MW3’s open combat campaign: How it works, what to expect, and more

Call of Duty fans are buzzing with hype after Activision’s latest trailer for Modern Warfare 3, where it was revealed that one of the most iconic villains in the franchise’s history, Makarov, will be making his return.

On top of all of the new features and content headed to the game, players will be experiencing a new way to play out MW3‘s diverse campaign with a plethora of different open combat missions that allow storyline enthusiasts a multitude of ways to complete their tasks.

In these missions, players have full control over how to tackle their campaign experience. This also adds a level of replayability that has never been seen before in a Call of Duty campaign. As an MW2 veteran from 2009, I am beyond excited to see how the developers have adapted and modernized this classic story for today’s era.

Here is how MW3 open combat campaign missions will work.

MW3 open combat missions, explained

Open combat missions provide players with the power of choice as they step into the shoes of different characters in MW3’s spiraling story against Makarov. Players can load into a semi-open world with night-vision goggles and suppressed weaponry, for example, and stay silent as they take down their enemies and complete their tasks from the shadows.

You can, however, load up with extra armor, massive machine guns, and explosives and knock on the front door instead. Every type of playstyle can be used and is viable, although each decision and mistake you make will have different consequences during the quest at hand. There are also multiple different vehicles that you can commandeer during the mission to help you traverse these wide maps.

There is also a mission where players will rewind time whenever the mission fails, according to CharlieIntel, allowing you to use the information you’ve gained to your advantage against the enemy forces. It should be one of the most unique Call of Duty campaign experiences yet.

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Will there be linear MW3 missions?

These open combat missions are not the only type of mission in MW3‘s campaign. About half of the missions in the game are open combat, while the remaining half are standard linear missions that we know and love. Together, these missions build a thrilling story where Task Force 141 chases down Makarov, one of the most dangerous men on the planet, as he aims to cause another international war.