With Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 dropping soon, is there a way to relive the old glory days of 2009 playing Highrise and Rust after school on Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360, well let’s find out.
When Modern Warfare II dropped last year I thought to myself, they could remake the 2009 version and maybe add a few new bits into the mix to modernise it but no they went on a completely different tangent which personally started off being super fun but the enjoyment a flare in the previous Call of Duty title died literally after a month of playing due to the Multiplayer feeling bland and once you have completed the campaign once you aren’t going to go and play it again unless you are trophy hunting.
Fast forward a few months and we hear rumours of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 being released only a year later. At first, this pissed me off as to get a sequel to a game that hasn’t even been out that long is a wind-up. Even more so when you think about the grind you put into levelling your guns and also your account.
A few months went by and then more facts started appearing online that shone a beacon of hope for the next Call of Duty. There were rumours of a new zombie mode, and rumours of returning enemies from stories once told in the campaign but the main redeeming factor for me was that the multiplayer would have revamped versions of the 2009 maps from Call of Duty Modern Warfare II. Yes, it was finally happening.
I got on to my friend who was also over the moon about this news as we started reminiscing of the times, we used to climb on top of the crane on Highrise or get on top of the building and camp with a sniper with a claymore protecting the only way up. Not only this but the noob tubs on Rust and insta-death from the grenades that were contently being through while playing TDM.
All these core memories that I had of my days playing what was in my opinion the best Call of Duty ever were slowly starting to surface and get me pumped for the release of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. Could this be the start of a new era of COD one that I have been waiting for since the good old days.
Fast forward to the 6th of October when Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 early access part of the Beta opened for PlayStation 5 users. I was already super pumped up after watching Call of Duty Next and seeing the old maps in all their glory as well as a sneak peek of some other goodies and modes that will be in the full game. One of the modes we were able to test out in the beta (Cutthroat) which I enjoyed. It was a super fast-paced game mode that saw three teams of three try and capture an objective on the map.
Each player only has one life, like in Search & Destroy which helped for fast-paced rounds and not having to sit around for long periods if you were to die first, also the rounds weren’t that long either. The Beta was split into two weekends:
Weekend One – PlayStation Exclusive
- October 6th – 7th Early Access PlayStation
- October 8th – 10th Open Beta PlayStation
Weekend Two – Crossplay Beta
- October 12th-13th Early Access PC/Xbox and continuing Open Beta for PlayStation
- October 14th – 16th Open Beta All Platforms
I was super happy to be a PlayStation owner at this point and also to be lucky enough to get my hands on an Early Access Beta code from the lovely people at Activision. It meant that I got to sink ten days’ worth of playtime into the Multiplayer Beta to get a feel for it and return to the maps of old. The maps that were playable in the beta were:
Core Modes
- Estate
- Skidrow
- Rust
- Highrise
- Favela
Ground War
- Popov Power
- Orlov Military Base
I loved the core mode maps they went for in the beta and also enjoyed jumping into Ground War as these maps were brilliant and fun too. Plenty of vantage points to use the Snipers and also plenty of mid-range to short-range points to use the rest of the arsenal that was available. It was nice how they split the maps over the two weekends in weekend one we got Popov Power, Rust, Skidrow, and Estate, and then by weekend two, we had the rest become available. It was similar to the game modes. We had:
Weekend One
- Team Deathmatch
- Domination
- Hardpoint
- Kill Confirmed
- Ground War
Weekend Two
- Cutthroat (New Mode)
- Search & Destroy
Having these modes dished out over the two weekends gave you something to look forward to. All in all, the beta was a brilliant experience and one that rekindled my love for COD. That isn’t something I would say lightly. The gunplay was fantastic, the fact that I’m playing maps that I grew up with and sunk many hours and memories into back in the day made me so happy and fired up for the full release in November. Not to mention the fact that they brought back the one style mini map.
This was definitely missed in the previous game, so to have it back is welcomed massively. Even though they were the same maps from back in the day I still felt fresh and new, this would be because of the gun progression that is the current mechanic in the latest COD games as well as some cool gadgets such as the Breach Drone. I loved using this in the Beta and look forward to seeing what else will be available at launch.
I did spend a lot of my time trying to level up as many guns as I could, getting to the ma level in the Beta to get the cool rewards that will become available to the players who completed it a launch as well as playing the core modes that I love from the previous games and welcoming Cutthroat which I can see being a regular mode I will be playing.
The killstreaks that were in the beta were similar to that of what we have seen in previous games with a few new ones doted in. One of my favourites is the Mosquito Drone that circles the area around where you deployed it and then dive-bombs enemies and explodes on the spot. It makes for some funny kill cams and is excellent to use in the objective modes. The perk system is back but is done differently, this time it’s done as equipment, like sneakers, gloves, and headsets. This is a fun take on the perk system and I feel like it allows players to customise loadout to match their playstyle better than in the previous game.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 beta has got me so hyped for the full release in November. I can’t wait to get my hands on the full game and experience the campaign, Zombies, and the full multiplayer experience. When I cover the full game, I will split it into three main areas as I feel like doing one review for the whole game would be a novel in itself. It would also allow me to highlight areas of the game in parts rather than giving the overall game a score, I can score the campaign, Zombies, and Multiplayer.
Making for a fairer view of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. One thing I do like the sound of that has been announced was that you can take all your weapons over from Modern Warfare II (2022) so all that hard work will not go to waste as you can bring them forward along with a few other bits too. This is a solid move from Activision and one that many fans will love them for as it shows that they listen and care for the community. The full release will be on the 10th of November 2023 so until then this is Brovo Six going Dark!
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Trailer
Grab your copy now https://www.callofduty.com/playnow/modernwarfare3
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