Highlights
- Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer beta showcases revamped classic maps that look incredible with added details, making for an exciting gameplay experience.
- Fan-requested changes such as red dots on the mini-map and slide canceling make Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer a safe bet for returning players.
- The campaign and Zombies mode of Modern Warfare 3 remain uncertain.
The first phase of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer beta wrapped up on October 9, and while it was plenty entertaining, fans should keep in mind that it's just one piece of the puzzle. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 finds itself in a unique position compared to previous entries in the series. Instead of launching with an entirely brand-new set of multiplayer games, MW3 is releasing with 16 maps that have all been pulled from the 2009 Modern Warfare 2 game and given a fresh coat of paint.
The MW2 maps are some of the most highly-regarded multiplayer maps in franchise history, so it makes sense for the new game to pull from that well. During the first Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer beta, fans were able to battle it out on Estate, Favela, and Skidrow for 6v6 multiplayer. The maps should be plenty familiar to those that played them back in 2009, though they have all been given significant visual overhauls.
Interesting Video Compares Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Weapons to MW 2019
A player shares an interesting video making a comparison between the weapons of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and those in Modern Warfare 2019.
The core of each map remains the same, but doors have been added, lighting has been dramatically improved, and each map has been touched-up with impressive new details. In typical Call of Duty fashion, the maps in Modern Warfare 3 look incredible, and while some fans may not be happy that doors have been added to them, the doors don't have any real detrimental impact on gameplay. Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer feels and plays great, and it will be exciting to revisit the other classic maps once the full game launches on November 10.
Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer makes a bunch of fan-requested changes that should go a long way in convincing lapsed CoD fans to return to the newest entry. For example, red dots are once again on the mini-map and slide canceling is back. The game is basically a checklist of things that hardcore Call of Duty fans have been asking to see for years, and so it seems like the multiplayer will be a safe bet, to say the least.
Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer should be a home run, based on the first weekend of the beta. PC and Xbox players will get to try out the Modern Warfare 3 beta this coming weekend, and so it will be interesting to see what the larger community thinks of the game. But Call of Duty multiplayer is almost always guaranteed to be fun, even if some entries don't have quite the same staying power as others. The unknown quantities when it comes to Modern Warfare 3 are the modes that aren't accessible in the beta.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's campaign has been shown off in trailers that may leave fans with reservations. It looks like it won't be deviating much from the Modern Warfare reboot formula, which means fans can likely expect frustrating linearity and head-scratching story developments. Nothing that has been shown of MW3's campaign so far makes it look like the new game is making any real advancements in the single-player department, outside the "open combat" missions, but admittedly little of the campaign has been revealed to date. Fans should withhold judgment until they get to play through the campaign themselves on November 10.
The third piece of the puzzle is Modern Warfare 3's open world Zombies mode. It was recently revealed that the open world Zombies mode will take place on the new Warzone map, Urzikstan, which will be added to the battle royale in December. This is a far cry from the round-based Zombies mode that many fans prefer, so MW3's open world Zombies seems like a big gamble. Fans will find out if it pays off come launch.
Modern Warfare 3's beta should leave fans assured that the newest entry in the long-running series is prepared to deliver the goods when it comes to multiplayer. But that was always the assumption. Time will tell if the campaign and Zombies live up to fan expectations or not, but the wait to find out is nearly at an end.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
