I've defended Call of Duty quite a lot, once saying it's pretty much the best game series ever (and I still stand by that, it's one-of). The last four titles have been some of my favorite games ever.
Call of Duty 4 was pretty much perfectly balanced bar a few things. Then came World at War, which kept that balance and fixed the things wrong with number 4 (even though most CoD fans hated it - mainly on the bandwagon, before Treyarch became loved.) Then came Modern Warfare 2, which I hated at first but eventually learned to love it for all the whackiness that it was. And finally Black Ops, which was yet again perfectly balanced; however, the money system removed a lot of it's replayablitity.
Now this. If I were to put it nicely, it comes off as a steaming pile of sh*t. This isn't no bandwagon nonsense or hipsterism; it's really presenting itself as a steaming pile of dog sh*t, in my opinion. Where the f*ck do I even begin? How about I simply name a few:
1. There are NO large or open maps. NONE (from what I've observed). They're ALL tiny, closed up, flank-ridden piles of sh*t as far as I'm conserned. There is not one map that really stands out as being good. They all play EXACTLY the same with near bar identical layouts. I want to ask a question: Did ANYONE in the world EVER ask for all large/open/sniper maps to be removed? No? Than why the f*ck is there not even one? This is really my biggest concern. The maps f*cking suck.
2. There is no such thing as balance in this game. This was my biggest concern when I originally played Modern Warfare 2, but I eventually realized it's simply got to be played different then it's previous titles. Sure, you could say the same about this game; but no. Just don't.
Yet again, and even more so than Modern Warfare 2, the assault rifles are too f*cking overpowered. I shot many, many people with all types of shotguns, CLOSE RANGE and multiple times (3-4+) to have them turn around and shoot me with a silenced AR through a big thick concrete wall with simply a couple of bullets.
Oh that reminds me; when you get shot by an assault rifle, it literally feels like you're being shot by a SHOTGUN. It's looks, sounds and feels like your being shot by a shotgun. It's f*cking instant in some occasions and looks like a barrage of pellets. Assault rifles are more shotgun-like than the f*cking shotguns themselves.
3. Lag. I really need confirmation with this one, as it could be at my end. First I must say, YAY! Local search. I get into a fucking Australian game. So what am I whining about? Well even with 4 bars it's so f*cking laggy. I don't know how many times I've died without even being hit; getting shot well after I've taken cover. This is also related to number 2, overpowered assault rifles.
4. Spawns/Maps. Yes maps deserve to be used twice. I swear to fucking God, I've not once, in 500+ deaths been shot from in front. Every single f*cking death is from behind or to the side. Either A) I run past my teammates and 3 seconds later they're gone and someone shoots me from behind, or B) ... Well let's just say there's always some a-hole behind you. Yes, I watch my flanks. It doesn't matter though. Because some fucker ALWAYS comes up from behind you. I'm inclined to not even blame the spawns, and simply blame the shitty maps.
5. It's clear very little thought went into this game. Do you know how movies get a director to put every together nice and proper? Well it's clear this game had no director or clear goal set in mind. It's obvious someone simply browsed then net; "Oh! Someone suggested this! Put 'er in! Oh this random person whined about this! Chuck it in baby! Yeeer! BANG BANG BANG! Put it all in the game, EVERYTHING baby! Where or how you ask? Who gives a f*ck. Just slip it in where ever there's room".
Previous titles have all had some form of goal and focus, whether it be balanced or simply fast paced fun. It's clear they had an idea where the game was going and they stuck with it. In Modern Warfare 3 it seems like they just put whatever the f*ck popped into their mind at the time, with no second thought about it.
They've bent over and took it in their buttholes from every type of whiner out their. Whine about overpowered shotguns, make them weak; whine that quickscoping is too hard, make it easier than ever, whine about too open maps, make all the maps tiny. They've tried to give a little something to everyone, no matter how stupid it is, and now there's very little direction in the game.
6. They've tried to sugar coat the game as if it's all tactical, with teamwork and all that nonsense. It's clear anything related to teamwork is just eyecandy to satisify those who asked for more teamwork. There's still no incentive for teamwork. It's near impossible to use teamwork as someone always spawns behind you and takes you out anyway.
7. I won't even get into the player's playstyles, because we all know what that consists of.
I will stop now. Don't get me wrong, there are some cool things about the game. Well... um... gun leveling I guess? Eh, maybe... Actually, I'm lost for words trying to think of anything that's actually impoved.
If I received the game as a gift, I would play it and probably find ways to enjoy it. But knowing I spent AU$150 on it, literally gives me suicidal thoughts. I am considering returning it or trading it in.
I bought the f*cking Hardened edition, but I don't want 12 months of free DLC anymore, there's no way in hell I'll still be playing it 12 months from now. Please don't tell me, "It's just fast paced arcade fun." Because I acknowledge this, and preach it often.
TL;DR: The engine is still solid, bar the lag, but they've seriously f*cked with the formula. I honestly don't know if they can fixed it like they've had to with previous titles, it's the core of the game that's fundamentally f*cked... I'm putting emphasis on the maps, as quite frankly, I can pwn most people with ease (regardless of how unbalanced the weapons are). It's the maps that fundamentally f*ck this game. People are calling it MW2.5, but I'm calling it MW-2.5! They TRIED to copy Modern Warfare 2 but simply changed it TOO much, putting emphasis on things they shouldn't put emphasis on.
To be fair, I've had the game for less than 24 hours. I WILL play it some more and give it a fair go, because if there's one thing that I hate more than anything else, is people jumping on the damn bandwagon and not actually giving a game a chance.
Discussion value: Do you agree or disagree with any of these points, or have some of your own? Am I overracting? Please, no haters who haven't even played the game.
p.s. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this will get very little replies because it's so long. Oh well, I've vented. It's time to play some good ole Modern Warfare 3, LOL. No but seriously, I'm trying to like the game.
Call of Duty 4 was pretty much perfectly balanced bar a few things. Then came World at War, which kept that balance and fixed the things wrong with number 4 (even though most CoD fans hated it - mainly on the bandwagon, before Treyarch became loved.) Then came Modern Warfare 2, which I hated at first but eventually learned to love it for all the whackiness that it was. And finally Black Ops, which was yet again perfectly balanced; however, the money system removed a lot of it's replayablitity.
Now this. If I were to put it nicely, it comes off as a steaming pile of sh*t. This isn't no bandwagon nonsense or hipsterism; it's really presenting itself as a steaming pile of dog sh*t, in my opinion. Where the f*ck do I even begin? How about I simply name a few:
1. There are NO large or open maps. NONE (from what I've observed). They're ALL tiny, closed up, flank-ridden piles of sh*t as far as I'm conserned. There is not one map that really stands out as being good. They all play EXACTLY the same with near bar identical layouts. I want to ask a question: Did ANYONE in the world EVER ask for all large/open/sniper maps to be removed? No? Than why the f*ck is there not even one? This is really my biggest concern. The maps f*cking suck.
2. There is no such thing as balance in this game. This was my biggest concern when I originally played Modern Warfare 2, but I eventually realized it's simply got to be played different then it's previous titles. Sure, you could say the same about this game; but no. Just don't.
Yet again, and even more so than Modern Warfare 2, the assault rifles are too f*cking overpowered. I shot many, many people with all types of shotguns, CLOSE RANGE and multiple times (3-4+) to have them turn around and shoot me with a silenced AR through a big thick concrete wall with simply a couple of bullets.
Oh that reminds me; when you get shot by an assault rifle, it literally feels like you're being shot by a SHOTGUN. It's looks, sounds and feels like your being shot by a shotgun. It's f*cking instant in some occasions and looks like a barrage of pellets. Assault rifles are more shotgun-like than the f*cking shotguns themselves.
3. Lag. I really need confirmation with this one, as it could be at my end. First I must say, YAY! Local search. I get into a fucking Australian game. So what am I whining about? Well even with 4 bars it's so f*cking laggy. I don't know how many times I've died without even being hit; getting shot well after I've taken cover. This is also related to number 2, overpowered assault rifles.
4. Spawns/Maps. Yes maps deserve to be used twice. I swear to fucking God, I've not once, in 500+ deaths been shot from in front. Every single f*cking death is from behind or to the side. Either A) I run past my teammates and 3 seconds later they're gone and someone shoots me from behind, or B) ... Well let's just say there's always some a-hole behind you. Yes, I watch my flanks. It doesn't matter though. Because some fucker ALWAYS comes up from behind you. I'm inclined to not even blame the spawns, and simply blame the shitty maps.
5. It's clear very little thought went into this game. Do you know how movies get a director to put every together nice and proper? Well it's clear this game had no director or clear goal set in mind. It's obvious someone simply browsed then net; "Oh! Someone suggested this! Put 'er in! Oh this random person whined about this! Chuck it in baby! Yeeer! BANG BANG BANG! Put it all in the game, EVERYTHING baby! Where or how you ask? Who gives a f*ck. Just slip it in where ever there's room".
Previous titles have all had some form of goal and focus, whether it be balanced or simply fast paced fun. It's clear they had an idea where the game was going and they stuck with it. In Modern Warfare 3 it seems like they just put whatever the f*ck popped into their mind at the time, with no second thought about it.
They've bent over and took it in their buttholes from every type of whiner out their. Whine about overpowered shotguns, make them weak; whine that quickscoping is too hard, make it easier than ever, whine about too open maps, make all the maps tiny. They've tried to give a little something to everyone, no matter how stupid it is, and now there's very little direction in the game.
6. They've tried to sugar coat the game as if it's all tactical, with teamwork and all that nonsense. It's clear anything related to teamwork is just eyecandy to satisify those who asked for more teamwork. There's still no incentive for teamwork. It's near impossible to use teamwork as someone always spawns behind you and takes you out anyway.
7. I won't even get into the player's playstyles, because we all know what that consists of.
I will stop now. Don't get me wrong, there are some cool things about the game. Well... um... gun leveling I guess? Eh, maybe... Actually, I'm lost for words trying to think of anything that's actually impoved.
If I received the game as a gift, I would play it and probably find ways to enjoy it. But knowing I spent AU$150 on it, literally gives me suicidal thoughts. I am considering returning it or trading it in.
I bought the f*cking Hardened edition, but I don't want 12 months of free DLC anymore, there's no way in hell I'll still be playing it 12 months from now. Please don't tell me, "It's just fast paced arcade fun." Because I acknowledge this, and preach it often.
TL;DR: The engine is still solid, bar the lag, but they've seriously f*cked with the formula. I honestly don't know if they can fixed it like they've had to with previous titles, it's the core of the game that's fundamentally f*cked... I'm putting emphasis on the maps, as quite frankly, I can pwn most people with ease (regardless of how unbalanced the weapons are). It's the maps that fundamentally f*ck this game. People are calling it MW2.5, but I'm calling it MW-2.5! They TRIED to copy Modern Warfare 2 but simply changed it TOO much, putting emphasis on things they shouldn't put emphasis on.
To be fair, I've had the game for less than 24 hours. I WILL play it some more and give it a fair go, because if there's one thing that I hate more than anything else, is people jumping on the damn bandwagon and not actually giving a game a chance.
Discussion value: Do you agree or disagree with any of these points, or have some of your own? Am I overracting? Please, no haters who haven't even played the game.
p.s. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this will get very little replies because it's so long. Oh well, I've vented. It's time to play some good ole Modern Warfare 3, LOL. No but seriously, I'm trying to like the game.
