Call of Duty 3 – PS3 – Preview

While
the game’s expansion and the current-gen console games were handled elsewhere,
the previous two bona fide entries to the Call of Duty franchise have been
developed by Infinity Ward. However, with the third game, the baton is being
passed off to Treyarch, developer on last year’s console iteration, Call of
Duty: Big Red One. This may cause some gamers to baulk at the shift (Call of
Duty 2 was and could still be one of if not the best next-gen game on the
market), but after spending some time with the game recently, I’d have to assure
you that COD 3 is in good hands. The game retains all of the intensity of the
previous titles and even manages to add to the feel and become even more
atmospheric. Call of Duty 3 is shaping up to be a worthy successor to the
previous entries to the series.

Call of
Duty 3 focuses on the Normandy Breakout, and puts you in control of soldiers
from four different nations, the American and British forces, as well as the
Canadian and Polish armies, their first appearances in the series. The game has
no loading bar this time around, as the game will stream a movie as the game
area loads up, making for a seamless experience.

The one
thing that you’ll immediately notice about Call of Duty 3 is the sheer volume of
on-screen action has been increased. Tons of more enemies, more tanks, and more
friendly units will be swarming the screen at any given moment, adding to the
chaos and sense of immersion in the game.

The
game takes a pretty realistic approach to the warfare, requiring more time to
perform certain tasks. For example, planting a charge is more than just holding
down a button. Now, a minigame will ensue requiring you to press buttons in a
certain order and rotate the thumbstick in order to set the bomb properly.
The gyroscopic PS3 controller also comes into play, as twisting it from left to
right will allow you to perform a melee attack, popping your enemy with the butt
of your gun.

The
multiplayer portion of the game was very engaging, allowing players to use
vehicles like motorcycles and trucks on the battlefield.

Graphically, the game is an improvement over Call of Duty 2, which says a lot,
since that game was and still is some great eye-candy. The character models are
extremely detailed and realistic, and the environments look incredible. Looking
down the scope will focus you on certain things but not others, as objects that
you aren’t focusing on will appear blurry. This is a subtle change, but makes
for some very immersive gameplay, as enemies can sneak up to your side and get
the drop on you if you can’t see them.

The
sound is also incredible, with whizzing bullets and the battlefield ambience
we’ve come to expect from the Call of Duty series.

Call of
Duty 3 is shaping up to be another dynamite entry to the successful franchise,
and Treyarch is certainly taking it in the right direction.