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It goes without saying that the Warzone Season 3 Verdansk update has made the game so much fun, almost exactly how it used to be during the pandemic. Everything from the map to the damage’s sound effects is reverted back to how it used to be, but the return of Verdansk isn’t just about the feeling of nostalgia we have for the game. It’s more about how Warzone can survive the upcoming wave, and how it can maintain its ground as a separate title that’s not in desperate need of the yearly CoD releases.
Warzone Has Its Own Identity Now, And I Hope They Keep It That Way
Call of Duty: Warzone now is a bit of MW 2019, Cold War, and Black Ops 6 integration with the Omnimovement. And while it might sound a bit chaotic, the movement nerfs and BO6 guns balance looks and play solid in the game. The overall gameplay difference between Black Ops 6 – the yearly release – and Warzone in Season 3 is exactly what we’ve been asking for this game for many years now.
For a free-to-play game that has its own immense fanbase, you can’t just change everything every year and expect the same players to jump back in and enjoy the now-different experience. MW2 almost changed Warzone to a tactical shooter, MW3 reverted things to a fast-paced version of Warzone 2022, and Black Ops 6 started to boost that even further with the Omnimovement. And while some players, like me, enjoyed every iteration, it’s just not the way it works to please the majority of the fans.
The challenge of making Warzone its own successful game is integrating only the parts that fit the playstyle from the yearly releases. We’re talking guns, perks, movement mechanics, killstreaks, field upgrades, etc. That’s what Warzone Season 3 is doing now, and it was exactly the opposite in the past couple of years. Like how we have Omnimovement in Verdansk now, but it’s not as speedy as you see it in the BO6 Multiplayer lobbies.
So while nostalgia plays a big role in gaining returning users to the game, which seems like the developers and Activision are very pleased by, the changes to the gameplay are the shining stars of this BR show. Speaking of which, the map itself is way better than Urzikestan in so many ways.
Playing Verdansk Reminded Me How Generic Urzikestan Was
Jumping back to Verdansk in Warzone Season 3, the very first thing that hit me was the fact that the map felt alive. Every detail, every building, and every single item on this map shouts deep thoughts and A+ design points. Even Al-Mazrah offered a portion of this feeling 2 years ago but for Urzikestan? Nah.
The word “Generic” is the best way to describe the MW3 – BO6 Battle Royale map in my opinion. The copy-pasted buildings, too many open areas, and nerfed vehicles made Urzikestan the way it was so that I would only play Resurgence for 2 years. And I think even the developers knew this when Ranked Play was added to Resurgence instead of BR.
But no matter how we slice it, Warzone Season 3 is making a big change that’s in line with what we fans demand of the game. Good map, balanced gameplay that suits the BR experience, and on top of that, fewer bugs. I could only hope for this route to be continued rather than axed next month with the new season, and I wish the developers and Activision keep it going.
