Summary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign is undoubtedly the low point for the latest entry in the franchise. While Zombies has pleasantly surprised fans, with many players who prefer round-based gameplay even getting some enjoyment out of the mode, and multiplayer has been well received, most gamers have been let down by the singleplayer component. Alongsidecomplaints aboutModern Warfare 3’s ending, Open Combat Missions have been regularly pointed to as a poor direction for the campaign to go in.
There is a lot about Open Combat Missions that did not work forCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3players, ranging from the stealth mechanics to the poor checkpoint system. A lack of spectacle was another issue with the missions, with the Open Combat levels lacking a proper structure and dumping players into big, unfocused locations. However, there is one Open Combat Mission that actually works, and funnily enough, it is the one that strays furthest from the concept. If Open Combat Missions are not completely abandoned after the poor response to them, they should be more like “Highrise” than anything else.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Has One Great Open Combat Mission
Why Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s Highrise Mission Works
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s “Highrise” level works because it is mostly linear, taking place in a few connected buildings as opposed to the truly “open” areas that are offered in the rest of theOpen Combat Missions. This allows the mission to play like the campaign levels fans know and love, as they shoot their way through hallways full of enemies and build up to an intense finale. Instead of just ending with another basic objective like “Precious Cargo,” players get to experience a brief escort sequence, a holdout against many enemies, and a small setpiece with the skyhook.
However, even though “Highrise” is more action-packed than the other bland Open Combat Missions, it maintains the focus on exploration. Players can find ziplines to reach new areas of the map and flank their foes, move into the center of the map to climb to new areas, and find windows to shoot barricades, which unlocks access to rooms with strong weapons. Players can even skip a chunk of the level if they sneak through a room of laser traps, which is useful on Veteran difficulty. Best of all, thepoor checkpoints plaguingCall of Duty: Modern Warfare3are less problematic here, because as soon as players find the ascender tool to let them use ziplines, they can skip massive parts of the level to pick up where they left off.
The campaign mission “Highrise” is not to be confused with the beloved multiplayer map Highrise, which features in themultiplayer ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Still, it’s funny that both parts of the game that use this title are high points, as “Highrise” remains a fan favorite map in online play just like this mission is one of the campaign’s few high points.
Realistically, given how unhappy players are withCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign, Open Combat Missions will surely be a thing of the past. If they do somehow come back, though, they should resemble “Highrise.” There is fun to be had in finding the different routes through this mission, as well as unlocking pathways to powerful weaponry. While the massive stealth and combat sections that make up other Open Combat Missions are unfair and unfun, tossing some exploration-heavy gameplay into small, linear environments can work forCall of Duty. As long as stealth missions go back to their old format, and most levels prioritize setpieces instead of the Open Combat style, an occasional level like “Highrise” can work.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
