Modern Warfare 3 is a celebration of an older game already, the Prestige Shop would have been a perfect fit.
With major controversies like Call of Duty’s skill-based matchmaking existing, spending time to come up with a compromise for that problem instead of adding to an already great feature may have been worthwhile. Perhaps Aftermarket Parts will prove to have been worth the effort, getting much more use than the Attachment Tuning from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Still, the mechanic does feel a bit unnecessary, as Call of Duty’s Gunsmith was great without Tuning or Aftermarket features. Instead of trying to innovate upon a near-perfect system, the franchise should consider focusing on the areas that need more work.