Warfighter is all about authenticity.
That’s
Danger Close’s slant on this upcoming sequel, the hook to wash away the taste of their disappointing 2010 effort.
And with the intimidating form of honest-to-god retired Tier 1 operator Tyler Grey sitting right next to us, and tales of his ubiquitous input to overall development, Danger Close evidently have their sights set on substance.
Presumably leaving the flash to their peers at Ubisoft each November...
Authenticity being the game’s name, how would you expect the developers to open their hands-off demo? Why, with the disembodied voice of protagonist Preacher’s nagging Mrs of course! Her complaints range from his contant absence, his insistence on disappointing their daughter and the basic fact he’s not half as good a dad as he is, well, a Warfighter.
Nagging broads; now that’s something we can all relate to. Am I right, fellas?!
[Tumbleweed.]
Moving swiftly along, the floating gun races through a doorway, circle-strafing, cocking grenades and lead-pumping baddies via 4X scope.
Frostbite 2 holds its own as the environs crumble in a hail of superheated projectiles and waves of concussive force. Bodies ragdoll, the frames speed along, I’d wager 60 or so per second, and for all its polish and presentation, Warfighter looks for all the world another derivative FPS.
Suddenly, ‘scope’ mode transitions directly into ‘iron sights’, the assault rifle twisting readily in Preacher’s grip. Not quite comprehending the relevance, Tyler dutifully explains the usefulness of switching between long distance sniping and close quarters combat with the flick of a wrist.
Apparently this is a technique employed by Tier 1 operators and
Danger Close happily slapped it the mechanic.
Warfighter started to perk up! It was quickly explained that gun mods will have a greater focus here, reducing the need to lug multiple rifles about.
Something, believe it or not, real Warfighters tend to frown upon.
I was impressed further as a locked door approached.
Now I love a good pine doorway as much as the next man, but it was in fact the quartet of breeching options that piqued my interest. With one mysteriously locked, Preacher could boot down, flash-bang or explode the doorframe, each consequentially granting a specific gameplay perk.
Tom Clancy called. He wants his repertoire back.
Just ignore him,
Danger Close, he’s bitter. Breeching is exciting and innovative, particularly when the flash-banging results in a slow motion sequence during which the room’s hostile occupants can be cleanly “dispatched” without further danger to the hostages.
With
Frostbite 2, fancy sight-modes and breeching options, Warfighter’s claims to authenticity went a ways to fracturing those initial suspicions of unoriginality.
That’s not to say they’ve run far enough with the theme. Stamina remains a non issue, the number of bullets residing in the clip is omnisciently plastered upon the HUD and the uninspired turret segment which rounds out the demo provoked copious fiery explosions from the simple act of drilling brick with a high velocity machine gun round.
Authenticity aside, Warfighter remains an ‘arcade’ shooter.
But hey, at least it pretty!
Minor misgivings aside,
Medal of Honor: Warfighter is shaping up nicely. The more personal side to soldering is a breath of fresh air, the water engine is both dynamic and *ahem* fluid, the visuals are crisp right up until the moment you decimate them. Combined with the promise of further authenticity, Danger Close have done enough to keep us watching until its release on October 26th.