There’s a lot riding on this year’s Call of Duty, the inescapable first-person shootfest that’s been lobbing a grenade into the autumn release schedule since 2003. Previous instalment, Black Ops 7, performed poorly compared to previous titles, forcing Activision to post a semi-apology to fans. And that’s not the only challenge Modern Warfare 4 is facing: there’s a new indie shooter, Wardogs, promising a feel somewhere between classic CoD and Classic Battlefield.
Then, lurking on the horizon, in mirror shades and an exotic sports car, is Grand Theft Auto 6, which is surely going to smash and grab all the attention (and money) from the market in mid-November. The good news is that, judging by the early access beta test that ran over the penultimate August weekend, we’re definitely getting what we expect from a Modern Warfare title: quasi-authentic boots-on-the-ground military action with a slight tactical edge. The weapons and general gunplay are highly effective, from default assault rifle, the Han 86 – a classic CoD beginner’s gun with decent fire rate and handling – to the bullet-spraying Nightshade SMG and the absolutely lethal KG-7 Vulcan sniper rifle.
They all feel good to hold and fire, and there’s enough balance to let you experiment with slightly more offbeat numbers like the burst-fire Hyeon AR and the possibly overpowered Mar-9 marksman rifle. Also joining the refreshed armoury are an interesting array of field upgrades, the useful gadgets you open up as you play I tried the smoke wall which creates, well, a wall of smoke, hiding your movements (in theory) and I saw a few people deploying the razor-wire trap which slows enemies down while sapping their health. There are also new kill streaks (the special attacks you can trigger when you earn enough points in a match).
Artillery Beacon lets you throw a beacon at a specific point which is then bombarded with missiles, and Wheelson is a remote control mini tank that clatters around the place firing a grenade launcher. A modest selection of small-ish maps was available for the weekend. Silkworm is a slab of South Korean cityscape, all minimarts and alleyways, while Transit 213 is a public transport depot with two parked buses at its centre and lots of generous sightlines for snipers.
I found Cachette, a labyrinth of farm buildings, workshops and courtyards a little over-familiar, but Lotus, a larger harbourside map, brought in some interesting long-range combat. My favourite though, was the self-explanatory Rooftops, which takes place on the connected summits of two ageing New York high rises. Here, you fight through multi-levelled maintenance rooms and industrial laundries as well as out into open areas where water towers, exhaust fans and service ramps provide useful cover and mantling opportunities.
There’s even a section of wooden scaffolding that offers a narrow shortcut over a vertigo-inducing chasm. There are a bunch of new modes to accompany classics such as Team Deathmatch, Domination and Kill Confirmed. The key example is Kill Block, a ten v 10 gun fight taking place in a training camp that is reconfigured between rounds, providing hundreds of different layouts.
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