We sat down with developer Inifnity Ward to get some hands-on time with upcoming first-person shooter video game '
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'. Known as 'CoD4' by those who are really cool, this latest installment in the famed World-War-II-flavored franchise shifts the action to modern times. That means the weapons, settings, and -- of course -- enemies are all different. It also means the stakes are higher. First, there are some serious weapons this time around. Second, you don't really know how things will turn out. We all know how World War II ended. In this chapter of the 'Call of Duty' franchise, however, things seem a bit more real, as events take place in the Middle East, Russia, and other current hot spots.
We were already excited about 'CoD4' after
calling it one of our favorites at E3 earlier this year, but now -- after playing two levels of the game -- we honestly can't wait for this to hit the shops this holiday.
In the game's first level, "Crew Expendable", we started "somewhere in the Bering Strait" to look for some data hidden in a ship's hull. This "find the documents and run" mission ended in a stressful race against time on a crooked, sinking boat, complete with a heroic jump onto a moving helicopter. Controls are tight and the frame rate is surprisingly smooth for a game that is still three months off.
This time around, your enemies are a lot smarter, taking shots and hiding behind cover at random times, seemingly waiting for you to peek out and pop a cap in your helmet. This made for some sketchy -- and fatal -- gun play in the ship's hull.
We then played a level called "The Bog." "The Bog" took place in a burnt out city and felt much more like the 'Call of Duty' games of the past, complete with thousands of bullets whizzing by our heads and enemies approaching from all directions -- without a hitch in graphical fidelity or frame rate, mind you. The similarities ended there, though. In this level, we were given the chance to use night-vision goggles, grenade launchers, and even laser-guided satellite missiles. The scale of battle in 'CoD4' is unlike anything we've seen to date, including the battle for Bunker Hill at the end of 'CoD2'.
Multiplayer is back, too. According to the developers, online play could include as many as 36 players (they weren't certain just yet). The most interesting new feature for online play, however, is a new leveling and "perk" system that will allow players to upgrade weapons and armor, and tweak their specialties by inserting perks into "perk slots". If you are concerned about unfair online play, worry not, as Infinity Ward will implement a smart matchmaking system that will keep the hardcore from feasting on newbs. What's more, 'CoD4' will feature a party system that will allow groups of friends to play together and bounce from game to game as a group.
Look for 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' to arrive on November 5 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC with a Mature rating.
Related Links:
