Though the multiplayer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is well received, and the open-world Zombies mode seems to have its share of fans, the campaign has been bashed by critics and players alike. Major Modern Warfare 3 story decisions have come under fire as being rushed or unnecessary, while a lack of setpieces makes MW3 one of the few CoD campaigns to feel as if it is lacking spectacle. However, Open Combat Missions are the biggest offender, with their biggest flaw being something the series has been getting right for well over a decade: checkpoints.

To be clear, there is a lot to dislike about Open Combat Missions. As pointed out by many, they do not feel like the intense, fast-paced Call of Duty missions of old, instead resembling an odd mixture of DMZ and Spec Ops. Searching for better weapons or sneaking around the map feel pointless when players can just rush to the objective on lower difficulties and then run away, with the AI not being smart enough to stop them. Unfortunately, this is not as feasible on higher difficulties, meaning Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players are likely to die at least a few times in these sections. If they do, they will likely be shocked by how punishing the checkpoint system is.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Checkpoint System is Painful

MW3’s Open Combat Missions Only Offer a Few Checkpoints

In all the Call of Duty games released after the original Modern Warfare, fans received regular checkpoints after every single big fight. This meant that even in nightmarish Veteran difficulty CoD campaigns like World at War, gamers could rest assured that a second chance would be right around the corner. With Open Combat Missions, failure can mean a complete mission restart, which is incredibly frustrating given how players have been conditioned to expect regular checkpoints for years.

For whatever reason, most Open Combat Missions only offer 1-2 checkpoints per mission, which means players will often end up failing an entire mission by dying several minutes into a level, forcing them to start from the beginning. This approach is not only odd, but entirely unenjoyable for Veteran difficulty playthroughs. Though the addition of armor vests from Call of Duty: Warzone helps players tank a few shots, the absurd number of enemies tossed into these open zones -many of which also have their own armor and are more tanky - results in an unfair experience. The Veteran version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign is not difficult, just unnecessarily frustrating.

Modern Warfare 3’s Checkpoint Problems Only Make Open Combat Missions’ Flaws Clearer

While a lack of checkpoints would have always been silly, it would not be as problematic if the other issues with Open Combat Missions did not get in the way of things. For instance, the game’s poorly designed stealth mechanics mean that an enemy can spot a player from a distance, with the player having no idea how they were seen or how to prevent it. If they’re on a higher difficulty, this will likely guarantee death, meaning that players need to go back through a big chunk of the mission just to have a second chance at the spot where they made a mistake.

Needing to replay large parts of a mission will only make players’ experiences with Open Combat Missions worse, as their frustration at needing to restart will make it easier to notice the other issues with the level design, like the enemy AI and level structure. While the number of players looking to finish the campaign on Veteran will likely be lower due to the lack of a Platinum Trophy for MW3, most of those that do try the mode will eventually be able to brute force it. However, it will likely not feel like much of an accomplishment, as getting through Open Combat Missions without being sent to the beginning of the level is more of a relief than anything else.

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