Developer Sledgehammer game takes the reins for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 after Infinity Ward launched Modern Warfare 2 in 2022. On the surface, both games feel quite familiar. Fairly, put all remakes side by side, and you won’t notice the difference between every Modern Warfare iteration til 2023.
With euphoric praise from reviewers and many mixed responses from veterans of the franchise. Modern Warfare 3 banks on the nostalgia of the classic Modern Warfare franchise, and it takes a step further with all the new microtransactions added into the mix. While both games look familiar on the surface, MW2 vs MW3–which is better? Is Sledgehammer’s MW3 worth it?
Call of Duty: MW2 vs MW3 – Map Roster
Players were introduced to a roster of new maps in Modern Warfare 2 with a few familiar maps making their way into the game. These maps were divided into Core 6v6 and Ground War maps. The Call of Duty community had major complaints regarding the maps for MW2 and exceedingly demanded the return of Shipment 24/7. Player count started to dwindle, and Infinity Ward gave in to community demands.
Hoping to reap nostalgia, Modern Warfare 3 announced a few maps that were worth the salt. Players were treated to a roster of remade maps that were previously featured in Modern Warfare 2 (2009) These maps consist of Rust, Highrise, and Favela.
Call of Duty: MW2 vs MW3: Movement Mechanics
The movement mechanics in Modern Warfare 3 have spurred a bit of controversy in the COD community. COD was always about grounded, realistic gameplay, but with the trend of fast-paced shooters on the rise, Sledgehammer has tweaked the movement and weapon mechanics a bit.
While vaulting or climbing walls was a tad bit tedious in MW2, and readjustment was a bit of a problem. But that has changed in MW3. Even without boots equipped, you can quickly vault over any obstacle with faster and smoother traversal.
This isn’t limited to just vaulting as players can now reload-fake, slide faster, and aim down sights much more effectively. The new MW3 stems closer and closer to EA’s Titanfall in terms of movement mechanics now. But reception seems mixed from players and the community doesn’t stand on the same side of the fence.
Call of Duty MW2 vs MW3: Gunsmith System and Aftermarket Parts Explained
Previously, users were introduced to a new and improved Gunsmith system, which featured different weapons platforms and interchangeable receivers. Universal and platform-specific attachments became a thing. Players were tasked to level up or get a certain amount of kills with a specific platform’s weapon to unlock the receivers or attachments for another platform’s weapon. Pretty confusing right?
So what’s new in Modern Warfare 3’s Gunsmith System? The new Gunsmith system functions identically to MW2’s counterpart. Players will have to gain weapon XP to unlock new universal and platform-specific attachments. But something new has popped into the picture.
Modern Warfare 3 introduces an Aftermarket Parts System. After a player maxes out a weapon’s level, they’ll be allowed to overhaul the weapon design using “Aftermarket Parts” which are available in the form of conversion kits. To access these kits, players will need to complete specific challenges after maxing out their weapons. The Aftermarket parts consist of:
- Barrel
- Muzzle
- Magazine
- Optic
- Laser
- Rear Grip
After unlocking Aftermarket parts, they’ll be available as attachments, which means players will be restricted from using previously used attachments.
Call of Duty MW2 vs MW3 – Zombies Replace Warzone DMZ
So, Sledgehammer has decided to add a Zombies mode to an exclusion zone in the Urzikstan map featured in Warzone. The new Zombies mode adds a bit of extra flair, chucking players into an open section of Warzone’s Urzikstan map. Sledgehammer states that this is Call of Duty’s largest Zombies map to date.
As is tradition with Zombies mode, players will get to relish in a plethora of missions, Easter Eggs, and cinematics, expanding the lore of the Dark Aether Narrative. Like DMZ mode, Modern Warfare 3 Zombies divides missions into tier lists, allowing players to enjoy a wealth of additional content–far greater than what the campaign has to offer.
The Zombies mode is supposedly expected to replace Warzone’s DMZ mode which featured mini-bosses, key-missions, and exploring points of interest in Al-Mazrah. Will DMZ return to Warzone down the line? We’re not sure.
Call of Duty MW2 vs MW3: Campaign and Singleplayer Mode
Call of Duty’s Singleplayer mode has fallen off in recent years. While it piqued with the arrival of Black Ops and Cold War scratched a sore itch, Modern Warfare 2’s story falls short of the hype and glamour that was created by its predecessor back in 2019. Modern Warfare 2019’s story immersed you into the horrors of terror attacks and spec ops infiltration missions. Modern Warfare 2019 left players thinking, staring into the void, after finishing the campaign. The successors are just cheap blockbuster action campaigns in comparison.
Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
While visually appealing and boasting incredulous gunplay, the story felt a bit too stereotypical, featuring the Las Almas Drug Cartel. While we got to see some familiar faces, such as Ghost, Soap, and Makarov, the story was overall shallow compared to the more grounded and surreal storyline of Modern Warfare 2019, which needed to be mentioned.
Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
If you thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did. While MW3 raises the bar with enhanced movement mechanics, added content, Zombies mode, and an improved Gunsmith System, the campaign falls flat–right on its face.
Instead of focusing on creating new memories worth looking back to, it tries to cash in on the nostalgia of the original title. Where the linear blockbuster storytelling of Call of Duty was once praised, Sledgehammer decided to reinvent the wheel backwards.
Players are introduced to open combat missions, making up half-baked story chapters. You’re tasked with three similar objectives in each of the open combat experiences, and all of them feel like a mishmash of the now-cancelled DMZ and War zone. While there are a few linear missions to behold, they’re not as immersive or jarring as we’ve seen in previous iterations of Modern Warfare.
Modern Warfare 3: “No Russian” is Back With A Milder Twist
Take the example of Light House from Modern Warfare 2019 or Piccadilly Circus, where players are chucked into an emotionally jarring experience that actually raises eyebrows. Modern Warfare 3 could have redeemed itself with MW3 2009’s “No Russian” where players were vested into a terrorist attack at an airport that felt surreal.
But this time, No Russian changes up the formula for something a bit milder. It puts you in the shoes of a hero misrepresented as a suicide bomber in an aeroplane. All-in-all, this mission was just added for the sake of the plot and nostalgia–but failed to meet the emotionally scarring and bizarre reactions the original title held.
Is Call of Duty MW3 Worth It?
If you don’t own MW2 and are a fan of the lore of Zombies mode, teaming up with friends to explore the befitting exclusion site of Urzikstan to garner perks, loot, and various items, then Call of Duty MW3 is worth it. You get to enjoy some fast-paced multiplayer with some refined movement mechanics. In this light, MW3 is worth it.
But if you’re in it for the campaign, MW3 is not worth it at all, as the storyline is shallow and a dishonor to the critically acclaimed MW3 from 2009. We don’t know what the future holds for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2023). It’s a dice roll for future seasons.
Hopefully, Sledgehammer games will up the ante for Multiplayer and Warzone and handle this year’s live-service Modern Warfare better than Infinity Ward’s bleak attempts.
