Will Modern Warfare 3 Be Open World? A Deep Dive into the New Campaign and Modes
The question on many Call of Duty fans’ minds is: Will Modern Warfare 3 (2023) be open world? The short answer is no, not entirely, but with significant caveats. While the core campaign of Modern Warfare 3 is not a fully open-world experience in the vein of games like Grand Theft Auto or The Witcher, it introduces a groundbreaking element: Open Combat Missions. These missions offer large, open environments where players have unprecedented freedom to approach objectives as they see fit. This differs from the traditional linear level design of previous Call of Duty campaigns. Furthermore, the game does feature an open-world Zombies mode, adding another layer of complexity to the “open-world” question. Let’s delve deeper into what these elements mean for the gameplay experience.
Open Combat Missions: A New Approach to Campaign Gameplay
What are Open Combat Missions?
Open Combat Missions represent a significant departure from the typical Call of Duty single-player campaign. Instead of guiding players through meticulously crafted, linear corridors, these missions drop players into wide-open locations like Verdansk and Urzikstan. These areas are not entirely limitless but offer considerable space for tactical maneuvering and diverse strategies. Players will find Supply Boxes, Armor Plates, Vests, and other gear scattered throughout these maps, allowing them to customize their loadouts on the fly and adapt to the challenges they face.
How Open Combat Missions Change Gameplay
The introduction of Open Combat Missions means that players can choose their engagement method. Want to go in guns blazing? You can. Prefer a more stealthy, calculated approach? That’s also a viable option. This level of player agency represents a fresh direction for the Modern Warfare series and promises to enhance replayability, as different approaches can lead to varying results. Unlike past campaigns where players would follow a specific path, now, there’s a sense of exploration and discovery.
Open-World Zombies: A New Kind of Undead Threat
An Expansive Zombie Experience
Beyond the Open Combat Missions in the campaign, Modern Warfare 3 introduces an open-world Zombies mode. This isn’t your traditional, round-based Zombies experience popularized by Treyarch. Instead, it merges the open environments of Modern Warfare with the core gameplay loop fans have grown to love. In this mode, players will team up to complete missions, gather resources (referred to as “essence”), and extract.
How Does Open-World Zombies Work?
The PvE only Zombies mode will feature large maps, providing a much greater sense of scope than traditional Zombies modes. Players will work collaboratively to explore, complete objectives, and survive. It will not be round-based but focus on completing missions and objectives while surviving endless waves of undead. This format aims to offer a unique, less linear, and more sandbox-like survival experience compared to the linear rounds-based format of previous iterations.
Modern Warfare 3: More Than Open World
While these additions are significant, it’s crucial to remember that Modern Warfare 3 is not entirely an open-world game. The majority of the campaign remains a structured, narrative-driven experience, with the open-world elements concentrated in specific missions. Furthermore, the primary focus of the game remains its multiplayer modes, which include classic formats such as Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, and Domination, along with others. It is essential to note that the core design philosophy remains faithful to the fast-paced, action-oriented gameplay that defines the Call of Duty series.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the main storyline of Modern Warfare 3?
The main storyline of Modern Warfare 3 follows Task Force 141 as they hunt down the ultranationalist terrorist Vladimir Makarov, who is planning to trigger a third World War. The narrative continues directly after the events of Modern Warfare 2.
2. Who are the main characters in the MW3 Campaign?
The main characters include Captain Price, Soap MacTavish, and a new playable character, Yuri, all of whom are part of Task Force 141. Key antagonist is Vladimir Makarov.
3. How long is the Modern Warfare 3 campaign?
The campaign is relatively short, typically taking between 3-5 hours to complete, depending on the player’s skill level and playstyle.
4. Will Modern Warfare 3 have bots?
Yes, Modern Warfare 3 will likely have bots available in both offline and online private matches, similar to the previous Modern Warfare 2.
5. What game modes will be in Modern Warfare 3?
Confirmed game modes include classic staples like Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch/Free-For-All, Search and Destroy, Domination, Hardpoint, Control, Headquarters, and Gun Game. Additionally, the game features modes with 3v3v3, 6v6, and 32v32 player battles.
6. Does progress from Modern Warfare 2 carry over to MW3?
Yes, all unlocked Operators and Operator Skins from Modern Warfare II will carry forward into Modern Warfare III. This is known as the “Carry Forward” system.
7. Is the MW3 campaign accessible early?
Yes, Activision has offered week-early access to the Modern Warfare 3 campaign before the full release of multiplayer.
8. Does Modern Warfare 3 have a special ops mode?
Yes, Modern Warfare 3 features a Special Ops (Spec Ops) mode, which includes two modes: Survival and Mission.
9. What is the file size of Modern Warfare 3?
The initial download size for the campaign alone is approximately 235GB on PS5, though this can vary and will likely increase with the inclusion of multiplayer and Zombies modes.
10. How is the open-world Zombies mode structured?
The MW3 Zombies mode is not round-based. Instead, it features PvE missions across large maps, with players working together to complete objectives, collect resources, and extract. It is a significantly different experience from traditional zombies.
11. Is Modern Warfare 3 about World War 3?
The Modern Warfare series, including MW3, has World War 3-like scenarios, focusing on global conflicts and tensions involving multiple nations and terrorist groups, but it’s not explicitly named as World War 3.
12. Is Call of Duty: Ghosts related to the Modern Warfare series?
No, Call of Duty: Ghosts is a standalone installment in the franchise, and it does not continue the storyline of the Modern Warfare series.
13. Is the Makarov in MW3 the same as in the original trilogy?
While Vladimir Makarov returns as the main antagonist in MW3, this is a different version of the character due to the rebooted timeline, although he will share some similarities.
14. How many missions are in the MW3 campaign?
The Modern Warfare 3 campaign has a total of 15 missions, each offering various rewards for completion that can be used in the multiplayer mode.
15. Who is the voice actor for Ghost in MW3?
The voice actor for Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley in Modern Warfare 3 is Samuel Roukin.
Conclusion
In summary, while Modern Warfare 3 is not a fully open-world game, it introduces significant open-world elements with its Open Combat Missions in the campaign and its open-world Zombies mode. These additions are designed to provide players with more flexibility, exploration, and strategic depth. The core experience, however, remains rooted in the fast-paced, action-oriented gameplay that defines the Call of Duty series. The game is promising an innovative and exciting experience, offering a blend of old and new.