This year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is full of old maps from the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from 2009, which is confusing both in terms of the series' timeline and because it's a new $70 game and not a remaster. And yet, despite the mild embarrassment that comes with feeling nostalgic for Call of Duty maps, we have to say we're a little excited.
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All 16 starter maps from 2009's Modern Warfare 2 are included in 2023's Modern Warfare 3, and Activision is leaning towards the nostalgic angle in a new blog post about them, which begins: "Welcome home."
If it's been a while since you played the original Modern Warfare 2, see if these names remind you of anything: Afghan, Derail, Estate, Favela, Karachi, Highrise, Invasion, Quarry, Rundown, Rust, Scrapyard, Skidrow, Sub Base, Terminal, Underpass, and Wasteland.
Reading the list, we immediately go back to the late 2000s. Back then, we were playing Modern Warfare 2 like crazy. The sights and layouts of Afghan, Scrapyard, Favela, Derail, Estate, and Highrise are particularly memorable.
The new versions of these maps will not be completely identical to the originals, however.
“The way we approached it was, ‘How do we make the best versions of these maps that people have ever played?’” said art director Matt Abbott in the video embedded above. “Because that’s what we want as fans.”.
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To that end, adjustments have been made to “fit more modern gameplay,” said design director Zach Hodson. As one example, you can now mantle to places you originally couldn’t reach on the rooftops of Highrise skyscrapers, but Hodson says that “for the most part [the maps] will be incredibly similar” to the originals.
The blog post goes into a bit more detail about the changes: “Due to technological advancements in Call of Duty animation and movement techniques over the past 14 years, Operators can Tactical Sprint and jump between rooftops, mantle, and navigate narrow spaces with Tac-Stance, giving players more confidence during those frantic, close-quarters engagements,” it states. “Essentially, a ‘modernized’ map from Modern Warfare 2 (2009) means an authentic multiplayer experience with lessons from the rich history of the Call of Duty franchise.”.
The upcoming Modern Warfare 3 is a bit of an oddity for the series. For the first time, all unlocks from last year's game, the new Modern Warfare 2, will carry over. It's also the first time since 2007 that a Call of Duty game has been followed by a direct sequel the following year. It's long been rumored that Activision was planning a major expansion to Modern Warfare 2 instead of an entirely new game this year, and it certainly seems like Modern Warfare 3 could have started out that way.
But if Modern Warfare 3 ends up feeling a little weak, a certain kind of nostalgic type might be appeased by these 16 remastered maps anyway. You can read more about them on the Call of Duty blog. Modern Warfare 3 is due out on November 10th.
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source of information:pcgamer.com
