Call of Duty 3 - Playstation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360 (360) Previews


	Platform PS3, 360, Wii, PS2, XB Genre First-Person Shooter Publisher Activision Developer Treyarch ETA November 2006
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Call of Duty 3

Screenshot from Wii version (left); Xbox 360 (right)

Since it’s initial release in late 2003, the Call of Duty franchise has set the bar for how a World War II first-person shooter should be made. Combining adrenaline-packed missions with historical accuracy, Call of Duty has proven to be the top World War II franchise on current and next-generation platforms.

What’s made Call of Duty unique when compared to other games in the genre is that it lets the player experience World War II from multiple national perspectives. For the whole series, the game has offered the American, British and Russian perspectives of the war. With Call of Duty 3 on the way, the developers are hoping to shake things up a bit.

The next chapter in the series will occur during the Normandy Breakout, which leads to the eventual liberation of Paris . The game will contain 14 single player missions spread across four campaigns. The biggest facelift that Call of Duty 3 has seen is the removal of the Russian campaign. The Canadian and Polish campaigns will replace the Russian missions. Being Canadian, it’s nice to see Canadians being recognized for their contributions to the Allied effort during the World War II.

It’s important to note that Infinity Ward will not be at the helm this time around.

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The developing duties have been passed onto Treyarch, the developer behind Call of Duty 2: Big Red One. Treyarch did a terrific job of delivering Big Red One on the current-gen platforms last fall, so a change in developers shouldn’t be very alarming.

There have been a number of nice additions added to the

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gameplay, which include a new hand-to-hand combat system and the setting and disarming of traps. Taking a chapter out of Ubisoft’s Brothers in Arms series, Call of Duty 3 will also include multiple mission paths. Players can decide how they want to confront an enemy, either using a head-on approach or simply flanking them.

Brand new in-game physics allow the full destruction of “soft” cover throughout the game’s environments. Your character and enemy soldiers are no longer immune from bullets when hiding behind cover.

The multiplayer has been further expanded this time around. Up to 24 players can participate in an online match and now the option of single player or split-screen online multiplayer is also available. New vehicles have been added to the online play: jeeps, motorcycles (with side cars) and tanks. Like many other team-based shooters, Call of Duty 3 will also allow you to cycle between different character classes, each class having their own set of skills and abilities.

Call of Duty 3 is looking quite solid. Activision has confirmed that the game will be available for all current (excluding the GameCube) and all next-gen systems. Look for Call of Duty 3 to deploy to stores in early November.

- Siddharth Masand

(August 28, 2006)