Call of Duty stands as a cult-classic franchise, uniting players since 2003. Much like CS and GTA, it's a game that consistently finds its way into discussions among fans. Recognized by almost everyone, it has become a household title. Nonetheless, the glory days may be over. This article delves into the current state of Modern Warfare 3, merely weeks after its official release.
Declining Interest
MW3 isn't performing as well as its Call of Duty counterparts, and this trend is apparent even in the early stages. Only a few weeks after the November release, we're already witnessing a decline in players. This is fairly unusual as games typically have a strong first month, followed by a decline. But let the numbers speak. At launch MW3 peaked at 190,273 players, while an year ago MW2 peaked at 262,875.
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Just a DLC
"70 $ DLC" is how people most often describe MW3. At the end of the day, CoD has always been the same game but with different themes. However, Modern Warfare 3 pushed this a little too far. The game offers players only remastered maps from Modern Warfare 2 but with better mechanics and movement. The campaign has been described as one of the worst in CoD's history by many due to its brevity; it can be completed in 2-5 hours, depending on the difficulty. This makes MW3 feel like a mid-season campaign, warming up fans after MW2, rather than a new game. All these opinions are so widely spread that YouTuber Inkslasher had to come out with the "controversial" opinion that he enjoys the gameplay.
After the nostalgia wears off, what are we left with? A better-looking MW2? We have to admit that MW3 visually outshines MW2, addressing fan requests for better coloring, brightness, and contrast.
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Bugs, Glitches, and an Overall Mess
Day 1 of the release... MW3 is already facing severe issues even after a pre-launch update. Insane spawn issues, particularly in Domination mode, faced severe criticism. All of this leads to the removal of Hardpoint maps until further notice. Community reactions on the first day of release are overwhelmingly negative. Players are expressing concerns about difficult installation, the large game size, and, as mentioned before, a shallow campaign. But this is not the end—more bugs and glitches start showing up. Players can't connect to servers, get disconnected, and the list keeps going, with a dash of cheaters in the game to make it worse. However, the developers are trying their best to sort out these issues.
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Community & The Upside
As mentioned, things aren't looking bright. YouTubers such as Fooly have been straightforwardly advising fans not to buy. The overall sentiment is negative, bitter, and upset. However, there is a solid fandom that keeps playing and absolutely loving the game. Zombies really added a flavor to the mix and brought back some players. It's a cool and fresh concept, which seems to have brought even closer the dedicated fandom.
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Final Thoughts
Modern Warfare 3 caters to the hardcore fans, but addressing the inevitable question: yes, it's dying. However, this doesn't imply that Call of Duty as a whole shares the same fate. In essence, MW3 fails to attain cult classic status and won't be remembered as one of the standout games in the franchise, despite the great efforts from the developers.
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