I wasn’t so keen on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer at launch. Most of the maps available to play at the back end of October 2019 were too big for their own good, resulting in boring play. Some of the maps were downright dirty. Piccadilly remains a blot on the Call of Duty multiplayer landscape, and I still have nightmares over sniper rifle glints peeking out from the safety of Euphrates Bridge. Add to this cluttered map design, a largely useless mini-map and upper-level windows all over the shop, and you got a camper’s paradise right there.
A year later, I am craving more Modern Warfare, and I feel bitterly disappointed that the game feels like it’s being left behind as Activision shifts focus to Warzone and Black Ops Cold War.
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® & Warzone™ – Official Season Six Trailer Watch on YouTube
It’s interesting to look back at Modern Warfare’s first year of life. As new maps were added to the game, I found myself playing it more and more. I had a blast with the chaotic Shipment. I love the flow of Rust. And Shoot House is one of the best FPS maps around. Modern Warfare’s close quarters maps are brilliant, and it remains my favourite 6v6 game installed on my console hard-drive. Yep, I think Modern Warfare is a better 6v6 game right now than Black Ops Cold War.
Modern Warfare’s gunplay remains outstanding. The animation work on drawing and reloading weapons is world class. The detail on the weapons is impressive. And the movement, the weight of the guns and the sound and feel of firing them is all super satisfying. It is safe to say, a year later, that Infinity Ward pushed Call of Duty forward. The game feels more next-gen than Black Ops Cold War.