As we all know, Mike Griffith (Activision publishing CEO) revealed big plans for the next instalment of the Call of Duty franchise back in May this year. In case you missed it, the following has been confirmed:
- Call of Duty 5 will launch on the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2 and Nintendo Wii
- This instalment is being developed by Treyarch
- It will have a Pacific and European WWII setting
As far as First person shooters go, Call of Duty 4 has been an incredible success and set a new standard for console games on the whole. It took us out of the overdone, repetitive good versus evil genre of WWII shooters and immersed the gamer in a modern setting with amazing perks brilliantly designed maps. So why should we as gamers and fans of a franchise that dominates our gaming time, be subject to the riggers of yet another WWII shooter? Treyarch’s senior producer Noah Heller is adamant that Call of Duty 5 will be a successful follow up to Call of Duty 4, he has been quoted as saying that "This has to be the best shooter and has to redefine the World War II genre." But will it really? Personally, and to be frank, I found Treyarch’s last attempt at a COD game pure unadulterated butchery. It seemed rushed and incomplete. Sure it bridged the gap between COD2 and COD4, but wouldn’t it have been better to just release a few map packs and maybe some new weapons for COD2 between the games.
At this point you may be thinking that I’m in fact some crazy Infinity Ward fanboy or a stooge sent to take down Treyarch, but I assure you that is not the case. (although I admit to being a console fanboy). The fact of the matter is that as gamers we expect quality and substance. We all pay good money for games and have all contributed to creating the largest entertainment industry in history, yet we are still being treated as nothing more than uneducated malcontents "who will play what we tell them to play." Unfortunately the tide is turning and developers are going to have to listen to what we want.
So here are some reasons circulating the interwebs as to why most gamers don’t want to return to the WWII genre.
- Good Vs Evil. This formula is gone. Sure once upon a time when the world was a simpler place their may have been evil doers, but our society is no longer clear cut. This generation is far more likely to question the validity of why someone is classed as the bad guy, rather than just accept what they are told. As such gamers we want to play games that a more realistic to them and reflect their current world.
- The weapons. Oh how times have changed. Sure the principle is the same, “bullet comes out here”, but COD4 treated us to modern firearms and perks that complimented individual styles of game play. Who really wants to go back to a 303 when we have become accustom to laser sites and claymores?
- Air support. The ability to call in an air strike or chopper as a reward for cutting down your enemy was a stroke of genius! It gives you something to work for and a reason to not just simply run and gun.
- The maps. Call of Duty 4’s maps were so well rounded and gave gamers a variety of close quarter or sniper options. Unlike the previous debacle of COD3 with its inane mixture of bad, worse and boring, will another WWII shooter really help us forget? Maps like wet work and bloc placed us in modern settings that gave us a unique gaming experience.
- Perks. I’m fairly certain that Treyarch will undoubtedly be giving us perks in COD5. But seriously, besides bullet penetration, extreme conditioning and steady aim, what can we expect? A can of bully beef to replenish our health? The ability to put on a Japanese uniform and go undetected? This new part of the call of duty franchise will most likely be very disappointing to those gamers who have grown use to the perks of modern warfare.
I’m sure there are a number of WWII fans screaming that the big dubya, dubya two was the best war ever or that I’m probably some pinko commie who raises money to save mother earth in my free time. The sad truth is that I’m a gamer whom like millions of other out there, can’t bare to play another game where we are fighting as the good guys.
Check out the Call of Duty 5 World at War trailer HERE
lexx
NextGEN Gamers
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