Even though it might not really have quite as new an engine as they say, I was actually impressed when I got to see Call of Duty: Ghosts up close during a behind closed doors session at E3. while it does, yes, look like another Call of Duty game, some of the next-generation refinements actually managed to tickle my technical fancy.
The most notable ones – other than y’know, realistic fish movement – are real-time tessellation and displacement mapping. What that does, is add depth to what would usually be rather flat looking textures. In the tech demo we were shown, the differences are pretty astounding, with simple things like rocks actually look like different rocks, with different sizes and depths; actual geometric fidelity. Yes, this is the sort of stuff that’s been available on PC’s through DirectX 11 for ages, but it’s really nice to seem them on console now too.
SubD, or Subdivision surfaces, is another neat technical trick that uses recursion, subdividing polygons over and over again to give the approximation of genuinely smooth surfaces. It’s most noticeable in the game when looking through a scope – which now appears to be perfectly round. Polygonal circles have always been a bit of a gaming pet-peeve of mine, and it’s nice to see that that’ll be going away.
In addition to that, Call of Duty will finally be getting proper lighting in the way of volumetric lighting, Bloom and HDR. And it’s about time, honestly.
After running through some of the new tech, we got to see the game in action – and save for one section, those bits have already been shown to the public. Here they are.
The bit that we press got to see, that you haven’t is actually significantly more exciting than what’s been shown so far – and it left me keen to actually play the game.
Called Federation Day, the level starts off high up in the skyscrapers on the eve of Venezuela’s..err, Federation Day. the player and his team (sans dog!) are atop a skyscraper while fireworks light up the night sky. Yes, it’s time for zip-line launchers, and other cool ways of getting across the tops of buildings.
Once across to the other side – a building populated with bad guys (obviously!) it was up to the player and his team to infiltrate the building by rappelling down the side, cutting holes in the windows and very sneakily killing off inhabitants on that floor, one by one. The object of the mission was to get in to the building as quietly as possible, and take out a number of servers before hauling ass right back out. Unfortunately, it seemed things didn’t quite pan out as planned, and an “in the interest of time” fast forward later, it seems the building’s gone up in flames and exploded a little prematurely – and the building’s essentially falling apart – leaving our hero in a bit of a tricky predicament.
What it reminded me of, surprisingly, was the more stealthy and strategic Rainbow Six – and that’s a good thing. While Ghosts still looks, and largely plays like a Call of Duty game, there are a number of elements that have me itching to play it.
Last Updated: June 21, 2013
Uberutang
June 21, 2013 at 13:14
How does it compare visually to BLOPS2 on PC running maxed out?
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
June 21, 2013 at 13:22
it’s quite a stark difference to BLOPS 2 – destructible terrain (in places), tessellation, SubD; it all makes quite a difference.
Argentil
June 21, 2013 at 13:17
How about 2 indie games articles for every CoD or Fifa one? CoD is totes mainstream, dude. I’m only half serious, btw.
Gavin Mannion
June 21, 2013 at 13:21
I’ll slap you with a wet Coelacanth for using the word Totes… no half joking at all
Indie games are hard to track down.. got some links?
Argentil
June 21, 2013 at 13:30
Twitter. Jonathon Blow is a very outspoken individual for example. Just add a couple, and they’ll retweet each other in their little network and you can keep adding them as they pop up, like hipster flies.
Mark Treloar
June 21, 2013 at 13:58
Coelacanth is an endangered species, rather use a wet COD.
OVG
June 21, 2013 at 13:18
Can you shoot the cod?
Yolanda Green
June 21, 2013 at 13:20
I really can’t wait to see what this game brings, especially on the multiplayer side of things 🙂
Johan Fourie
June 21, 2013 at 13:21
“What it reminded me of, surprisingly, was the more stealthy and strategic Rainbow Six” Well paint my face interested. From meh to DO WANT.
Ryanza
June 21, 2013 at 13:49
After MW2 Activision should have taken all that money it made and to start off they should have fixed that mess in MW2, and then they should have started working on a brand new engine from the ground up, and release 3rch Cod every 2 years.
Instead, year after year, taking all that money from gamers, they just kept on shitting and shitting, on that Unreal Engine. Oh this piece of shit sticks. Is that why you have a light source on the top and the sun shining in from the side?
Call of Duty developers said that they can not built a new engine because, Activision demands a game every 2 years, because they do not have time to do so. What is the point of having 2 developing houses working on one gaming series and not having at least one developing studio working on a new engine, to give back to the gamers. Every year they promise better and every year it’s just more shit falling off it.
Anti-Cod and now i fuck off.
MR Douchebag corrector
June 22, 2013 at 00:47
idtech3 engine*
Ryanza
June 22, 2013 at 10:22
I had 3 in my head and Unreal popped into my head. and i can’t edit. It was a Friday.
So thanks for the correction.
Kenneth RabidDog Clark
June 21, 2013 at 13:49
I really hope the game is better than what I just watched. That was ueber boring! Who wants to bet the dog will be a kill streak perk? 🙂
Tbone187
June 21, 2013 at 14:22
New graphics yeah,it’s the new gen so no surprises there… but what gameplay advances have there been?? (And don’t tell me bout this stupid dog thang)…I want better CQC, advanced manoeuvrability and so on… Destructible bg’s have been in action for yonks in Battlefield…Coming from a COD fan, it seems to be the same thing with polished graphics…I’m more keen on the Frostbite 3 engine and what advances it brings…
Skyblue
June 21, 2013 at 14:35
Seems if you flog a dead horse hard enough… nope, it still does nothing
Mario
June 21, 2013 at 16:34
Did anyone actually expected it will be something different?