The 2023 edition of MW3 had a rocky start, dealing with a wide range of skepticism and ridicule from its gaming community. Interestingly, it turns out that a meme dating from around ten years ago seems to replicate the same perception that was held about the authentic MW3 launched in 2011.
MW3 had been in a rather peculiar situation from its disclosure and inauguration as it found itself the subject of countless jokes and severe critiques. Most notably, during his speech at The Game Awards held last December, Christopher Judge humorously criticized the campaign component of the game.
The central cause of the dispute was attributed to the belief that if it had been launched as an expansion to its predecessor rather than a complete $70 package, it may have been received more positively. Regrettably, that wasn’t our reality and the allegations of rebranded downloadable content will be attached to this title’s reputation permanently.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first CoD title to bear the “reskinned DLC label. Surprisingly, it was the game of the same title about ten years ago that dealt with similar accusations.
Fan sentiment towards MW3 hasn't changed over the decade
Fast forward to 2011, when Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games collaborated to release Modern Warfare 3, the grand finale to the original trilogy. Despite enormous approval from reviewers, fans heavily categorized it as “ MW2.5” believing it didn’t revolutionize the formula as profoundly as MW2 had for the series.
In all fairness, 2009’s MW2 set a very high standard for Call of Duty , pioneering Killstreaks, weapon customization and many more features that would become cornerstones of the franchise. MW3 performed well considering that surpassing its predecessor was an extremely challenging task.
The recent version of MW3 faces similar criticisms
Fast forward yet another 12 years, and the recent version of MW3 leaves fans with identical sentiments. A post titled “This aged well,” with a meme from nearly a decade ago, in which a player uses a wipeable marker to superimpose a three on MW2’s disc, shares their thoughts about both titles.
The predicament this year seems a bit more complicated. Factors such as the Carry Forward system and the inclusion of 16 maps from 2009’s MW2 have damaged the overall narrative of the game more than they've benefited it. In addition, it was anticipated to be downloadable content before its announcement until it pivoted into a full title.
This isn’t the first time both MW3 titles were on the receiving end of criticisms. The 2011 version was caught in a review bomb when the title from last year was released. It appears that both titles will be eternally linked, although unfortunately, it might be for negative reasons rather than fond memories.