Since its introduction, the Call of Duty series has given pseudo soldiers some of the most intense multiplayer action in the FPS genre. But with each installment since the original Modern Warfare, the franchise has completely thrown away the simplicity that made it great.
That simplicity, combined with elimination-based rules, made Search and Destroy the most engaging online mode in years. But, while the original Modern Warfare emphasized that engagement with the use of strategy in its level design and bomb placement, the new editions have completely changed Search and Destroys dynamic with over the top exo-suit mechanics.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “Search and Destroy is definitely not the best game mode in Call of Duty.” Well let me tell you random internet stranger, it certainly is the most the greatest thing Call of Duty has offered in some time. You see, Search and Destroy makes you face consequences when you’re fighting a virtual war. Instead of respawning dozens of times during a particularly bad match, you’re eliminated for the rest of that round forced to watch your remaining teammates get taken down one by one.
This doesn’t mean that everyone's crawling around the map like a toddler on a fresh dose of cough syrup, it means that the savages running straight into enemy territory as soon as the game starts may end up winning the game right away or sitting out the rest of the round. The impact of situations like that is almost immediately felt, if those players die then the odds are suddenly in that the other team's favor.
It’s those consequences that create an eerily quiet map that jumps at the sound of every gunshot. Creating a tension among every soldiers trying to build up the courage to take another step towards the objective.
But since the introduction of the exo-suit, tense moments like that have become far more rare. Things like wall running and dramatic sliding have changed how we approach Search and Destroy. Instead of going over what possible routes you have to get to the bomb, most players just take whatever route that’ll get them to the bomb quickest.
During my time in Black Ops 3, nearly everyone on my team was killed after immediately trying to rush the opposing team. Few took the conservative option to cautiously peek around corners as they headed to the objective.
And what makes this worse is that most maps in Black Ops 3 were specifically designed for a shoot first, think later type of strategy.
Take the the map Combine, it has three direct routes you can take to get to the target. All three incorporate wall running as the most efficient way to travel. And with the right amount of luck they’re the easiest way to kill an unsuspecting opponent whose running on the ground like a jabroni.
This map design usually leads to a hectic few seconds at the beginning each match where a handful of players get gun down unceremoniously.
Now, Combine is one of the smallest maps in Black Ops 3 making it the best example to prove my point, but that doesn’t mean other maps don’t share the same fundamental design choices. Maps like Fringe and Havoc contain the same type of route that lead to more abrupt action.
Despite these painful shortfalls, Search and Destroy remains the most enjoyable mode in the Black Ops 3. But it’s potential has been squandered by the direction that Activision and company have taken the franchise in.
While my favorite mode may still be serviceable in these new entries, it’s not nearly as fun as the original Modern Warfare titles. So I think I speak for a lot of Call of Duty fans when I say that I’ll be enjoying the remastered version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare a lot more than Infinite Warfare come November 6th.
