Call of Duty 2 Preview

I am *not* the most pathetic person in the world. Really. I somehow manage to find an impossible connection between the game I'm writing about and the crazy train of my thoughts that had long ago abandoned the tracks of sanity. Today, however, I shall not be able to decorate my CoD2 preview with extraordinarily witty and intelligent ramblings, due to the fact my brain, which comes to me via UPS daily (guaranteed delivery by 10 AM!), did not arrive today. I was displeased with the service, so I cancelled the order and decided I could do without it. So far, I haven't noticed any difference, except that I get along with people much better than I used to when I had a brain. The effect of living brainless reminds me of the confused feeling after reading Jeff VanderMeer's 'Veniss Underground', only the brainless feeling is better. I find it very relaxing.

Now that I'm relaxed even without the encouraging help of nicotine *scratches her forehead with a sharp pencil dangerously close to the eye*, I can get to the point. The reason I'm so wide-awake at this time of day is that I'm trying to write a preview of Infinity Ward's sequel to the highly acclaimed PC shooter Call of Duty. The sequel has been scheduled for this fall, bringing a new graphics engine and several changes in the gameplay. The most apparent change about CoD2 is the amount of freedom the players are supposed to get. Not only are you going to be able to choose the campaign you want to play in no particular order, but you'll also be allowed to plan your mission strategy and complete your objectives the way it suits you best. The 'liberation' of a linear game such as CoD is welcome and very promising, having in mind this will provide for unique in game moments, personalizing the experience and avoiding repetitiveness.

This means playing one mission several times may result in several different experiences, which will introduce an exciting and engaging element into the gameplay. You do not need to play on the rails at all times. You may decide for another approach or simply take another route, as CoD2 has been stolen off its linearity. As you will be assigned several different objectives in one mission, it's up to you to decide how you want to go about completing them, and in what order. The developer insists this doesn't mean you'll be sometimes clueless as to what to do next - the objectives will be quite clear; it's just that you won't be forced to stick to a particular order when completing them. As I've said, this should offer you a much more personalized experience than before, so now's a good moment to clap your hands spontaneously.

Done with the clapping already? Then, hear a few words more about the anti-linearity movement in CoD2. The freedom offered in the game will also extend to your choice of campaign. You will be allowed to play the American, British, and Russian campaign as you please, switching between them at will or simply by choosing to play in order you prefer. This offers a much more dynamic gaming experience, also preventing you from energetically placing your boot in your monitor when you get stuck at a certain level. What, you *never* get stuck? You simply haven't spent enough time playing games. And what's that about the boots? You're wearing no boots? How the hell do you intend to win the war when you're wearing no boots, soldier?

The open-endedness of levels, together with the fact that they're much larger than in the original, won't be opposed to the cinematic feel that Infinity insists on so much. They will rather be complementary, helping you to become an integral part of the grandeur and the misery of WWII. The level size and the freedom of choice should also help the game evade the mistake of its predecessor - its relatively low replay value. CoD2 should be bigger in every sense of the word, and Infinity Ward confirms this nonchalantly: "We make the game we set out to design, and we'd like it to be a good length experience. I think this game's going to be longer, just by the sheer volume - there are more levels, they're bigger, the AI's different, it's going to take you longer to play. But the mandate is on making a good game, not on making a 15-hour experience." I couldn't agree more, but should the size be dismissed only because the technique was good?

While we're still on the topic of sex... CoD2, we must mention the significant role that the brain has to play in all of this. Although the game mechanics are supposed to stay pretty much the same, the game will feature a more advanced and complex AI, adding to the realistic experience and introducing a new dimension into the gameplay. (All of you who have started chanting 'the dimension of pain,' please, crawl off somewhere and die peacefully). The advanced AI won't allow you to issue commands, but it will instead allow your teammates to stay alive and help you out instead of committing the most cowardly form of suicide - using others to do it for you. Both your teammates and your enemies will supposedly be able to use the environment to their advantage, as well as to follow what seems the most logical strategy in a given situation. Your teammates will be able to take cover or provide covering fire, as well as to chat with you on some very important topics. For example, if they're British they will tend to discuss the weather, while the Russians... Sorry, I just drifted off for a second; must be the lack of the brain. The truth is, Infinity Ward has created the so-called Battle Charter System, thus enabling your teammates to share with you information about anything of particular importance, possible strategies and different data, and there will be absolutely no mention of the weather conditions. The reason for this was the fact Infinity Ward consulted many military advisors on the matter, deciding that talk between the teammates, the battle sounds and yells, made for a vital part of the entire experience. "We talked with military advisors, and one of the things they said was, 'Once the first shot's fired, there's no secrecy, so the battlefield just comes alive.' People talk, they say 'I'm reloading, cover me, get down.'" There's a good reason for including this chitchat in the game you see, as your teammates can warn you about an ambush or a grenade.

What also speaks in favor of the new CoD are the visuals, which are truly impressive if we are to judge by the screenshots. While the game stays true to its original looks, meaning it offers an enhanced version and not completely redesigned graphics, it also offers some neat special effects such as real-time lightning and shadows, advanced particle effects, which imply realistic smoke effects, weather conditions, and even heat shimmer (courtesy of advanced pixel shader techniques). Other visual aspects that should make CoD2 stand out from the rest of the crop is the destructible and deformable terrain - all the damage will be visible, serving as a reminder of what happened and adding a realistic touch to the game's atmosphere.

Continuing the efforts of the Allies and the Russians for the dominance in WWII, CoD2 brings a large number of different missions, taking place on locations mainly in Europe, but also in North Africa. In order to translate the authentic feel of the actual surroundings, Infinity Ward visited these locations, exploring them and taking photographs. (They went on a bloody vacation you mean. -Ed) It is still unclear whether this research shall serve only for the sake of authentic visual details, or it will have a larger, strategic impact on the game. Such as it is, it is clear that the British campaign will take place in North Africa, while the Russian campaign will take you to Moscow and eventually to Berlin. (Hmm, it always ends in Berlin for the Russians. -Ed) The American campaign includes some recon missions the details of which are still kept under wraps. The same goes for the multiplayer. Campaigns will be organized into smaller chapters that will be playable in any order you like, but I have already discussed this aspect on the game in some detail.

With a more challenging AI, 15 new weapons added to the game, the intuitive interface with small warnings if the interaction with the environment is possible, as well as more ways to complete a mission and the same old addictiveness and nail-biting action that has become the trademark of the series, we are truly looking forward to the sequel.

And on a somewhat unrelated note, the brainless, moronic life isn't all that it’s cranked up to be. I think I’ll stab myself in the eyeball with this pencil.