Call Of Duty Preview

By Kristan Reed Published 6 August, 2003

Allied Assault with big shiny knobs on.

For many publishers, the forthcoming release of Half-Life 2 represents a curse; a giant unassailable commercial monolith that towers so colossally over the PC games market so comprehensively that it's hardly worth bothering trying to release a competing title anywhere near it. Except if you're Activision and you've got Call Of Duty up your sleeves.

Developed by Infinity Ward, a 2015 breakaway team comprised of 22 of the chaps that worked on Allied Assault a couple of years back, this spiritual sequel to EA's monster hit revisits the intense battlegrounds of WWII from multiple perspectives (American, British, and Russian) and basically advances the incredibly overused sub-genre into even more cinematic territory.

It's Quake III tech, but not as we know it

'Call Of Duty' Screenshot 1

Despite its Quake 3 engine origins, you'd swear it was new tech. Infinity Ward has "kicked out everything" and basically re-written numerous elements of Id's now ageing engine to the point of being almost unrecognisable, much like Valve did with the original Quake code. It comes at a price, though, with a hardware T&L card the minimum entry requirement, but it's now possible for the team to up the ante with an engine capable of rendering a chaotic 300 soldiers on the screen at once.

At the Activate demonstration, with full 5.1 surround sound and a giant plasma screen to hammer home the point, Call Of Duty was regarded by the consensus as among one of the most visually and aurally impressive titles ever witnessed. And like the very best titles in this genre (yes, including Half-Life 2), it features some truly impressive and immersive sequences destined to remain lodged in the brain long after its release.

Now close to its October release Infinity Ward's Grant Collier showed off the intention to make the game "as large and in your face as possible". In one sequence, you're part of a 200 strong squad rushing the enemy, watching your friends die around you as mortar fire explodes everywhere. Imagine the opening sequence in Saving Private Ryan (again), only this time done with a more realistic number of soldiers ducking and diving, complemented by smarter AI, vastly improved character models, relentless chatter, and massively impressive sound effects that will have you wincing.

Not so artificial

'Call Of Duty' Screenshot 2

Predictably, Infinity Ward is at pains to talk up the AI prowess ("your squad will act like a trained military unit"), and reckons such basics as pathfinding have been totally overhauled, giving players much more control over what's going on around them. For example if you see an AI soldier occupying a gun emplacement, you can get him to move to one side and allow you the honour of raking the enemy with lead. Not only that, but the displaced AI fellow will take up an appropriate stance and cover position, using whatever shattered part of the environment he can to return fire and avoid the enemy's. Better still, your squaddies will call for reinforcements, lay down suppressing fire, provide covering fire, co-ordinate attacks on entrenched positions and even pull wounded soldiers from the melee. Sounds 'armless enough [groan].

In motion, it looks like a series of stitched together scripted sequences, but in fact the soldiers consistently react smartly to what's going on rather than hobble around like headless chickens cannon fodder as they tended to in Allied Assault. Equally pleasing is the unobtrusiveness of the AI, with soldiers seemingly no longer blocking your path or being clueless loons in the worst possible situations. If it plays as good as it looks, we're all in for a treat.

As previously touched upon, a welcome enhancement is the constant AI chatter. Allied Assault built on the Half-Life legacy of giving the player the impression of AI personality, but it tended to be obviously scripted and quite sparsely used. In Call Of Duty, the sequences we were shown were constantly alive to the sound of non-repetitive snatches of conversation and the living breathing fear of death at every turn. It really does add another layer of cinematic credibility and immersion to an already convincing-looking game, and those with a decent surround set up will be shortly experiencing one of the most incredible aural showcases videogaming has ever come up with.

Multi-headed war machine

'Call Of Duty' Screenshot 3

The game itself follows four interconnected campaigns across 24 missions in eight countries which promise to offer plenty of variety. Kicking off in the boots of an American paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division laying the groundwork for D-Day, the lead role eventually switches to that of a British Special Forces 6th Airborne troop attacking Pegasus Bridge, before climaxing in the "bloody charge" to defend Stalingrad against the Germans as a Russian Tank commander, via forests, villages, a P.O.W. camp, bridges, sewers and a battleship.

The multiple perspective concept is certainly something of a first in the World War II FPS arena, and should lend it a pleasant change of emphasis, and/or weaponry as you progress. 22 "precisely modelled" weapons make it into the game, specific to each country. Meanwhile the various locales such as Brecourt, Stalingrad and Berlin are all historically accurate, not the mention the numerous vehicles and sound samples. And even better was the fact that each solider in the game has a name, which pops up if your cursor strays over them, showing their rank to boot.

Sadly, we didn't get a hands-on playtest, but the team was on hand to guide us though one of the Brit missions where your squad has infiltrated a dam ready for its destruction. The scene of you and your men riding in the back of a truck was pure Allied Assault, as was the usual banter. On arrival at a vantage point, the task was to take out the advancing Panzer Faust with a sniper rifle, which is heading your way across a bridge. All familiar stuff, granted, but the sense of atmosphere was very impressive indeed. For one thing it was impossible not to be seduced by the glorious attention to detail in both the audio and visual departments, with the rocky snow-capped forest environment rendered in exquisite detail, and supplemented with the sound of chirping birds and the throaty roar of your vehicle's engine.

Harrowing

To wrap things up, we were treated to a quick demo of the very last level of the game, set in Red Square. The ruinous environment was again superbly recreated, and the mission involves taking out the entrenched Germans with a rushing formation through the square, involving plenty of close quarters combat allowing you to rifle butt your foes in the chops. They'll do the same thing to you, mind, so you've got to have your wits about you. Once again, the scene was alive with action, with a red flag carrying warrior falling to his death, fantastically convincing explosions and tremendously detailed texturing all around. Sadly, multiplayer was not discussed, and we await full details in the coming weeks.

Truly, Call Of Duty is a game all FPS fans will want to own upon its release on the PC in October. A unique console version will be released next Spring - also coded by an EA breakaway team, this time the talent behind Frontline, so expect big things from that too. Meanwhile, we're keeping our fingers crossed that playable code will be made available in the run up to its release, and we'll bring you our first impressions as soon as humanly possible.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 9 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Tiitiz #1 9 years ago

    Yum!

  • FWB #2 9 years ago

    Nice.

    Red Sqaure, you say? So this will include some "what-if" scenarios?

  • Tiger_Walts #3 9 years ago

    I think I can hear the slow trickle of urine, yes, it's the MoH:Rising Sun team peeing their pants with fear. They shouldn't worry though, the EA marketing golgotha is ready for (prescripted, no doubt) action.
    Edited by 1 at 06/08/03 @ 10:24

  • UncleLou #4 9 years ago

    Red Sqaure, you say? So this will include some "what-if" scenarios?

    Yes, that's what I thought, though it's not too "what-if", is it? ;-)

  • Batfink #5 9 years ago

    Even without the marketing of mass deception from EA, this game will surely fail in the US by letting you play as a russian. "Aren't the ruskies the bad guys? Stupid game." - And of course MOH Rising Sun lets you plays as a square jawed 'murkin and kill the japs. Now which will sell, d'ya reckon?

  • Batfink #6 9 years ago

    Oh, but regardless of that, this looks sweet.
    Halo-style mass battles and AI, in gruesome realistic WWII setting?
    Yes Please.

  • FWB #7 9 years ago

    Yes, that's what I thought, though it's not too "what-if", is it? ;-)

    Heh. You wish. ;) Actually, when I play HoI its very much a realistic move, as my mighty army crushes the Red Army and swoops on Moscow (I'm even more cunning. I invade Turkey and grab the oilfields that way :) ). Muwhahahahaha. Oh the satisfaction of forming kessel after kessel and watching millions surrender to you.

    I've got a Russian mate who reckons the Germans should've taken over Britain and installed some order to it. Then our bloody trains would run on time. When I suggest the same for his own, even more FUBAR, country, I get a mouth full of abuse. :)

    I'd really like to be able to play the Axis in one of the games. I know it may not seem PC, but considering the Wehrmacht had nothing to do with the horrors of the regime and that you can play the Red Army, I don't see the problem. Or at least, I wouldn't complain. :)
    Edited by 2 at 06/08/03 @ 11:02

  • UncleLou #8 9 years ago

    but considering the Wehrmacht had nothing to do with the horrors of the regime

    Hohum hohum, that's a delicate issue you mention there - I'll link you to this "Verbrechen der Wehrmacht"-exhibition which has caused quite a stir here.
    Edited by 1 at 06/08/03 @ 11:07

  • Killerbee #9 9 years ago

    Sounds good. :)

    /starts saving pennies/

  • Malimbah #10 9 years ago

    very promising.

  • FWB #11 9 years ago

    Hohum hohum, that's a delicate issue you mention there - I'll link you to this "Verbrechen der Wehrmacht"-exhibition which has caused quite a stir here.

    I can't comment on it, since I haven't seen it (I'm reading through the site now, but since my German is rusty it'll take me longer than in English - from what I see it does say the Wehrmacht was responsible for the transportation of individuals, but its somewhat sketchy when it talks about major crimes), but there was a difference between the SS (made up of specifically violent and ideologically warped individuals), which was not part of the army yet did consist of military units, and the Wehrmacht. That's not saying the army was a completely innocent body though. However, if you can play the Red Army, a group just as bad (its believed the mass raping committed by it on its way towards Berlin resulted in the birth of 2 million children), I really can't see the argument for not playing as the Germans. You can do it in BF1942.

    EDIT: Correction, I have just stumbled on something reading crimes in the Balkans.
    Edited by 1 at 06/08/03 @ 11:28

  • UncleLou #12 9 years ago

    The exhibition is quite a few years old now and has been in several German cities, and each time it moves somehere new, there's protests against it, though it has died down a little. A few years back, it was closed for a while and revised to make it more unassailable. It - I'll simplify things here - says that the Wehrmacht was not just a "normal" army, but was actively taking part in the persecution of Jews, mass executions, deportations, etc. etc. , and broke more international law than any other army. It was a shock for many people who like to see the Wehrmacht as the good, innocent soldiers who were just doing their job like every other army would have done it, and the neo-nazi scene of course took their chance and was the first amongst the protestors.

    Like I said, that's all a bit simplified what I wrote there, but I guess you'll catch my drift.
    Edited by 1 at 06/08/03 @ 11:47

  • FWB #13 9 years ago

    Well I'm still working my way through it (while posting here :) ), so thanks for the link. All past work I've read on the Wehrmacht has acknowledged it wasn't innocent, but didn't go this far. Interesting.

    EDIT: Sp.
    Edited by 1 at 06/08/03 @ 12:14

  • Merefield #14 9 years ago

    Agreed - this is a game of shooting people, where does one draw the ethical line??

  • UncleLou #15 9 years ago

    Yes, you might be right, I was just reacting to FWB's comment on the Wehrmacht, not expressing an opinion whether it should be possible to play the Germans in the game.

  • Feanor #16 9 years ago

    "Even without the marketing of mass deception from EA, this game will surely fail in the US by letting you play as a russian. "Aren't the ruskies the bad guys? Stupid game." - And of course MOH Rising Sun lets you plays as a square jawed 'murkin and kill the japs. Now which will sell, d'ya reckon?"

    Pathetic. Get a life.

  • Merefield #17 9 years ago

    "I was just reacting to FWB's comment on the Wehrmacht"

    Understood, and very educational, both of you! :)
    Edited by 1 at 06/08/03 @ 17:14

  • Sp3nn1e #18 9 years ago

    Let's talk about the game itself perhaps?!?!

    CoD looks very promising and can't wait for the MP elements to be fully revealed. I understand there is a "liberation" mode, similar to the "jailbreak" MOD for Q3...

  • UncleLou #19 9 years ago

    fact - Rogensen is a twat
    fact - His comment will be deleted soon

  • degust #20 9 years ago

    Oh, not that shit about "politburo" again!.. I've had enough of it in the Enemy at the Gate movie. Why don't they make something not very historical (cause they are definitely not good in russian history) instead. RtCW2 maybe, eh? Zombies, nazi girls in leather and a Man With Polish Name As A Good Guy.

    Even FWB would be happy, i think :-)

  • FWB #21 9 years ago

    Man With Polish Name As A Good Guy

    I do notice/appreciate these things. \o/ :)

    Back to this game, I'm looking forward to seeing some larger battles. Even in BF1942, its very rare that you have more than 4 players involved in one specific fight, unless its a map like Berlin or Stalingrad. The CoD Stalingrad shots look nice (especially the ones with the planes dogfighting overhead). I just hope that the map doesn't stop at that ridge.

  • Tiger_Walts #22 9 years ago

    "I just hope that the map doesn't stop at that ridge."

    Yeah, a few gun batteries to disable would complete the level.

  • UncleLou #23 9 years ago

    fact-your just another mindless lemming who blindly accepts anything that the Government throw at you as fact, even when it is contradicted
    fact-in Germany 'free speach' is 'free' only as long as it tows to the Governmental line

    How about we arrange a meeting and go see an Elvis Presley concert together?

  • FWB #24 9 years ago

    lol, lou.

    krieg, I don't want to get into a debate, but 6 million Poles were killed. 3 million of them Jews. That makes another 3 million Jews of other nationalities. I have one Jewish friend who fought for the British, but still considers himself very much German. Just because your Jewish it doesn't mean you are Israeli. Its not mutually exclusive with other nationalities.

    40 million (conservative estimate) slavs were killed by Stalin. But, as they say, if its in your own borders, that's ok.

    We live in a shit world at times. Assholes do asshole things regardless of religion or nationality.*

    *Unless they're Russian. Then you can be sure they'd sell their own grandmother into slavery. ;)

    (How I wish my Russian mates posted on here. Its just not the same throwing these out with no one to rebutt).

  • krieg #25 9 years ago

    i know they mixed over and stuff but more jews were targeted than any other group

  • krieg #26 9 years ago

    well whatever though, the point is rogensen is dumb

  • ssuellid #27 9 years ago

    Apparently on a per head of population basis it was Gypsies that were killed the most. Also a lot of the current gypsie stereotypes were from the same era.

  • krieg #28 9 years ago

    well total i guess the russians and slovs were killed the most but if u read above some ignorant person said that the jews controled germany and changed history, to make it seem like hitler hated them most of all, i still learned stalin killed 25 of his own russians, (excluding other slovs), that hitler killed 12 million total people, 6 million of them jews, and mussolini killed 3 million people, sounds like they give out all the facts, conspiracy? or some kid who doesnt go outside and play basketball... hmm

  • krieg #29 9 years ago

    hey can some of you european guys help a yank out, like what is \o/ and twat and wastrel and all those other things i have been hearing or seeing around this site, well if u can tell me that would be great, thanks

  • FWB #30 9 years ago

    i know they mixed over and stuff but more jews were targeted than any other group

    Not true. If you're going to use "Jew" as an "ethnic" term (which you really shouldn't be doing anyway) than actually more slavs were "targetted".

    well whatever though, the point is rogensen is dumb

    Indeed. On that we can agree. :)

  • krieg #31 9 years ago

    yeah i think we should get back to the game, but i must say, ur a sharp one, but back to the game itself, who agrees with me if this game doesnt lag a computer into dust it will be able to beat BF1942 overall?

  • FWB #32 9 years ago

    Well MOHAA has much better infantry combat (and obviously map detail), but it lacks vehicles and large maps; BF1942's killer blow. If my machine can handle it I will be buying it.

  • krieg #33 9 years ago

    ur lucky, i cant even do BF1942 online, every key i hit does something, then reverts... i go prone, then i stand up, i change guns, it changes back, but i still love the endless 1 player options too, minus the better naval battles, if n e one has n e ideas about that some help would be appreciated, but if i could get a new comp this game would be top on the agenda

  • FWB #34 9 years ago

    Hmm, not heard of that one. You could try the official forums.

  • krieg #35 9 years ago

    anyone know where i could download the demo for this without paying gamespy money?

  • FWB #36 9 years ago

    ToTheGame.com has a few links. Its actually decent. Better than MOHAA, if only because its alot more intense. Play it on the hardest setting though, cos otherwise you're just wondering around like the terminator. Plus it runs very smoothly on my PC, so I may well be buying this.
    Edited by 1 at 31/08/03 @ 17:38

  • krieg #37 9 years ago

    can anyone help me with something, im probably just dumb but allied assault, wolfenstein, and now call of duty demos dont work on my comp, says i need some open gl system? how or what do i do

  • Whizzo #38 9 years ago

    Sounds like you've got video driver problems Krieg, OpenGL is the graphics API that Quake3 engine games use so if it's not working they won't either. Re-install your video drivers, that should sort it out.

  • Whizzo #39 9 years ago

    On the demo itself, I thought it was quite good, looks nice, excellent sound, plays pretty well so hopefully it'll turn out ok.

  • krieg #40 9 years ago

    im computer dumb, how do i do that?