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 | Call of Duty by Infinity Ward Review
By: poopeyhed2
Date: 12/3/2003 | Views: 20865
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Call of Duty is a highly rated game whose setting takes place in World War II, like many other games of today. What really sets Call of Duty apart from the rest is the mere fact that Infinity Ward optimized the Quake III engine, like Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, both reviewed here at TechIMO. As always, let me begin by taking
a look at the HUD - heads up display. I'd also like to thank GoGamer for the speedy deliever of Call of Duty, when I bought it for $32.90 from their 48 Hour Madness. I like to thank the places that I purchase my products because I purchase everything, and I want to let the readers out there know that their money is well spent if they purchase from the places I do, but don't just take my word for it! Always check Resellerratings!
The only thing that really needs describing is the compass. Just like MoHAA, the compass points exactly where your next objective would be. In the case of this screenshot, the star has an arrow that
points upwards. That means that the objective that I am heading to is above me. Likewise, if the arrow was pointing down, then the objective would be below me. One thing that separates MoHAA is the realism. While walking the crosshairs spread out, which displays the inaccuracy while moving and shooting. In MoHAA,
if I can recall, that is not present, and you get a perfect shot while moving and firing.
Gameplay
If you are like me, sensitive to fast motion in First Person Shooting games, then this game is definitely a not for you. I enjoyed playing Delta Force: Black Hawk Down because it was much slower paced. Jedi Academy got me sick, and the same did when I started playing Call of Duty. I guess there were too little textures when I first started playing, and everything moved way too fast, or I adapted to the game, and I don't feel as sick now. CoD's gameplay is simplistic but does not have sequences that are coded which gives replay ability a nice touch.
In the mission where the screen shot is in this opening paragraph, right after manning the machine gun, you are to man a flak cannon and destroy in coming tanks. After I played the mission repeatedly after I was fragged, the tanks were not coming in the same spots. This of course is a big plus in my book! Default key binds are superb, no need to reach all over the place to find this key just to get fragged looking at the keyboard. Another plus to this game was the easy access to the screen shot button, F12. Another key feature that I enjoyed while playing this game is the placement of the objectives. When you are in the vicinity of the objective, it glows of an orange tint and displays the exact location of what you are looking for. For example, the placement of bombs to destroy the AA guns, or the switch for the secret passage, etc.
Graphics and Audio
Because the game is built upon the Quake III engine, there is nothing really to gasp at. However, Infinity Ward did optimize this game with some shader effects like Lucas Arts did with Jedi Academy. Take a peak at this screenshot...
As you can see from the screen shots, the lighting effects span a certain amount of area. Another update to the Quake III engine is audio department. Like Jedi Academy, it takes advantage of Creative's Audigy ZS series sound cards. Audio in this game is a key feature in CoD and do not under rate it because I have been fragged multiple times for not paying attention; however, when I do pay attention to the foot steps, what a wonderful thing it is. As a matter of fact, while I play with my headphones, and when someone tries to talk to me, I cannot hear a thing they are saying for a few reasons: they are not speaking up, because I'm trying to hear the sounds in CoD, too much things going on, like a firefight, and the game is simply more fun than to pay attention in a conversation.
With AA and AF turned up to the max on my Radeon 9600 Pro, overclocked to 481MHz/700MHz (core/memory speeds) my video card doesn't break a sweat, but the marvelous beauty of what Infinity Ward has done is amazing. On the box, they suggest...
- 3D Hardware Accelerator Card required - 100% DirectX 9.0b compatible 32MB Hardware accelerator w/ full T&L capabilities video card and latest drivers
- English version of Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
- Pentium 3 600 MHz or Athlon 600 MHz processor higher for systems with Windows 98/ME
- Pentium 3 700 MHz or Athlon 700 MHz processor higher for systems with Windows 2000/XP
- 128MB of memory
- 8x Speed CD-ROM drive
- 100% compatible DX 9.0b 16-bit sound card
I recommend a 2 GHz machine with 256 MB of memory with at least a Geforce4 or Radeon 9000 level video card. Tor the best sound effects, I recommend the SoundBlaster Audigy line of sound cards for this game.
Artificial Intelligence
One of my favorite features in CoD is the intelligent AI. It has not disappointed me yet. I especially enjoy the team based Single Player missions. The AI team does not destroy all the enemies before I can do it, but they provide assistance. The best part is they leave most of the work for you, so it doesn't drain the fun out. Because Delta Force: Black Hawk Down was my first game review, I like to look back to the review and compare it to the newer game reviews. CoD does not even come close to BHD's AI. The one thing this game stresses is "In war, no one fights alone," and is very true because the AI team definitely helps out as they provide cover fire and extra ammunition when they fall.
Final Thoughts
I have not had the chance to test out the multiplayer capabilities, but I'm sure someone would love to comment this feature. I am quite reluctant to play any online multiplayer because of the 56k connection that I have. I failed to mention in the Jedi Academy review of using JA as a benchmark program, and Call of Duty does the same thing as well, benchmark your computer. In order to benchmark your computer, you must develop a scripted demo and a program like Fraps to determine your FPS. There's no better game out right now that you won't be able to play. IMO, this is the best FPS game for 2003. CoD deserves all the credit that many other reviews have given it.
If you have problems with ATI Radeon series
video cards, see this thread. Also, if you have problems with the nForce 2, see this thread. Those interested in backing up, the protection is Safedisc 3.10.020 (thanks to CDFreak's Portmac).
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VERT
Cruizing
Registered: 9/2001
Location: Wellington, NZ
Posts: 4398
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| Didnt like this game much, IMO I had played this game before but as different titles. | |
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12-1-2003 10:20pm |
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tony_j15
that aint a lightsaber
Registered: 2/2003
Location: CJ,MO:REBEL Base
Posts: 8150
You won't know until you know, then you'll wish you hadn't. |
| So is the AI good or not? You say: "One of my favorite features in CoD is the intelligent AI. It has not disappointed me yet." Then you say:"CoD does not even come close to BHD's AI." Little more explination please!
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12-2-2003 12:47pm |
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poopeyhed2
Ultimate Member
Registered: 9/2001
Posts: 3421
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| What I mean by that is that from Delta Force: Black Hawk Down's review was because in BHD, the teammate's AI is horrible. By horrible, let's say I was at an ally peering out to see if any enemies in the vincity. As I lean in and out of an ally, my teammates would push me out into the open and take fire, and this is like the second or third mission and I failed the mission 3 times because of this. CoD's AI is very believeable, as if life like. | |
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12-2-2003 2:37pm |
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tony_j15
that aint a lightsaber
Registered: 2/2003
Location: CJ,MO:REBEL Base
Posts: 8150
You won't know until you know, then you'll wish you hadn't. |
| OK, I think I get it now. | |
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12-2-2003 2:48pm |
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poopeyhed2
Ultimate Member
Registered: 9/2001
Posts: 3421
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| Please ask away if you don't fully understand! Maybe you'd have to read the BHD review? But let me put it this way, Call of Duty's AI is way more superior to Black Hawk Down's AI. | |
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12-2-2003 2:50pm |
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shawshank62
Ultimate Member
Registered: 9/2002
Location: southampton, pa
Posts: 4788
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| Multiplayer: Call of Duty's multiplayer consists of 11 maps, which vary from towns, to forrests, to the famed Pavlov's house which was held out from the Germans by Pavlov and his men. It is a strong mix of maps that will sure to please most everyone. One of the great features of CoD is that it checks the players files and if it finds an illigitimate file, you are kicked from the server (or at least the ones that have "pure" enabled). This system of cheat prevention, while very primative, does a good job to prevent about 95% of all cheating. The overall weapon balance is slightly lop-sided towards the Americans, with 2 semi-automatic rifles, a sub-machine gun, and a machine gun (plus a bolt action sniper, which each team has). When compared to the Russians which have a bolt-action rifle and a sub-machine gun; the Germans with a bolt-action rifle, sub machine gun, and machine gun. But with the upcoming patch, some of these imbalances will be corrected. One of the biggest issues with multiplayer is with the maps Hurtgen and Rocket, which are "snowy forrests"...and with that means snipers. Currently there is no limit to the amount of snipers, so it usually turns into a sniper fest. But for those of you in clans, TWL and CAL have decided not to include either map, until some sort of limiting factor is including in the upcoming patch. And of course, bunnyhopping. Cheap...and noobish, it happens much too often. But rumor has it that in the upcoming patch, there will be a stanima bar to prevent massive bunnyhopping. CoD multiplayer includes a new element to also rid it of cheaters, the "kill cam." Showing you what your killer did for the last 7 seconds before he shot you. If you see cheating, report it to the admin, and in most cases the player is kicked. But since most servers are rented by clans, this has been disabled through hacks for league play, as has spectating the whole map. CoD has Team Deathmatch, Deatmatch, Behind Enemy Lines, Search and Destroy, and Retrieval.
-Assuming you already know TDM, and DM, i will just go onto BEL (Behind Enemy Lines). In this gameplay mode, one team is vastly outnumbered by other and its goal is to kill and stay alive as long as possible. You get points for every XX seconds that you are alive depending on the server. If you kill one of the players on the outnumbered team, you then take his or her place. The team with the most points wins.
-Retrieval is basically capture the flag, one team must guard objects while the other must steal and bring it back to their "saftey zone."
-Search and Destroy is much like Objective in MOH:AA, where one team attacks, trying to plant a bomb on a target and the other team trying to protect the targets. If the target explodes the attacking team wins, and if not the defending wins. Now onto voting...no more clumsy console commands to vote, for it is a built in team selcetion/weapon selection tab. You can call for map change, gametype change, player kicking, and a few other things. And then players vote yes by pressing F1 or no by pressing F2. A simple and effective way for getting that tk'ing noob booted. Overall: A truly fun experience, especailly if you can get together with a few friends or a clan and work together. It is by far the best "small scale" (compared to "large scale" like Battlefield 1942) multiplayer to come about, beating MOH:AA, and RTCW (and ET) IMO. If you liked MOH:AA you will love CoD. And if you are searching for a server....stop by 8th Infantry Division's CoD server: |8th| S&D Server -Now Recruiting-
66.98.190.35:13206 | Rating: 5/5 |
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12-5-2003 6:05pm |
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poopeyhed2
Ultimate Member
Registered: 9/2001
Posts: 3421
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| Excellent post ya got there ShawShank. Very detailed, I can't post such something like that because I don't have broadband to test out the game(s) like that. | |
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12-5-2003 7:36pm |
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shawshank62
Ultimate Member
Registered: 9/2002
Location: southampton, pa
Posts: 4788
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| serisouly, once this patch comes out, this game really will be rock solid imo. It really whips the pants off of all prior games, and with these few corrections, it will be hard to beat. | |
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12-5-2003 10:36pm |
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The Real Bingo
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Registered: 7/2003
Location: PA, USA
Posts: 19955
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| Too much like MOHAA, IMO. Just better graphics. | |
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6-25-2004 6:14pm |
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