Why Black Ops can kick Modern Warfare's ass
Modern Warfare 2 might have enjoyed the biggest entertainment launch of all time (Yeah, profitability!), but it didnt please everyone. While Activision suits achieved epic boners staring at opening sales pie charts, the rest of us were sifting through a story with more holes than a sieve and a borderline broken multiplayer.
Thats why weve decided to champion Treyarchs recently confirmed Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is set to take place during the Cold War in Vietnam, Cuba, and the Arctic. Below well look at what the occasionally derided developers upcoming shooter can learn from Modern Warfare 2s problems and why it can ultimately kick its megaton keester.
Black Ops can fix Modern Warfares online problems
We know it. You know it. That dude your third cousin occasionally hangs out with at parties definitely knows it. MW 2s kill streak system is bust like Owen Wilsons hooter. With attack helicopters soon chaining into tactical nukes, it gives certain players an unattainable advantage. In short, its horribly unbalanced.
While Treyarchs last COD (World at War) pretty much just copied the blueprint set by the original Modern Warfare, we suspectTreyarch will have the sense to fix its sequels online mistakes. We expect the game to have dense jungle environments (Vietnam) and sunny Caribbean climates (Cuba), too. And these could potentially provide the multiplayer maps with an interesting blend of ultra tense claustrophobic locations, where sneaky stealth kills rule, complimented with some good old fashioned homicidal fun in the sun.
Itll hopefully craft a more coherent story than MW2
Yeah, not hard this. Treyarch doesnt have to pen a Pulitzer Prize-winning script. All it has to do is create a campaign that doesnt have a story with as many holes as a sieve. Were not saying MW2s single-player wasnt awesome (it was, and then some). But the confusing, logic-leaping plot was a huge letdown that no amount of Captain Price face fuzz could save.
In contrast, WaWs story was definitely less bombastic and exciting, but at least its simple plot made more sense. Although, admittedly, it was pretty much dragged to the finish line by Kiefer Sutherland shouting loads and Gary Oldman hamming up a Ruskie accent that world curdle the Kremlins strongest vodka.
Still, Treyarch has a history of pulling in some heavyweight acting talent. And coupled with the potential the Cold War setting has to be emotionally jarring (Metal Gear Solid 3 is a total tear jerker), were hopeful Black Ops story will trump MW2.
Its lo-tech weaponry could be a breath of fresh air
This is still just speculation, of course, but we reckon Black Ops will contain one of the COD series more interesting weapon sets. UK retailer GAME are quoted as saying the game will feature 'unconventional weaponry'. If it tows the historical line and goes with period guns that were used during the Cold War, we could see a diverse armoury including flamethrowers, white phosphorous hand grenades and classic guns like the Smith and Wesson Hush Puppy. God bless you, Wikipedia.
The Vietnam conflict specifically also included a broad range of different vehicles across land, sea and air. The North Korean Army had some interesting tanks, too, including one that was amphibious. So were expecting a sprinkling of fun, potentially on-rails vehicles sections. And considering how awesome it was to man the guns of a Catalina flying boat in WaW, were could be in for all kinds of vehicular-based win in Black Ops.
The Cold War is an interesting setting
And crucially, outside of the 'Nam, it's one that's not been covered much in games. The rumoured locations should be mega varied in terms of both their climate and layout. At any rate, they'll hopefully be more interesting than holing up in a terrorists cabin in the woods or the samey desert section from the end of MW2.
We wont argue Infinity Wards FPS had some kick-ass levels. Seeing the Washington Monument in tatters under a crimson sky and storming the Gulag were ****ting brilliant. But we think the varied jungles and marshlands of Vietnam, contrasted by frozen Arctic levels and sun-kissed battles on the streets of Cuba could make for more geographically interesting (Oi, stay with us!), tense levels.
Just imagine getting onset by a group of camouflaged North Vietnamese soldiers in the middle of a jungle during a torrential storm, flying through an Arctic blizzard in a copter or firing napalm on a riverboat, as you dodge hostile gunfire from the surrounding banks. The locations could provide one of the most dynamic and varied settings weve seen in an FPS.
Technically, it should be a stunner
Even though Treyarch was essentially just making small tweaks to the awesome engine Infinity Ward built in Modern Warfare for WaW, it was still a beautiful game. Waking up in a canal in the middle of Stalingrad as your Russian buddies get pumped full of German lead, admiring your sun-kissed surroundings during the Battle of Peleliu; it looked real purdy. Well, when Japanese men werent trying to shiv you in the spine with their bayonets.
With that in mind, Black Ops will surely build on MW2s tech, with the two developers still sharing technology. Expect refined lighting and particle effects, coupled with the silky smooth play and refined weapon handling thats always assured when porting anything from Infinity Ward. Like weve already mentioned, the setting could also allow Black Ops artistic design to match all the technically voodoo wizardry.
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