Confused Gamers Vent Frustration at the Wrong Modern Warfare 3 in the Wake of New Release
Amidst the excitement surrounding the early access launch of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign, an unexpected wave of anger has engulfed the 2011 original title with the same name. The turmoil primarily originates from the underwhelming response to the new Modern Warfare 3’s single-player campaign, resulting in a flurry of negative reactions online. In an IGN review, the game received a lackluster 4/10 rating, with the verdict describing it as “underbaked, rehashed, and cobbled together from multiplayer parts, everything a Call of Duty story mode shouldn’t be.”
Adding to the chaos, Activision’s decision to release Modern Warfare 3 under the Call of Duty HQ banner has irked many players. This transition, seemingly replacing the previous year’s Modern Warfare 2, led to larger file sizes, longer wait times, and a prevailing belief that the new title merely serves as a mainline sequel disguising itself as Modern Warfare 2 DLC. Surprisingly, this third installment’s PlayStation 5 version lacks a platinum trophy, further fanning the flames of discontent.
As the backlash against Modern Warfare 3’s campaign intensifies, some gamers are mistakenly targeting the wrong game with their frustration. Screenshots circulating on social media showcase negative user reviews clearly intended for the new Modern Warfare 3 erroneously posted on the Metacritic page for the twelve-year-old Modern Warfare 3.
Presently, the 2011 title holds a disheartening user score of just 3.6, contrasting starkly with its critic Metascore of 88. One user vented, “This game is destroyed for me,” awarding a dismal user review score of 2/10, and declaring, “I will never buy Call of Duty again.”
Ironically, the situation appears to be the opposite on Steam, where players are leaving fresh and positive reviews for the 2011 version to emphasize its superiority over its 2023 counterpart. In the last 30 days, Steam’s “most helpful” review for Modern Warfare 3 (2011) simply reads: “Realized this isn’t MW3 2023. Wasn’t disappointed at all.”
Activision’s decision to give these new games identical titles to older ones highlights the quirkiness of video game nomenclature. However, it’s worth noting that user reviews for Modern Warfare 3 (2023) are not yet accessible on Metacritic or Steam, awaiting the game’s full launch. The gaming giant is undoubtedly bracing itself for an influx of feedback once the rightful Call of Duty review pages open to the public.