Comments on: Call of Duty: Back to World War Two? Really? http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/18/call-of-duty-back-to-world-war-two/ Daniel Roy's blog about life and videogames Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:21:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Daniel http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/18/call-of-duty-back-to-world-war-two/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Daniel Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:54:53 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=45#comment-66 It's a good point, and you might very well be right. I just think that based on CoD4's success, the mass market might be expecting modern-day shooters from now on. When they realize it's back to WWII, that's bound to create confusion... And if CoD6 goes into SF land after that, they're pretty much screwing up their brand. Yeah, it'll stay an intense, scripted shooter, but they were building up to something with CoD4... As for Battlefield: Bad Company, I'll definitely check it out. Not so sure I prefer open world to well scripted, though... I love the cinematic feel of CoD4, and there's a lot to be said, IMO, about carefully crafting what the player sees on the screen. I never felt restricted by CoD4, only amazed at the quality of what was going on. It’s a good point, and you might very well be right. I just think that based on CoD4′s success, the mass market might be expecting modern-day shooters from now on. When they realize it’s back to WWII, that’s bound to create confusion… And if CoD6 goes into SF land after that, they’re pretty much screwing up their brand.

Yeah, it’ll stay an intense, scripted shooter, but they were building up to something with CoD4…

As for Battlefield: Bad Company, I’ll definitely check it out. Not so sure I prefer open world to well scripted, though… I love the cinematic feel of CoD4, and there’s a lot to be said, IMO, about carefully crafting what the player sees on the screen. I never felt restricted by CoD4, only amazed at the quality of what was going on.

]]> By: Monogamie http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/18/call-of-duty-back-to-world-war-two/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Monogamie Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:50:45 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=45#comment-65 Yeah, the WWII setting is definitely tired, but a good shooter is a good shooter. It would be my guess that brand loyalty and one of the best online modes of any product released last year were stronger purchase incencitives to many consumers than a 'new', fresher setting. I know a few people who bought the game expecting WWII, got home, booted it up for the first time, got surprised by the modern era setting but ultimately didn't care as the game let them do what they wanted to do, which is to shoot bad guys in the face with a big gun. Overall, the good news is that even if going back to WWII feels like taking a step backwards by Activision, COD 4's strong momentum will carry into COD 5. Also, the game's strong online component isn't tied to the time setting at all. There is hope. I'd love to see a WWII shooter not divided into seperate 'levels' or 'missions', just me & my AI squad trying to clear a path on foot from the country's borders to the nation's capital. It'd be interesting to see results from one battle carried into another. For example, loosing to many squadmates into one battle makes the next one tougher, as nobody joined your squaded to replace them. By the way, I played the Battlefield: Bad Company demo last week and had a surprising good time with it. It goes the GTA route, but I prefer the sandbox approach to COD 4's over-scripted, hand-holding, restrictive single-player campaign. Yeah, the WWII setting is definitely tired, but a good shooter is a good shooter. It would be my guess that brand loyalty and one of the best online modes of any product released last year were stronger purchase incencitives to many consumers than a ‘new’, fresher setting. I know a few people who bought the game expecting WWII, got home, booted it up for the first time, got surprised by the modern era setting but ultimately didn’t care as the game let them do what they wanted to do, which is to shoot bad guys in the face with a big gun.

Overall, the good news is that even if going back to WWII feels like taking a step backwards by Activision, COD 4′s strong momentum will carry into COD 5. Also, the game’s strong online component isn’t tied to the time setting at all. There is hope.

I’d love to see a WWII shooter not divided into seperate ‘levels’ or ‘missions’, just me & my AI squad trying to clear a path on foot from the country’s borders to the nation’s capital. It’d be interesting to see results from one battle carried into another. For example, loosing to many squadmates into one battle makes the next one tougher, as nobody joined your squaded to replace them.

By the way, I played the Battlefield: Bad Company demo last week and had a surprising good time with it. It goes the GTA route, but I prefer the sandbox approach to COD 4′s over-scripted, hand-holding, restrictive single-player campaign.

]]>