Summary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3has faced a lot of criticism due to its alleged lack of a unique identity, with many of its experiences borrowing from pastCoDtitles. As a reboot of the originalModern Warfarefranchise, it is no wonder that the campaign and core multiplayer experiences of the title feel so familiar, yet the presence of Zombies inMW3is something that has always stuck out.
Zombies withinCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3marks the first time the popular mode has appeared in theMWIP, and it adopts the newer Zombies formula that sets it apart from the original iterations of the survival experience.
Despite the unique take thatMW3’s Zombies possesses, the excitement around the mode is already dying down, with it being clear that Activision needs to make some changes to reinvigorate interest. Some changes recently came to the mode with the launch of Season 2 Reloaded, but they fail to address the issues of the mode and may have come far too late to make a noticeable impact.
Modern Warfare 3 Season 2 Reloaded’s Zombies Needed More Attention to Truly Thrive
Zombies inModern Warfare 3borrows from theOutbreak Zombies formula of 2020’sBlack Ops Cold War, which offers a huge departure from the classic round-based Zombies gameplay of older franchise releases. The Outbreak formula instead takes Zombies to much larger maps with open-world gameplay, with players usually having to complete objectives to advance to new areas.
This is largely how Zombies appears inModern Warfare 3, with up to 24 players teaming up in a single lobby with a focus on survival and eventual extraction. While this expanded take on the Outbreak framework was originally enticing,MW3’s Zombies has already lost a lot of steam thatMW3’s recent Season 2 Reloadeddid not really address. In terms of Zombies,Modern Warfare 3’s Season 2 Reloaded brought the following changes:
While these new additions are good overall forModern Warfare 3’s Zombies, they are all quite predictable and do not shake up the core experience of the mode significantly. The Outbreak Zombies approach is already quite controversial as is and the Season 2 Reloaded changes do not justifyMW3’s Outbreak formula any further.
Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies Still Feels Too Familiar
The main map ofModern Warfare 3Zombies is Urzikstan, which is also the core map ofWarzone, and this makes it difficult for Zombies to have its own distinct identity. While Season 2 Reloaded introductions like a new Dark Aether Rift offer some new surroundings for players to explore, it seems time that Activision should commit to offering a brand-new large-scale playable experience for Zombies.
A handful of new schematics and a singular new warlordslightly beef upModern Warfare 3’s Zombies experience, but none of these changes are arguably enough to keep long-term players engaged. More sweepingMW3Zombies changes have been desired from the community since November 2023, and the latest batch of additions has come too late and still falls short of transforming the mode to the level it needs to be at currently.
