Electronic Gaming Monthly has spilled new details on Call of Duty 3 in a preview appearing in its July issue - details of which an Xbox.com forumite has dutifully waded through and plastered across the internet in a shower of CoD love, bullets and indeed bullet-points. The information in EGM's article has been broken down into three sections by the forum poster, with the likes of new tech bumping up the realism ante noted along with key gameplay and multiplayer changes/additions.
According to the post/EGM preview, Call of Duty 3 focuses on WWII campaign Normandy Breakout, relating the Allied forces' thrust inland following D-Day to push the German Army back and liberate Paris. Players will once again form part of British and American fighting units, with the Canadian Army and Polish Resistance joining the playable ranks in the sequel.
We've presented all the information appearing in the forum post below (more or less as posted), but we'll say here that details that have caught the eye include significant environment improvements, a multiplayer class and rank system, with ranks giving access to new abilities, a new multiplayer mode and hand-to-hand combat that's likened to that in Condemned.
Leaps over Call of Duty 2:
In game system has been rebuilt
Characters move more realistically.
More textures and shaders in the environment
No more boarded up windows so now you can see the turn up landscape all around you.
Foliage remains flattened when you walk over [it]
Grenades leave real scorched earth.
Surfaces react to bullets like they should, grass is different from steel, steel is different from wood, and wood is different from water
More than 24 characters on screen at one time
Destructible cover
Global winds affect smoke grenades
Now, when a tank moves through smoke grenades the smoke will curl around it
Bullets through smoke with stream out the other side moving the smoke
Trees and grass will move with the wind
Things change:
You actually have to go through the actions of planting a bomb instead of holding A
You have to row a boat while still trying to shoot you way to freedom
Hand to hand combat compared to the way Condemned works
Load times are bring erased between levels
Multiplayer:
24 online
Single or Splitscreen
Players choose their class ranging from medic to sniper
Each ability as you earn points in rank - for example, a scout at first can only call in a couple artillery barrages. As they gain ability they will be able to call in [more sustained attacks]
Online leaderboards track stats and rankings by specialty
New Multiplayer mode called 'War'
Axis and Allied teams battling for strategic locations.
And of course vehicles Further details on Call of Duty 3 - including screenage - are expected to top trenches next month. Slap binoculars to your eyes and keep 'em peeled.
I think CoD 2 is an awesome game online on the xbox 360. The patch really made a huge difference. the only problem now is playing with people who ahve decent connections lol. Fantastic game, my favourite of the 360 games so far. cant wait for CoD 3 screens and more info!
Doesn't look so amazing to me, very similar to CoD2 :/
There's an interesting comment in the new EGM, though, about the different console versions - the PS3 version will be graphically a bit better:
"The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Call of Duty 3 will look about the same except the PS3 game will have more light sources and other touches. All screens are from the Xbox 360 unless otherwise noted."
I'm a little surprised, but I guess the common assumption that 360 and PS3 multiplatform games will be identical may not be strictly true afterall.
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