Trench combat

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The E3 2003 Call of Duty set up was a jeep headed by a gigantic screen near one of the walkways and the sounds of war exploded from every direction. Developed by Infinity Ward, which comprises 20 people from the Medal of Honor team, any fan of Frontline would be forced to stop and take notice. Allied soldiers were advancing on a German encampment sending round after round of fire bursting through the ruined buildings, breaching installations and taking out anti-aircraft nests. The sheer beauty and intensity of it all kept people stopping and I would return to the booth four times during the show just to sit in the jeep and rattle off a few shots into the burnt out buildings.

Back then I was sad to see that the game was PC only but now it will finally be released for the consoles. Though Finest Hour will be a different game, it’s easy to imagine what the game will be like by looking back at its PC counterpart. Concentrating more on action and team play than on stealth and strategy, you'll play along with a group of AI teammates through 24 campaigns. The feeling of being one soldier in a huge battle is made complete by mortar blasts, bombs dropped by Allied planes, swarms of Nazis from every direction, bullets streaking overhead and helpful, pragmatic team AI. Moreover, it's evident that there is a lot of warfare going on outside of the immediate area so you and your team are not alone in fighting this war (a la Medal of Honor).

You'll fight your way through historically accurate battlefields, European towns, forests and camps all snatched from WWII archives. The playable level at E3 was as intense as any war based first person shooter ever released - the same violent flare is spread throughout the game. Although you can't command your soldiers in the game, advanced A.I will make it so you will feel like you're all working together. For example, once I was trying to take out a tank through the window of an abandoned building. When I drew his fire, my comrades swarmed around and took him out from behind. Based on an enhanced version of the Wolfenstein/Quake III engine, the game's control is completely intuitive for FPS fans.

The console version will be set around a list of missions with a variety of changing objectives as you move along through the levels. Call of Duty has been known for its attention paid to historical detail. The game will lead players through a variety of historically accurate campaigns and battles. All of the normal accouterments will be available - grenades, machine guns and the requisite sniper rifle - and, as another nail in the MOH coffin, this game (especially on the Xbox) runs at a consistent 60fps.

Call of Duty, for those who haven’t been paying attention, will be a major release when it becomes available for the consoles next month. Whether you’ve been paying attention or not, you’ll hear about it. Much like Splintercell showed us what a real stealth game could and should be like, I reckon Call of Duty will show console owners a thing or two using its well-refined PC roots as a reference point.

Posted: October 24, 2004