GC 2007 - Day 2: Call of Duty 4, something new and cool
If day one was hectic, then it was nothing compared to the second day of games, demos, meetings and PR! Our schedule was packed tighter than a Tokyo underground station and there is plenty of info to pass on to you - so without further ado, let's get started! ActivisionOur meeting with the (very) old hands of publishing was somewhat brief but we were treated to a couple of lengthy demos for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. You can read how the meeting with Splash Damage went and what improvements have occurred since beta 1 of Quake Wars in our other Day 2 report, coming out soon; let's talk about CoD4 here though.
For the PC, this is really the third Call of Duty as the actual CoD3 was a console-only release. Numerical shenanigans aside, this is a fully cross-platform title (PC, Xbox 360 and PS3), but don't let that put you off. Nor should you be even slightly concerned that the theme is, as the title suggest, modern warfare: even though there's not a single SS soldier in sight, this is very much "Call of Duty" as we know it. We can say this with conviction because the demonstrated action, throughout a single level, was as intense as anything seen in the original and the first sequel. Once again, you're not a lone gunman, out to battle the masses single-handedly - you're fighting together with friendly forces, and you need to keep your wits about you. The similarities continue with objective-driven missions and the health system which regenerates your condition, outside of combat.
So nothing new? Well, perhaps, but it's so darn polished that it's quite frankly a moot point. The demo shown was the Xbox 360 version and looked utterly superb - beautiful lighting makes the scenery seem very realistic, and the smoke effects have noticeably improved. The frame rate was consistent, regardless of the action, and pixel shader stunts such as depth of field were very well done. There are some new aspects though, and they're more than welcome: first of all, new projectile mechanics. Depending on what weapon is being used, bullets can punch through walls, so "cover" might not be very... umm, protective! There are also multiple ways to chop your way through each level, so it's not a totally linear barrel shoot. Classy cutscene movies introduce each section, so you're thoroughly briefed for action each time.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be hitting the shelves in early November.
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