by Aman Gupta | Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons, Flickr | 27 April 2015
Call of Duty is one of the biggest game franchises in the world, with fans spending a startling amount of money on the game, downloadable content (DLC), and maps. Even though it has had more misses than hits in the last few years, people eagerly await its event every November. Call of Duty and its creator, Activision, are loved by people around the world for its legendary first person shooters like Modern Warfare – Call of Duty 4 and simultaneously disliked for their eternal tale of the same story line every year. I am writing about how I have grown frustrated with the game and how equally excited I am for their next title, Black Ops 3 – just like every other crazy fan!
I have played every Call of Duty game from Modern Warfare (that’s on PC, others are on Play Station 3). Ghosts released while I was in university, so I didn’t get the opportunity to buy it. After reading the reviews, I don’t intend to either.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Reveal Trailer
Activision recently revealed a dark teaser for the next Call of Duty instalment, Black Ops 3, sending shivers down the spines of many. As per the leaked information and reveal trailer fresh off the web (in fact just yesterday), Black Ops 3 will be set in the future like all other recent titles. But unlike Advance Warfare, which introduced boost assisted jumping, this time Treyarch will be focusing on Cybernetic Body Parts from a “program” called Evolved Variable Operator. Some of this cybernetics is believed to allow faster movements while others will allow players to take more damage.
Enthusiasts have left no stone unturned in order to find out more details about the game; while some have been reading the Call of Duty website’s source code or the numbers in the teaser, others are still stuck on the “How far are you willing to go?” part in the 20-second teaser. It is safe to say that Call of Duty fans are insane. I’m writing an article about Black Ops 3– that counts for something!
But going back down memory lane and looking at the last few releases from Activision, you can only resent buying those video games. Call of Duty has had the same 3-hour campaign storyline set in different themes and powered by various weapons. Nothing really changes! They try introducing Zombies or Black Ops game-like modes into the videogames with Extinction in Call of Duty: Ghosts which are obviously not as exciting as the original Zombies multi-player.
Recently, Call of Duty has also started to do regional locking in console games. Now you end up playing and sometimes waiting endlessly for a match to appear; more often than not, these gamers are not ranked properly and teams become unbalanced. The production houses are facing such a brain drain that they are using schematics of old multiplayer maps to make new ones! Still people (including me) are ready to buy the new Call of Duty.
What I don’t like – and I believe I can speak for the entire community – is the DLC Drop-offs; Activision’s way of squeezing out another 60 USD out of your pocket for some extra guns, maps, and call signs. Frankly, it is annoying that after spending a substantial amount on a video game, you only get three-quarters of the experience, as you need to pay-up for the rest of it.
Although ‘nobles’ who can afford to buy the DLC don’t get any undue advantage over us ‘peasants’, it isn’t moral to sell only a part of the game at the full price. Call of Duty is one of the most expensive titles on consoles even without the DLC package.
I have stronger faith in Treyarch than Infinity Ward, or Sledgehammer (the three developers of Call of Duty titles). Therefore, I am sure that Black Ops 3 will be far better than anything we have seen since Black Ops 2.
Aman Gupta
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