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[Draugoth]

Article via Forbes

As its final act of stupidity before being acquired by Microsoft, Activision decided to stain the legacy of Call of Duty in a way that we simply have not seen before. According to internal reports, Activision negated a proposed sequel to Advanced Warfare, and had Sledgehammer turn around a new campaign for Modern Warfare 3 in just 16 months, a project that many were originally told was just an expansion for the previous years’ game, but it was turned into a “full” $70 offering later.


Now that the multiplayer has joined the single player in the live game, review scores are coming in. The result? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the lowest scored game in the entire history of the series. Not just that, it’s the lowest by a huge amount.

I’ve compiled the list of every Call of Duty game and its associated Metascore below so you can see just how much of a gap this is. In reverse chronological order:

• Modern Warfare III – 53
• Modern Warfare II – 75
• Vanguard – 73
• Black Ops Cold War – 76
• Modern Warfare – 80
• Black Ops 4 – 83
• WWII – 79
• Infinite Warfare – 77
• Black Ops III – 81
• Advanced Warfare – 81
• Ghosts – 78
• Black Ops II – 81
• Modern Warfare 3 – 88
• Black Ops – 87
• Modern Warfare 2 – 94
• World at War – 84
• Modern Warfare – 94
• Call of Duty 3 – 82
• Call of Duty 2 – 89
• Call of Duty – 91

Even if sure, Call of Duty has seen its scores decline over the last few years, and it’s never gotten close to its MW1-MW2 glory days, this is a 22 point drop from last year’s Modern Warfare 2, and still 20 points below the previous lowest, Vanguard. These scores make it the 195th best reviewed PS5 game of 2023 out of 199 total. The games below it are the likes of Quantum Error and the horrific Gollum game. It’s under big 2023 misses like Redfall (56) and Forspoken (64).

This really has to be a five alarm fire for Microsoft, who needs to get a handle on this IP and get away from this insane Activision crunch schedule for pumping out increasingly terrible yearly installments just for something, anything to sell during the holiday. Scores slowly sliding into the 70s is one thing. A 53 with a 1.4/10 user score is almost criminal, and whoever greenlit this over at Activision should be gone and replaced as soon as possible. Was it Bobby? It was probably Bobby.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Almost one point for every billion dollars of the franchise’s value. Kudos Microsoft.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Its losing me fast with broken dailies and locking stuff behind those dailies

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

I just started playing it today. Its the worst campaign in forever. They literally took DMZ maps and made them into singleplayer mission...indefinite amount of soldiers attacking you but as long as you do your objective, mission complete. The second mission when you get on the huge container ship, its the same ship as in MW2 when you are rushing through moving crates during night. Same exact size and location of rooms.

 

[j0hnnix]

Redfall saved

 

[DaleinCalgary]

Nobody working at Activision is shocked.

And MS doesn't give a shit.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Its losing me fast with broken dailies and locking stuff behind those dailies

Yeah I nearly pulled the trigger earlier today to give the MP another chance, but it's sounding like the longer you play it, the worse it is.

I'll stick to Cold War and MWII. If they sort it in he future, I'll grab it purely for war mode.

 

[Ozriel]

Forbes says it’s ‘stupidity’, but this is certainly making more money for Activision than going the expansion/DLC route or skipping COD this year.

Looks like this is the ‘business acumen’ many here praise Bobby Kotick for. The franchise itself has long been resilient to bad entries and will likely have no lasting damage as long as next year’s entry is solid.

 

[Hrk69]

And that's why you never pre-order

I doubt we will ever learn

 

[Killjoy-NL]

I'm just here, scratching my head, wondering what people are complaining about when it comes to mp?

Couldn't care less about COD sp campaign, it was always mediocre.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Yeah I nearly pulled the trigger earlier today to give the MP another chance, but it's sounding like the longer you play it, the worse it is.

I'll stick to Cold War and MWII. If they sort it in he future, I'll grab it purely for war mode.

If the MP worked I would say its worth it but like I say you lock most of your create a class stuff behind the need to do daily challenges then those challenges don't register you are stuck of not being able to unlock stuff

The more I play the more glitching I am seeing of people inside walls, under the map and even totally invisible and this was just playing on Playstation only

I'm just here, scratching my head, wondering what people are complaining about when it comes to mp?

Couldn't care less about COD sp campaign, it was always mediocre.

The MP can be broken because of the challenges I mention here

 

[HL3.exe]

 

[ManaByte]

Bobby laughing all the way out the window with his golden parachute.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

I wonder if the reviews will affect the sales at all. Cod seem like it has a fan base that just auto buys the next entry.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

The MP can be broken because of the challenges I mention here

I assume it should be easily fixed and to me it seems kinda insignificant.

But I suppose if you want to unlock something specific, it could be quite annoying not being able to.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Its losing me fast with broken dailies and locking stuff behind those dailies

The armory system is the dumbest fucking thing imaginable.

After you finish your dailies you need to get wins to get points towards unlocking shit, so it just incentives quitting matches early if it's clear you aren't going to win because otherwise you waste your time. Almost every match I've played the last few days has emptied out.

 

[protonion]

Microsoft is the anti Midas.

 

[DaleinCalgary]

Yeah I nearly pulled the trigger earlier today to give the MP another chance, but it's sounding like the longer you play it, the worse it is.

That's true! The more you play no matter how well you do you get put in tougher and tougher lobbies.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I assume it should be easily fixed and to me it seems kinda insignificant.

But I suppose if you want to unlock something specific, it could be quite annoying not being able to.

Most killstreaks and the best gear is locked behind dailies like Ghost and Dead Silence

Granted can just wait a couple of more days to unlock the main goodies but there are a lot of things to unlock and twice now my unlocking ending early because of glitched challenges

The armory system is the dumbest fucking thing imaginable.

After you finish your dailies you need to get wins to get points towards unlocking shit, so it just incentives quitting matches early if it's clear you aren't going to win because otherwise you waste your time. Almost every match I've played the last few days has emptied out.

100%

I see people dropping a lot when they know its a loss and just yesterday was involved in two forfeits

Plus when your normal daily challenges are bugged you can't even advance to the need a win challenge

Also they keep pulling maps out of rotation in certain modes because the spawns are bad and good teams just trapping the other team to no end

All that said I do enjoy this game when it works, problem for me at least its been pretty buggy

 

[The Cockatrice]

Scores dont matter when it comes to online games. Fifa/FC now has low scores from users/critics yet it sold what? Over 24 millions already? That just proves online players are complete morons, or at least the majority of them.

 

[Duchess]

Isn't this just a review of the single player campaign? I've heard it's pretty poor.

Is the multiplayer bad as well..?

 

[scarlet0pimp]

If the MP worked I would say its worth it but like I say you lock most of your create a class stuff behind the need to do daily challenges then those challenges don't register you are stuck of not being able to unlock stuff

The more I play the more glitching I am seeing of people inside walls, under the map and even totally invisible and this was just playing on Playstation only


The MP can be broken because of the challenges I mention here

Which challenges don't track, I've not had that but the bonus challenge never seems to update though I belive that is because it's unlimited so it always awards you a point to words the armory unlocks so long as you win. It just looks like it doesn't do anything.

Multiplayer wise I think this is one of the best CoDs in a long time

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Where is Phil's apology interview????

 

[Mephisto40]

The multiplayer is legitimately the best it's been for years, it's a shame all these reviews came out when the single player dropped and the multiplayer was barely covered

 

[NickFire]

Almost got sucked in but decided to hold off for future sales. Glad I held off.

 

[DaleinCalgary]

After you finish your dailies you need to get wins to get points towards unlocking shit, so it just incentives quitting matches early if it's clear you aren't going to win because otherwise you waste your time. Almost every match I've played the last few days has emptied out.

Yes, and I'm not one of those people but I've considered it.

The multiplayer is legitimately the best it's been for years, it's a shame all these reviews came out when the single player dropped and the multiplayer was barely covered

The straight gameplay yes it is not bad at all. I'm finding these old maps too big for 6v6

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Which challenges don't track, I've not had that but the bonus challenge never seems to update though I belive that is because it's unlimited so it always awards you a point to words the armory unlocks so long as you win. It just looks like it doesn't do anything.

Yesterday I had 2 challenges work but the last one was get 2 kills with launchers and it did not register any kills so I couldn't advance to the need a win daily

Think it was Friday none of my challenges tracked

I guess its not a massive deal but I like having that goal and when I can't make any progress it just takes a little fun out of it for me

The straight gameplay yes it is not bad at all. I'm finding these old maps too big for 6v6

Some of the maps are way too big for 6v6 I agree

 

[adamsapple]

 

[splattered]

Guess I'm glad I haven't started it yet... Will wait till this stuff gets patched/sorted. I have tons of other games to play in the meantime.

 

[Mephisto40]

The straight gameplay yes it is not bad at all. I'm finding these old maps too big for 6v6

I've heard they are planning on adding a 10 v 10 playlist soon

 

[DaleinCalgary]

I've heard they are planning on adding a 10 v 10 playlist soon

In the past they have done that.

 

[ManaByte]

Where is Phil's apology interview????

It's called Black Ops: Gulf War dropping Day 1 on Gamepass and adding 20 million new subs along with it.

 

[Methos#1975]

I'm just here, scratching my head, wondering what people are complaining about when it comes to mp?

Couldn't care less about COD sp campaign, it was always mediocre.

COD was once known for its really good campaigns

 

[jroc74]

Wow.

What the hell is going on?

Yeah it will sell millions but still.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Wow.

What the hell is going on?

Yeah it will sell millions but still.

Greed

Seeing how far they can push it to just make money and sadly the beta got me and I bought it

I will check back in on it after Christmas and hope some of the bugs have been squashed

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

that's Bobby. This is Phil and Nadella

 

[GHG]

Guys, guys. It's just "Xbox tax", nothing to see here.

 

[MR ARCADE FOREVER]

That's how every single cod game should have reviewed after Black ops 2

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Wow.

What the hell is going on?

Yeah it will sell millions but still.

 

[SirKicksalot]

• Black Ops II – 81
• Modern Warfare 3 – 88

Critics can go suck a dick.

 

[winjer]

And a ton of people will still buy it. While Activision and MS laugh on their way to the bank.

 

[Games of Today]

Just play MW2 2022. Same guns, slower movement and heavier characters. Playing hardcore is a decent time other than the fact that I'm shooting glowing tree people and Nicki Minaj.

 

[willothedog]

that's Bobby. This is Phil and Nadella

And Sony. Since they paid millions for marketing rights and all those bundle copies of the game...

 

[Doctor Hades]

Call of Duty could score 1 out of 10 and it would still sell 20+ million copies in the first week of sale because the people that play it are the people who don't read or care about reviews.

Personally, I could not care less about the franchise as I stopped buying and playing it about 7 or 8 years ago but it would be quite amusing if this year sees the series start on a downward decline in popularity and sales each year now that Microsoft own it. I mean we all know it will happen eventually, it's just a question of when.

 

[wipeout364]

I’ve only put about 4 hours into the the multiplayer and it seems good so far. Certainly not revolutionary but a nice continuation of MW2.

I haven’t played the campaign yet so can’t comment but really I play COD for multi and zombies.

 

[Madserb2023]

I am not sure why all of a sudden Call of Duty is getting bad reviews. It hasn't been good since the Xbox 360 days. Either people have finally woken up to the fact its the Fifa of FPS games or there is some kind of conspiracy going on her.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

And Sony. Since they paid millions for marketing rights and all those bundle copies of the game...

they get the 30% cut and they are selling PS5 thanks to it. Xbox just acquired this to save Xbox and now they have to pay for thousands of devs as well.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

This made me laugh so hard I teared up a bit.

 

[willothedog]

they get the 30% cut and they are selling PS5 thanks to it. Xbox just acquired this to save Xbox and now they have to pay for thousands of devs as well.

Was ABK not profitable before the merger?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Was ABK not profitable before the merger?

you mean xbox?