A full Modern Warfare 2 preview and exclusive interview.
It’s Modern Warfare 2 week at GamerZines, or so it seems. As well as the Modern Warfare 2 preview posted yesterday, today’s P3Zine includes a hands-on preview of the game, and more importantly, the complete text of the interview with Infinity Ward, which we ran in multiple parts on the website a few weeks ago.
It’s a big interview, and several of the answers are more extensive than the abbreviated versions we had to publish on the website for space reasons, plus there are several other questions and answers in there that we didn’t get to include on the website either, so even if you read the web version, it’s worth reading the whole thing in P3Zine.
GamerZines: Is there any change to the Modern Warfare killstreak rewards – UAV at 3 / airstrike at 5 / helicopter at 7?
Infinity Ward: Killstreak rewards have received a huge expansion, much like the rest of multiplayer. You can now choose what killstreak reward you want at 3, 5, and 7 killstreaks or do away with them altogether and save up for something like a 15 or higher killstreak where the big support comes from… Continue reading in this issue of P3Zine.
Reporting back from the mutliplayer event - exclusive preview and images
Infinity Ward recently ran a closed press event for Modern Warfare 2 for hands-on sessions with the multiplayer element. GamerZines was lucky enough to be among the select few at the invite-only event. We’ve written an extensive hands-on preview of Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer element, and we also took the opportunity to snap some photos of the event and the game.
You can read the full Modern Warfare 2 preview on the main site where we spill the beans on playing the new “Create a class” function, the customisable killstreaks, the new Perks, Team Deathmatch, and loads more.
When you’re done reading all the new info, you might want to check out the Modern Warfare 2 photoset from the event that we’ve posted on Flickr. We’ve also got some video we’ll work on when we get back and over the jetlag to see what is usable.
We’ve just been playing Modern Warfare 2 in the company of Robert Bowling and co. at this evening’s multiplayer reveal event in LA, and thought we’d bring you the first look at the game’s default weapon loadouts used in the multiplayer.
Be aware that both the Scout Sniper and Riot Control classes are only unlocked once you rank up to level 3.
Grenadier
FAMAS
SPAS 12
Frag Grenades
Stun Grenades x 2
Scavenger Perk
Stopping Power Perk
Commando Perk
Copycat Deathstreak
First Recon
UMP45
.44 Magnum
Semtex
Flash Grenade x 2
Marathon Perk
Lightweight Perk
Steady Aim Perk
Copycat Deathstreak
Overwatch
L86 LSw
AT4
Semtex
Flash Grenades x 2
Bling Perk
Stopping Power Perk
Steady Aim Perk
Painkiller Perk
Scout Sniper
Barrett .50 Cal
USP .45
Tactical Insertion
Smoke Grenade
Sleight of Hand Perk
Coldblooded Perk
Scrambler Perk
Copycat Deathstreak
Riot Control
Riot Shield
PP2000
Blast Shield
Stun Grenade x 2
Marathon Perk
Hardline Perk
Commando Perk
Painkiller Deathstreak
And remember, if you don’t like the sound of any of these, just like original Modern Warfare you’re also able to create up to five custom classes.
While we wait for the media monkeys to upload the new MW2 clip to the GamerZines website, here’s the YouTubed version of Infinity Ward’s latest multiplayer vid.
Once again, it’s pretty gobsmacking stuff, as a player and his shield-carrying cohort stalk the streets of some unidentified foreign locale, killing plenty of enemies and grabbing flags. The level of detail is phenomenal, the explosions and smoke effects are among the best we’ve ever seen, and yet somehow it runs smoother than a greased otter. And the blood smears on the screen when you get shot look particularly amazing.
It appears to be from the 360 version of the game -- at least based on the onscreen button prompts, anyway -- and shows some of the killstreak rewards. Four kills gets you an air drop, five a predator missile. Then, a few more kills later, it’s all over…
…but then again, perhaps not. After the 11.10.09 legend (a reminder not to get too excited -- it’s still 10/11/09 for those of us who write the date correctly), we’re treated to a few extra seconds of footage, showing a new desert environment (again gorgeous), multiple weapon attachments, a well-aimed knife-throw buzzkill, and a very quick host migration process to keep the game going when a connection drops.
It doesn’t really need saying, but this is seriously impressive stuff once more. 69 days. It’s starting to drag now. Hurry up, November.
The second and third parts of the GamerZines interview with Robert Bowling are now live, and make for fascinating reading. It seems that far from resting on its laurels, Infinity Ward is taking the risky step of making several adjustments to what’s widely regarded as the finest multiplayer game on the market. It would have been all too easy for IW to stick to its guns and just make a few minor tweaks, but wholesale changes are on the board, at least from what Bowling has to say about perks and killstreaks.
“We do have expanded Killstreak Rewards now, some of which are user controlled. For example, where you previously could call in UAV, Airstrikes, and Helicopter Support but had no control on how helpful they were, there are many more options which allow you to take control of the gunner or control its success a bit more for a limited time. Such as the AC130 gunship where you can fire any of the three weapons on it during its limited time in the air.”
What’s unclear is exactly how this affects your character on the ground – is he effectively teleported into the gunship and out of harm’s way? Does he remain on the ground in temporarily invincible form? Or will it still be possible to die while controlling the gunship – thus meaning you’ll have to find a relatively safe place before calling in the gunship? It’ll be interesting to see how IW handles this, as it could potentially affect the realism of the experience.
As far as perks go, again the news is good, with a number of upgrades to this popular mechanic. “We’ve made extensive additions to the perk system and create-a-class system as a whole”, says Bowling. “As I’ve stated, you can now customize killstreak rewards in addition to your weapon loadout, so your reward for multiple kills without a death can be customized to how you like to play. For example, I forego any 3 Killstreak or 5 killstreak and focus on the bigger payoffs for longer killstreaks. This new addition along with the ability to rank up Perks from their base benefit to an upgraded Pro version with additional bonuses allows you to really customise your Classes to your preferred play style per gametype.”
It seems to be a way of allowing the player to personalise his or her approach to the game to an even greater degree – letting you play the game exactly the way you want to. But can IW balance this level of flexibility? Will exploits be found? With such a wide range of options, the latter seems a near-certainty. Yet if players do find exploits, it seems the publisher will quickly clamp down on them.
“We stay extremely connected to our community on a real-time basis,” Bowling insists. “I credit a lot of that to our presence on Social Media sites like Twitter (Follow @fourzerotwo) and Facebook where we can get instant reports from our players. We’re extremely aggressive about listening to what our community is saying and responding. Whether it’s an issue or suggestion, we’ve got our ear to the ground for what’s coming.”
It seems just about every angle is covered, then – at least if Infinity Ward’s walk is as good as its talk. 74 days and counting…
Up on the GamerZines site we have the first part of an interview with Robert Bowling, community manager at Infinity Ward, and official mouthpiece for all things Modern Warfare 2.
Until now, info about the game has been relatively sparse, with intriguing new tidbits of info kept to a minimum by a developer and publisher eager to keep the slow drip-feed of hype as tightly-controlled as possible. But now we know a little bit more. Like, for example, the fact that some stages are going to be some distance away from the oh-so-linear COD of old.
“You’ll have those awesome crafted experiences, broken up with a variety of other missions that are more open,” states Bowling. “This design philosophy continues not only in our level design, but even when we were scoring the music. We created three separate tracks for certain levels based on whether the player decided to stealth his way through and explore around finding ways to get past the enemy, or if he runs and guns it.”
A variety of tactics would appear to be possible then – from Sam-Fisher-like sneaking to a more Rambo-esque gung-ho approach. And dynamic music depending on how you play it? Awesome.
Also, it seems we could well be seeing the return of more than one familiar face from the first game. As Bowling puts it: “Remnants of your past and the fate of your squad at the end of the previous story really shape the conflict, enemies, story, and events of Modern Warfare 2.”
Okay, so it’s only a tacit admittance, but we think we could see at least two old favourites making a comeback. Readers, if there’s anyone you’d particularly like to see return in MW2, then please let us know by commenting below. The rest of the interview will be published over the next two days, so expect more revelations very soon.
From Mw2blog.com, courtesy of Gamer’s Guide To Life, here – well, just a few short lines below this particular sentence – is what appears to be a complete list of weapons featured in Modern Warfare 2.
In short: guns. Lots of guns. And many more than were in the original. Good to see the M4 Carbine and Dragunov making a welcome return, and that’s a fairly hefty selection of shotguns right there. And a Glock? Niiiice.
In other news, the official Modern Warfare website is looking conspicuously empty, apparently gearing up for another ‘worldwide reveal’ if the page header is anything to go by. New stuff at GamesCom? Seems that way.
Months: Less than three. Emotion: Pumped. Well and truly.
