Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has already made Activision one billion dollars in the three months it has been out. With the game’s undeniable success in mind, another entry in the series is inevitable. We’re frothing at the mouth for the next iteration, and we’ve already got a laundry list of improvements we want for the already stellar Modern Warfare series. Here's what we want for Modern Warfare 3, whenever it's announced.

Wouldn’t it be cool if Modern Warfare 3 had…

A More Focused Story

Modern Warfare 2’s story was an epic affair that sprawled multiple global locations, characters, set pieces, and story twists. Each moment of the game’s narrative brought something new to digest and kept you wondering what was going to happen next. While this isn’t inherently a bad thing, we’d like to see the scope of Modern Warfare 3’s story focused on a smaller collection of characters fighting bad guys amidst a smaller-than-global battlefield. Modern Warfare 2’s narrative was confusing and overwhelming at times, and we’re interested in a more personal, relatable narrative that better motivates us to fight until the end credits. No more forced twists and fewer main characters kicking the bucket would be a great start.

Perks In Single-Player

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare revolutionized the way we play FPS multiplayer, with its innovative leveling and perks system. Pure entertainment and replay value for Modern Warfare 3’s single-player and Spec Ops modes would infinitely increase if we could unlock weapon upgrades, customize weapons, and assign perks that allow us to highlight our strengths and compensate for our weaknesses. Along with these improvements there could be cross-pollination between unlocks in online and offline modes. For example, completing the single-player campaign on veteran mode or completing unlocking an achievement/trophy could net you an exclusive weapon in multiplayer. Perhaps reaching a certain level in multiplayer could unlock a new level in single-player. This just might be what it takes to encourage gamers to sink their teeth into modes they might otherwise neglect.



More Vehicles

Previous Call of Duties had tanks. Modern Warfare 2 had snowmobiles. We demand even more vehicular action in Modern Warfare 3. We want to actually fly a helicopter this time around and paint entire enemy bases with missiles. Nothing would be better than actually controlling a tank as it crashes through puny cars and feeble buildings. Expanded vehicular gameplay could easily bleed over into multiplayer without it necessarily becoming a Battlefield game. Certain maps could be dedicated to tanks or helicopter skirmishes, giving old fashioned players the option to avoid vehicles. Wouldn’t you love to manually pilot your next killstreak helicopter or drop care packages to your buddies?

Full Co-Op Mode

Make no mistake, we think Modern Warfare’s Spec Ops mode is phenomenal. However, we really want to experience the narrative of Modern Warfare 3 with a buddy in tow. So many jaw-dropping moments from Modern Warfare 2’s Spec Ops would have been made more enthralling if experienced within the context of the game’s story. Imagine one of Modern Warfare’s trademark twists forcing your friend to pull their gun on you in an act of treachery or have you helplessly watch them get tortured to death by terrorists. Co-op is more important in a game than having it be a separate gameplay mode, and Modern Warfare 3 shouldn’t settle with Spec Ops. It’s high time to combine the full campaign cooperative mode that was in Call of Duty 3 with Modern Warfare. If all this is asking too much, at least give us leader boards for Spec Ops.



Multiplayer Tweaks

Modern Warfare 2 has some of the most perfected and popular multiplayer gameplay available. However, we can think of a few little improvements that could make it even better:

• Bring back party chat. Don’t force us to meticulously enter a menu and mute players we don’t care to hear from. Just let us talk with our friends. This isn’t “make a new friend day” in kindergarten. This is war.

• Offer lifetime stats. We want to see how many times our enemy has pulled off that “lucky” knife kill they just performed on us. We want to know how many flag captures we’ve gotten, and how many schmucks we’ve wasted with random grenades. Gamers like stats, give us more to chew on than a kill/death ratio.

• Revamp prestige mode. Prestige mode is a unique cool concept, but it would be even better if there was more incentive to wipe the slate clean. When acquiring your weapons and gear for the umpteenth time, why not offer cosmetic changes that distinguish you from non-prestiged players. Additionally, don’t wipe all of our challenges, simply raise the number of kills needed with a particular gun or create harder tasks to complete.

• Ditch dual wielding. The action of Modern Warfare is frenzied enough without having to worry about double trouble shotguns and machine guns. For a series that prides itself in an authentic battlefield experience a pistol in each hand is enough. What’s next, plasma swords?

• Implement mobile fortifications. Modern Warfare 2 incorporated mounted turrets into the game, so why not offer plays the option of laying down defensive sandbags in the same way? Digging our heels in to a single defensive location opens the doors for new multiplayer modes and a shift in the way the battlefield is navigated. For those who fear this might encourage campers, remember to bring your grenades.

• Integrate an online hub. Taking a page from Halo, Modern Warfare 3 could incorporate a website with replays of memorable matches, expanded player stats, and tournament organization.

What do you want in Modern Warfare 3?