This is really an interesting development. More quakey I'm expecting, with the extra jumps and speed. It's funny how successful franchises always have a nostalgic starting point, COD4 Modern Warfare. The original game that will feel slow to us now, but really intensified the warfare experience back in that year. From the loud and impressive Dday invasion from previous Call of Duty games to the current-day weapons and whizzing bullets and impressive military-movie/hollywood black hawk down feel, there was a kind of balance between the arcade and the sim-like feel of being deployed in a glitzy for-screen military and war. Not unlike how racing games try to strike a balance between arcade/sim, with a focus on challenge and fun.
COD4
While real military technologies and prototypes have been developed since then, their use other than drones have seen limited public exposure and demonstration except for things that feature them specifically like the future weapons show. Recent military movies and hollywood movies like the expendables didn't push our sensibilities and expectation of modern warfare, rather copped the elements from the games this time, featuring AA12s, AC130, Barrett rifle, favorite kill streaks and weapons of the modern warfare series.
AC130
COD4 modern warfare really did a fair job of capturing and upgrading the immersion of current warfare, demonstrating a wide plethora of military experiences from extensive covert sniper missions, to snowstorm battles. Though there are other areas that add to realism and immersion other than intensity, intensity is the easiest thing to see and promote, thus we have the bigger and better approach, along with increased speed (and customizations).
Looking back at movies, however, we see titles like The Hurt Locker, which gave us a different dimension and insight into modern day warfare and how it could pique our interest through other avenues like soldier to soldier relationships and psychological aspects. We got glimpses of this from things like Bad Company and Medal of Honor.
The Hurt Locker
Scenes from The Hurt Locker
Of course, it's profitable to cater
to more action and to the competitive scene too, so that's where COD
went, but who knows where and what the next military shooter will be
that really feels new, that shows a wide range of things we haven't seen
before not just from weapons to vehicles, but also team
command/relationship, intel acquisition and implementation, and field
resourcefulness.Some of the great things about the original were subtle things too, like the blood, blur, scopes, escalation, rewards system, and tightness of control/movement, all of which may seem like a basic given taken for granted by now.
COD4 Injured screenshot & Kill Streak Reward
I think the control/movement was the defining factor for me though. So I'm excited to see the results given that Respawn Entertainment, the original heads of the original modern warfare, is giving a reason for competition with their Titanfall innovations and improvements, though I have yet to try it out for myself. Let's see what the near future holds.
Titanfall
in the meantime, I invite you to come over and check out some of my videos on my channel. Enjoy!
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