Unmasking the CoD Ghosts Issue in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Highlights

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's visuals are reminiscent of those from Call of Duty: Ghosts, despite the usual looks of Modern Warfare.

Call of Duty: Ghosts received criticism for its underwhelming graphics, especially its dull color scheme, which ultimately resulted in poor reception and disappointing sales, ultimately leading to the absence of a sequel. Concerns have been raised by fans of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 regarding the game's proposed gray visual style, fearing that it may hinder gameplay and create disadvantages for players with certain skin types.

Content developers are constantly striving to push boundaries and create exciting new experiences for players. One notable example of this is Nintendo's use of the Havok Physics engine in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This innovative approach transformed how players approached in-game challenges, bringing a newfound realism to the gameplay. The success of this dynamic is evident in the game's tremendous sales and popularity.

However, not all bold changes yield positive results. Sledgehammer Games took a daring leap with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and following its recent PlayStation-exclusive beta, fans have expressed concerns about the direction the franchise is heading in. It seems that history may be repeating itself, as Modern Warfare 3 may be repeating a problem that was seen in Call of Duty: Ghosts.

The release of Call of Duty: Ghosts was accompanied by much fanfare, as the franchise aimed to create buzz on social media with the iconic "the Ghosts are real" tagline. Additionally, the introduction of the Squads game mode heightened expectations for another outstanding experience from the highly respected first-person shooter series. However, the game ultimately failed to live up to the hype. Its lackluster campaign and disappointing visuals left players feeling uninspired and dissatisfied. The sales figures reflected this sentiment, with both players and critics pointing out the game's visually drab appearance. It is worrisome that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 may fall into the same trap.

A Gray Outlook Could Clip MW3's Wings

While an engaging storyline and immersive gameplay were more crucial to a game's success during that time, the dominance of Call of Duty: Ghosts' gray aesthetic could not be ignored. This led to a bland atmosphere in the usually vibrant maps. The developer may have used a generous amount of gray to align with the ghostly theme, but it had a direct impact on the gameplay. Identifying enemies on the terrain became challenging, despite camouflage, due to excessive shadow casting. These issues were key factors in the lack of a sequel for COD: Ghosts.

Call of Duty: Ghosts' lackluster visual experience can be attributed to several factors. Infinity Ward prioritized a higher frame rate over quality colors, and the game engine's object rendering tool also played a role. The edition of the Call of Duty series faced criticism and encountered these problems, so it was surprising for gamers to see similar issues in recent reveals of Modern Warfare 3, even a decade after Ghosts' struggles. Sledgehammer Games decided to deviate from the warm and vibrant lighting of previous Modern Warfare installments in favor of the visual style in Ghosts.

Modern Warfare fans have expressed their dissatisfaction with the game's flat appearance on social media. The reduced vibrance in MW2's elements due to the emphasis on skins and the Carry Forward feature in Modern Warfare 3 is counterproductive, especially considering the amount of money players have spent on skins for their distinct colors. This becomes a disadvantage for players with dark-colored skin types, as they stand out over the background and become vulnerable to attacks.

The Call of Duty community has been brainstorming creative ways to mitigate the impact of Modern Warfare 3's hazy grey display. Some have suggested reducing the brightness of display screens, but this solution is not entirely effective. With the release date of Modern Warfare 3 approaching rapidly, Sledgehammer Games is running out of time to address the fans' requests. Hopefully, a patch will be released to adjust the game's lighting and color grading after launch.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.