Is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Gunplay a Step Back From Its 2019 Predecessor?

The latest entry in the Call of Duty series is here with a banger entry. Activision held the NEXT event to present the arrival of Modern Warfare 3 in a stellar manner. The event garnered the presence of many heavyweights in the gaming community. And the first verdict they gave the game was promising for Activision.

They were thoroughly impressed by the direction Activision, and Sledgehammer Games were taking Call of Duty in. They called it the perfect game to carry the legacy of the series. With the game now entering the beta phase, however, the blemishes in the perfect game have started to appear. And players have taken to the internet to voice their concerns over this, drawing a stark comparison with the first entry in the series.

Players claim Modern Warfare 2019 had better gunplay

Call of Duty entered its beta phase on October 6, targeting a November launch. Players applauded the new Open-Combat Mission system and the return of Zombie mode. Many beta players are now playing alongside Task Force 141 to take down Vladimir Makarov and his Ultranationalists. During the gameplay, however, players have started to encounter a key issue – gunplay.

As an FPS title, the majority of the focus lies on how players interact with guns. The dynamic behavior and animations while using a gun can be a make-or-break situation for an FPS title. Historically, Call of Duty has constantly delivered on this front. Since the arrival of the rebooted Modern Warfare (2019), there has been a lot of hype around how devs perfected an already-established series. Its success was one of the key reasons why Modern Warfare 2 in 2022, and now Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, have come out. But the latest entry is not delivering on the gunplay segment like its 2019 counterpart.

A beta player even went on Reddit to claim, “The guns feel like a major downgrade even from MW2019.” The player complained about how the sound and design of the guns are not satisfying. Further, the player claimed the smoke and visual recoil do not feel natural in the game.

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Another player joined the plight raised by his fellow Call of Duty player, claiming the gun sounds in Modern Warfare 3 feel like they are using plastic guns. While the player claimed some animations and sound effects are good, some are downright bad to play with. With players highlighting such issues, it makes you wonder whether MW3 will ultimately live up to expectations. Meanwhile, how does it compare to MW 2019?

Modern Warfare 3 vs. Modern Warfare (2019): which Call of Duty is better?

These bad sound effects will surely discourage players from using those guns in matches. Furthermore, these negative reviews on the gunplay of Modern Warfare 3 do not paint a good picture for many other fans awaiting the official release. This is a contrasting picture that was made by the Modern Warfare reboot in 2019.

When the rebooted MW2019 entered the market, it was a smash hit among the fans. Within three days of release, the title earned over $600 million in sales. It was the best Call of Duty launch for Activision at that time, prompting them to create sequels. However, with the third iteration in the series, it looks like fans are expecting more. The gunplay and sound effects that used to work in 2019 may not fully mesmerize new players joining in 2023.

While nostalgia and familiarity with the game play a huge role in developing the effects for these games, a new player joining the game will look for more. On one hand, Activision has taken steps to bring new modes for the new players joining. But on the other hand, they have to cater to the already established fan base of the series. And unfortunately, there are no two ways out of it.

What can players expect from Modern Warfare 3 devs?

Although Modern Warfare 3 is facing some heat for its poor execution of gunplay and sound effects, it is not the end of the series. The game is still in its beta phase and the devs have an ample amount of time to put in new sound effects. Further, the gunplay and animations can be improved over time by implementing new patches.

The devs at Activision are also hard at work to provide the best possible experience to players. A suitable example of it will be Battle Rage in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Many beta players were complaining about the feature that left players immune to oncoming damage. And in answer to the complaints of the community, devs quickly nerfed the ability to provide others with a fair chance.

This goes to show that Activision is tirelessly working to make Modern Warfare 3 its best release ever. Hopefully, they will also fix the UI changes in the game, which will provide a smooth experience to players. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 comes out on 10 November 2023 for all major platforms including Xbox Series X/S, Windows, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.

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