As should be expected of any franchise that’s lasted for over two decades, theCall of Dutyseries has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years. WhileCall of Dutyhas seen all-time greats likeCall of Duty 2,Call of Duty 4,Modern Warfare 2, andBlack Ops, it’s also attached its name togames likeCall of Duty: GhostsandCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Both were absolutely fine games, but ones that certainly didn’t live up to the legacy or promise of what the series can be at its best.
Unfortunately, 2011’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is widely regarded to be one of these titles. Coming out right after a string of non-stop successes from both Infinity Ward and Treyarch,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3was a solid game, and for many fans even a good one, but it just couldn’t live up to the extremely high bar set by its recent predecessors. Unfortunately, ifthe rumors aboutCall of Duty2023are true, then history could be about to repeat itself.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Didn’t Hold a Candle to Its Predecessors
At the time,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3received a great deal of critical praise, with review scores mostly centering around 8s and 9s. But as time has gone on,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3has become a bit of an odd entry for the franchise as a whole. On paper,Modern Warfare 3is a greatCall of Dutygame, with tight gunplay, plenty of iconic maps, a bombastic single-player campaign, and a fun version of theclassic Spec Ops mode. But there’s something just a little underwhelming aboutCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfarerevolutionized the military shooter for the modern age, andCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2doubled down on what made the original such an instant classic.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3had the unfortunate position of being the third game in the series, and one that didn’t really innovate in any significant way. So whileModern Warfare 3has all of its predecessors' great parts, they’re all parts fans had seen just a few years prior.
Call of Duty 2023 Might Fall Into the Same Trap
According to recent rumors,Call of Duty2023 will soon be revealed to beCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a direct sequel to Infinity Ward’sModern Warfare 2which released just at the end of last year. Though leaks and rumors should always be taken with a pinch of salt, this one comes from Tom Henderson, an infamous industry insider that has a fairly solid track record, especially when it comes toCall of Duty. But while the idea of a direct sequel so quickly isn’t too bad, it’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s alleged developer that raises some alarm bells.
If the leaks are to be believed, thenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is being developed by Sledgehammer Games. Getting its start by co-developing the originalModern Warfare 3, Sledgehammer Games is responsible for some of the weaker entries in the last 10 years of the franchise. Sledgehammer’s first solo-developed title wasCall of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and while that’s garnered a cult following over the last few years, it’s still generally considered to be weaker than anyModern WarfareorBlack Opstitle. Then there’sCall of Duty: WW2, a disappointing return to the setting for the franchise. And finally, there’s the recentCall of Duty: Vanguard, which for many fans exemplifiedthe issues withCall of Duty’s annual release formula.
While there’s definitely a possibility thatSledgehammer’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3could be great, it sounds like the developer might be biting off more than it can chew, with a full campaign, multiplayer, zombies, and a newWarzonemap all rumored to be coming later this year. And with presumably not a lot of development time,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3could end up echoing the original 2011 release.
