Summary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies has split the community, and given how different it is from the round-based formula of old, that is hardly a surprise. Newer Zombies fans who embracedCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Outbreak modewith open arms are interested to see what a proper open-world experience looks like, citing the massive bosses, DMZ gameplay style, and large player count as potential strengths. However, many more longtime fans are sharing their disappointment with the mode, and one of the biggest points of criticism is the lack of a major Easter Egg.
To be clear, Treyarch has promised that there will be numerous secrets to find withinCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies despite its extraction timer guaranteeing shorter matches. This is an upgrade over Outbreak already, which did not receive any significant Easter eggs of any kind until months after launch. However, the unforgettable main quests filled with puzzles and challenges that the community works together to solve will not be present upon release. While fans have every right to be frustrated by this, especially afterCall of Duty: Vanguarddropped the ball on its quests last year, it is important to look at why there is not going to be a main quest.
A Main Quest Would Not Suit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies’ Gameplay
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies going open-world may not be for everyone, but even if players have no interest, it is hard to argue against the idea that Treyarch is going all-in on the concept. While the open-world tagline could have been a gimmick, and it is a shame that theWarzonemap Urzikstanis being used as opposed to a fully unique play space, the 24-player count is hugely significant. Persistent loot, DMZ’s extraction timer, and the Aether Storm mechanic are also important to note.
When looking atCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombiesobjectively, it becomes hard to imagine how a big quest Easter egg could actually work. Some quests take well over an hour to complete since they require RNG, and the process of initially solving them as a community would be frustrating due to the mode’s time limit. Aether storms would limit the area that players can explore, while persistent loot would mean that players could easily complete the Easter egg if they drop in with powerful gear or even items needed for the quest.
The bigger issue with designing a quest for this specific Zombies mode is the massive player count. For years, players have found it difficult to coordinate four players for main quests and evenPack-a-Punchaccess in public matches of Shangri-La or Moon. Asking 24 players to work together on a complex quest just seems like an impossible task, as at least some of those players will not know what they are doing. Getting a private match of 24 veteran players going is unreasonable, too. While Treyarch could get around this by crafting squad-specific Easter egg quests, they would lack the impact that a main quest is supposed to have. A giant boss cannot be triggered, nor could a match-ending cutscene or an event that alters the map and ruins the experience of all the other players. With so many hoops to jump through, it feels like a main quest would be a waste of resources.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is Approaching Storytelling Differently
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies fans concerned that the mode will lack storytelling due to a missing main quest need not worry, as Treyarch is simply taking a different approach this time around. LikeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s raids, this story will be told episodically through missions that are released as the Seasons progress. Considering how many Zombies fans do not even bother doing quests themselves and simply look up the cutscenes online, a mission structure may have the benefit of more players engaging with the narrative content that Treyarch is crafting. Because these story-heavy chapters exist, a main quest Easter egg would be redundant, only offering puzzles that would likely feel awkward due to the extraction format.
Perhaps, like with Outbreak’s main quests, Treyarch will add in a big Easter egg after launch. The developer could just be waiting for players to learn the mechanics and master Urzikstan’s layout, after all, and new maps are going to be released that could house a main quest. That seems unlikely though, as the Extraction format and existence of episodic storytelling makes traditional quests seem like a pipe dream. Just like fans of solo Zombies will have to wait untilCall of Duty2024for content that caters to them, those that love to run main quests will likely have to be patient as well.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
