MW3 – Do We Really Need Another AC-130 Level..?
First things first, this post contains spoilers. Sure they are the same ones revealed recently by Kotaku but they are spoilers nonetheless so don't say we didn't warn you!
Secondly, before people assume that I am one of the many people who hate the Call Of Duty franchise and everything it stands for, I can assure you I am not. Personally, I like nothing better than to come home after a long day at the office, turn on my format of choice and wile away an hour or two on Black Ops online multiplayer, across the various game modes. Despite many people's complaints about the online community and a lack of innovation in terms of gameplay, I like Call Of Duty: Black Ops, just as I liked Modern Warfare and MW2 and I eagerly await each year's release.
This November it's the turn of what will possibly be the last of the Modern Warfare series and, as mentioned earlier, A LOT of very credible-looking information has been leaked to the public lately including screenshots, an audio clip, details of the multiplayer levels, a new Spec Ops mode as well as a breakdown of almost the entire single-player campaign. (Obviously it's only May though, some of these details may change between now and the release date.) One of the things that has apparently be outed during this unofficial reveal is that there will once again be a level based inside the now-infamous Lockheed AC-130 gunship. When I read this, I'll be honest, I didn't get excited at all. If anything my heart sank a little.
The AC-130 made it's first appearance in the franchise in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare in both the "Hunted" and "Death From Above" campaign missions, then as a killstreak reward in Modern Warfare 2 and then again as a controllable vehicle in Modern Warfare: Mobilized. In a startlingly-similar move, Treyarch also introduced some "eyes in the sky" for you in Black Ops, with the introduction of the SR-71 Blackbird plane in the "WMD" level, as well as being a killstreak reward in the multiplayer mode.
Now, I am obviously aware that the AC-130 and SR-71 are two very different beasts (ie: one has giant weaponry attached to it, the other is armed only with a high-powered camera) but in terms of the single-player campaign mode they both provide the same thing: a let-up from the intense action and furious gunplay down at ground level. I also understand the reasons behind introducing these kinds of levels: these AAA titles are intended to keep you on a rollercoaster ride of excitement and adrenaline, slowing things down and speeding things up again to constantly keep the player on their toes. But do we all really want this?
Personally, one of the reasons I buy the Call Of Duty games each year is to be at ground level, getting that feeling of being "one man on a mission" in amongst the action, enjoying the thrill ride down on the front line, dodging bullets and enjoying the fast-paced visceral action that Activision have become so adept at providing. When I first played the "Death From Above" level on Modern Warfare, it was something different and it excited me...for about 12 seconds. Once you've blasted apart a few troops or jeeps from thousands of feet above them, with no fear of reprisal, it becomes a little repetitive and bland. I found myself feeling detached from the action I craved and before much longer was just waiting for the level to finish so I could get back down there. For exactly the same reasons, I found the SR-71 to be much of the same thing in Black Ops: just putting up with it and counting down the minutes until you could clip a magazine back into your rifle and raid some buildings.
Many will read this and say that Call Of Duty needs these big set-pieces and that it's what people expect of the series and I agree, set pieces are great for breaking up the action but what about all the others already present? The player has controlled various vehicles across the series, with helicopter turrets, humvee turrets, motorbikes, speedboats and even snowmobiles all making an appearance and they were fast-paced and exciting moments which served well to break up the on-foot action while preserving that vital adrenaline rush we all crave so much as we grip our sweaty controllers.
So I ask you, the gamers: What do you think? Did you enjoy the aerial levels in Modern Warfare and Black Ops? Do you want more of it? Or less? And do we really need to pilot the AC-130 once again..?
