Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is a direct sequel to the previous entry, and on Xbox Series X|S it runs on an improved version of the IW 9.0 engine, resulting in denser effects, better environmental lighting, and smoother behavior of enemy crowds and civilians during missions. Sledgehammer Games took over as lead developer and built the campaign around the return of the villain Vladimir Makarov, who threatens the world with nuclear terrorism and chemical weapons stolen from former Soviet stockpiles scattered across Europe. Some missions return to the principle of open operations, where the player chooses the order in which to complete objectives, their approach to the target, and their loadout—a deliberate departure from the strictly linear storytelling of previous series entries.

Multiplayer offers a completely reworked lineup of maps, many of which are remastered from the twelve-year-old Modern Warfare 2 (2009)—a nostalgic move that earned a warm reception from longtime series fans. The weapon system builds on Gunsmith but adds deeper progression, new killstreak sets, and a faster movement pace reminiscent of older entries, including the ability to slide along the ground and climb over obstacles while moving. There's also an expanded Zombies mode, this time conceived as an open extraction world with cooperative tasks, side missions, merchants, and the ability to upgrade equipment for four-player teams trying to safely evacuate with their loot.

Reviews particularly praised the nostalgic maps, technical stability on next-gen consoles, and the fast movement controls, while criticism once again focused on the short and unambitious campaign, which many players completed in a single evening, as well as the repetitive mission structure. Even so, thanks to its extensive multiplayer, popular Zombies mode, and presence on Game Pass, the game retained a large and loyal player base, and it confirmed the annual release cycle as a commercially viable model for the series and its future entries.

Why play it: Fans of nostalgic maps and fast movement will appreciate the technically stable presentation, and while the short and unambitious campaign can safely be skipped, the extensive multiplayer and Zombies mode make up for it.