Friday 8 February, 2008

GAMEPLAY
For the second hour of gameplay I decided to change things up a bit and play online. I found out right away that although the single player is fun and engaging the online multiplayer is what makes this game amongst the best. First thing I notice is all the different options there are to unlock: guns, camouflage, achievements, attachments, the list goes on. The reward system is one of the most vast I’ve experienced and I can tell it will keep me coming back constantly for months to come.
My friend signed onto Xbox Live and we played some team death match together. The gameplay doesn’t change much from the single player and I noticed maps are reused for the online function but this game is really gripping. The biggest change from the single player is how attached I was to this game and my online squad. I was talking to people with my headset letting people know where enemies were and they did the same; I was so into this game I ignored knocks on my door twice. The game is very fast paced yet refined; one must never stay in the same place but cannot just run from location to location blindly. The only complaint I have to the online portion of the game is the little kid brats that play the game and chat online, it makes me wonder if they actually go to school.

DESIGN
I enjoy this game to the extent that I do because of the wonderful design. Every map has extraordinary design, there is no safe place to be idle at and in return it keeps the game at a great pace. A few maps are very similar in looks but once played it is evident that they are in fact very different.
This game keeps players interested by the class creation system and the reward system implemented. Every player is given the option to create a soldier with the weapons and power to one’s liking. Although these options need to be unlocked, it doesn’t feel like a pain to the player to do so, it feels like a fair system in which one is rewarded for their improvement in the game.
Perhaps the best accomplishment Infinity Ward captures is the tone of the game. When I play this, even just online, I feel like I am in the Middle East or on a ship and I am fighting a war. The details of the streets and decayed city war zones captures the setting to what it truly looks like. Not to mention the graphics of this game are remarkable and with no slips in frame rate this game is quite a success in my opinion. To sum this up, the design of this game is wonderful, it succeeds at everything it attempts and is a must own for any realistic first person shooter fan.

This is all right, though a little short and spare. More detail and depth in general would be a good thing. However, it's still acceptable, if not wonderful. Good job.

Amy Leek (grader)