Summary
The multiplayer modes ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3have recently been bolstered with the introduction of the game’s Christmas event, which started on December 19. Of course, this festive event brings a lot in the way of new cosmetics and rewards, but most importantly has introduced a wide range of limited-time game modes between the title’s core multiplayer andWarzone.
It is no secret thatCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3has faced a lot of criticism since its release, primarily relating to the perceived lack of original content that the game possesses. The Christmas event does a lot to dispel these past issues, hopefully marking the first of many seasonal events that can really give the new release its own unique feel, finally escaping the shackles of past entries to such a high-profile franchise.
Modern Warfare 3’s Christmas Content Finally Gives the Game its Own Identity
Modern Warfare 3’s Christmas event takesinspiration from other FPS giants likeOverwatch 2, which have also introduced content-packed festive events recently. The limited game modes of this newCoDevent make up the bulk of its offered content, with the following experiences now being available inMW3:
This Christmas event is being officially billed as CODMAS, and is set to gradually release its content over the coming weeks to keep fans engaged. Having three new game modes is a fantastic boost toMW3andWarzone’s offerings, with Snowfight in particular showing how the event has been used to combat the weakest points of the title.
Snowfight provides a festive twist to the massively popular Gunfight mode forCall of Duty, which sees two teams of two face off in tense permadeath round-based combat. In Snowfight, players are equipped with throwable snowballs in the first two rounds as opposed to usual Gunfight loadouts, adding a more casual and humorous twist to an otherwise highly competitive mode. Many fans were vocally disappointed atModern Warfare 3continuing the franchise’s trend of not adding Gunfight at launch, and the introduction of Snowfight gives fans an addictive twist to the mode to make up for this.
Modern Warfare 3’s Christmas Event Does Well to Target Map Criticism
Away from these new modes, some classic maps have been given a fresh coat of festive paint thanks to the CODMAS event.The iconic maps Shipment and Highrisehave been renamed to Shipmas and Hangover for the event, both boasting new holiday-themed decorations and weather throughout.
This is a great way to moveModern Warfare 3away from assertion that it relies too heavily on content from pastCoDgames, without innovation. While it is true thatMW3’s base map pool was composed entirely of maps from 2009’sMW2, the festive re-skins for Shipment and Highrise show that Sledgehammer Games is willing to shake things up. Of course, this comes at a time whenModern Warfare 3is adding completely new maps like Meatand Greece to its roster, only compounding the positive impact that these Christmas-themed maps will have.
Modern Warfare 3faced a lot of warranted criticism around the time of its launch, and it was always clear that the game needed to commit to creating its own identity while moving away from the legacies of past games. The CODMAS event that is currently running inMW3is doing a brilliant job at achieving this, with its new maps and game modes targeting a few of the title’s weakest aspects and greatly strengthening them via some engaging and topical twists.
