Call of Duty: Ghosts is out now; here’s our Call of Duty: Ghosts review.
“We have the best and most loyal fans in the world,” reason Infinity Ward. “And as a thank you we’re working on an awesome new multiplayer map to give you as a day one pre-order bonus.”
Hrrm. Let’s skirt right past that wonky logic and take a look at Free Fall: a brand new map sourced from Ghosts’ single player campaign that seems to have nabbed its USP from Battlefield 4. Which leaves it with an SP, I suppose.
“Free Fall is a great, new action-packed map,” says Call of Duty spokesmouth Mark Rubin in the trailer below. “It also introduces our new mechanic – dynamic maps. This idea of bringing that cinematic single player experience to multiplayer.”
“Call of Duty’s always offered unique levels thematically,” elaborates multiplayer designer Simon Tapping, “but now we have levels that are changing constantly.”
This is about the stage in a Battlefield 4 trailer that somebody says ‘levelution’. But we’re not watching a Battlefield 4 trailer, and Infinity Ward don’t do collapsing skyscrapers. No: they have a collapsing building, wedged between two skyscrapers – an implausible platform upon which players will shoot each other even as they plummet toward street level.
“The great thing about Free Fall is that it’s a map that’s ever-changing,” adds community managerTina Palacios. “The sight lines are ever-evolving. It’s a very frantic experience and the action is just really fun.”
Free Fall is the first of the “interesting and dynamic changing worlds” reportedly enabled by Infinity Ward’s new engine. Honestly, it seems a bit of a shame to limit any enjoyment it might offer to the cross-section of players wealthy and confident enough to buy into its £40 minimum pre-order deal. This is obviously some definition of the term ‘thank you’ I’ve been previously unaware of.
Then again: I’m no fan of plummeting. As a wise wizard once said: I’m not afraid of heights – I’m afraid of grounds. It’s the grounds that kill you.
Thanks, OXM.