Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, back in 2007, was the first online game that I ever played; one that I loved to go on with my friends after school and spend countless hours that I should have used revising.
Call of Duty: World at War is similar in that respect and is actually my favourite in the whole series. Treyarch did so well revitalising the WWII setting and created some amazing, historical battles. The multiplayer, like COD 4, was brilliant; the levelling system and perks were very similar to its predecessor but with its own WWII twist. The simple formula that both used worked so well, which recent Call of Duty titles can’t seem to get right (don’t get me started on all the jumping sh*t).
When Modern Warfare: Remastered was first announced, I was very, very excited. I couldn’t wait to relive Crash, Crossfire, Bog, and use the M4 with a red dot sight and unlock red tiger for it. I bit the bullet and paid £70 for the Legacy Edition, however, I regretted it soon after. The remastering was done really well: Graphics, effects and audio have all improved as you would expect. It is nice to play on the maps and use the guns I loved so much almost 10 years ago, yet things never felt quite right.
Perhaps my views are clouded by the initial price tag and also nostalgic feelings towards the original, but I wanted the game as it was with a little polishing, a true remaster. I didn’t want more camos for my guns, new game modes, new guns, emblems and calling cards; I wanted it exactly the same as how I remembered it.
If the rumours are true, which I think are likely, the next instalment in the Call of Duty franchise might be the perfect blend of old and new. Gone are the jumping mechanics and futuristic crap, hopefully back in with the old school COD formula that gamers have been crying out for. Unless this is some form of sick joke, and it is indeed the follow-up to Infinite Warfare with the player going into a time machine and jumping over the Reichstag Building (that might actually be quite cool…), the WWII setting assures you that there isn’t as much that can be messed around with than a game set in the present day or the future: The guns will be familiar, the killstreaks will be more realistic, and there won’t be any fear of someone jumping around the outside and killing you from behind whilst you’ve only just got to grips with how to move and jump at the same time!
It’s only hearsay at the moment, and only time will tell if Activision has succumbed to what the consumers have wanted for so long. The further down the timeline Call of Duty has gone, the more out of touch it has become; a game set over 70 years ago could be a step in the future after all.