Despite maintaining a strong presence in the sales market, the Call of Duty franchise is currently experiencing an unprecedented low, especially in terms of critical acclaim. Over the past two decades, the franchise has navigated a rollercoaster of highs and lows, with each new installment carrying the uncertainty of being perceived as either a lackluster cash grab or a standout FPS masterpiece. While most Call of Duty entries have generally avoided being labeled as truly bad games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has marked a significant departure from that trend.
Presently holding a modest 56 on Metacritic for critic reviews and a surprisingly low 2.0 for user scores, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 stands as the lowest-rated Call of Duty game to date—and with good reason. Despite its commendable graphics and industry-leading gunplay, Modern Warfare 3 symbolizes a more significant issue plaguing the entire franchise. It boasts a comically short campaign, an absence of original 6v6 maps at launch, and an overreliance on the previous year’s weapons and mechanics. For some fans, Call of Duty appears to be unraveling, and the optimal strategy may involve shedding its two safety nets.
Modern Warfare and Black Ops Deserve Their Flowers
Before presenting the case for the conclusion, it’s crucial to delve into the significant role Modern Warfare and Black Ops played in shaping the Call of Duty franchise. In 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare essentially revolutionized the landscape of modern military shooters, particularly in the online multiplayer sphere. It introduced now-standard features like custom loadouts, killstreaks, and a continuous sense of progression. Modern Warfare 2 further solidified these key elements, firmly establishing this new direction for the entire Call of Duty franchise.
In 2010, Call of Duty: Black Ops continued to build on Modern Warfare’s groundbreaking features while injecting its own distinctive style into the mix. The game also intensified Treyarch’s previously successful Zombies mode. Today, well over a decade later, the majority of fans regard these early Modern Warfare and Black Ops entries as the pinnacle of the franchise. While nostalgia may contribute to this contemporary appreciation, it’s challenging to dispute that the campaigns, maps, additional modes, and progression systems were superior in those earlier years.
Modern Warfare and Black Ops Are Just Holding Call of Duty Back Now
However, the landscape has evolved, and Modern Warfare and Black Ops no longer serve as the foolproof indicators of quality that they were in the past. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 marked the initial indication that the series might be overstaying its welcome, although commendable post-launch support has helped maintain its popularity among fans. Nevertheless, Black Ops 4 emerged as the first notable letdown from either series, notably omitting a campaign mode and making unconventional decisions in its multiplayer aspect.
Despite the revitalization brought by 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the impact of Modern Warfare 2 and 3 has accentuated the sense that Call of Duty is reaching a point of stagnation. It appears to be relying excessively on nostalgia and banking heavily on its live-service model to address issues at a later stage. It’s reasonable to assert that Call of Duty is utilizing the Modern Warfare and Black Ops names primarily for sales rather than striving for genuine innovation aligned with each series’ original themes or vision. Doing away with these series altogether might compel Call of Duty to embark on the creation of something entirely new—something deserving of becoming a standalone series rather than merely a transient, one-off installment.
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