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Call of Duty 3 Hands-On Preview
by Ron Burke
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Next Page ››Call of Duty 2 was one of the hottest selling titles on the Xbox 360, representing the cream of the crop of launch titles. Infinity Ward used new mind-blowing visual techniques, explosive gameplay, and incredible sound immersion to bring players into the World War II setting once again. Turning the reigns over to Treyarch for the sequel is enabling players to get their feet back in the mud again this holiday season. We've gotten our hands on the Nazi-smashing sequel, and it is good.
The visceral graphic assault on the senses that Call of Duty 2 brought to the table last year are back again this year, but with some all new tricks to spice things up. You’ll once again play as an American, and a British troop, but this time you’ll also get to play as a Polish and Canadian troop – a first for the gaming world.
Starting out the day, I took a look at the Playstation 3 version of the game. Running at a very smooth 720p, the PS3 version showed off one of the great upgrades that Treyarch has brought to the table – a lush and organic environment. Call of Duty 3 takes place, in the dangerous hedge rows of France, as well as simulating the assaults on towns such as Le Bourg, St. Leonard, and Chambois. We saw a mission deep in these hedge rows, and it was something to behold.
COD3 for the PS3
The foliage in this mission was very realistic. Light bloom streamed through the open canopy of the larger tree cover. Tree branches, leaves, flowers, and grass swayed in the breeze. No longer can you simply spot your enemy by movement, as everything in the scene is moving. In fact, individual blades of grass can be crushed down by stepping on them, with large sections being crushed when a player enters the prone position. Tossing a grenade into a grassy area will scorch the grass permanently. It is a minor thing, but a big step towards a system where tracking someone through the grass could become a possibility. Hint of the future? Maybe.One of the chief complaints in Call of Duty 2 was the linearity of the missions. The rails of the missions were apparent, and often there was only the illusion of choice to accomplish objectives. Call of Duty 3 looks to break that mold by giving players a larger area to move, and letting players step off the rails to accomplish their objectives. In this mission, we were tasked with taking out a Nazi-controlled trench area. We could hard-charge straight in, fighting from tree to tree, walking straight towards active MG-42 nests, or, you can move in like I did, flanking around the enemy through an alternate route until I could achieve enfilade and fire across their own trenches. With the difficulty amped a little higher than the previous title, using tactical advantage and proper flanking to overwhelm the AI is becoming more important than sheer firepower.
To help aid in the immersion of this new title, Treyarch has tossed the loading screens completely. Transition sequences using full motion video, in-game sequences, and movies will stitch together the individual levels of the single player game.
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