Posts
I have had the luck of testing out the BETA version of CoD:WW thanks to http://www.callofduty.com. To try the beta, go to http://www.callofduty.com/beta. Since I was a registered member, I had an offer to play the BETA, until it runs out on the 11th of November, which is 1 day after my birthday and 1 day before the release. But beware, all you cheats. Even though you can download it from FilePlanet and CustomCoD, you will need a Beta key, which is given out to all registered members. The keys are given out in a order. First, all members of CharlieOscarDelta.com, then CallofDuty.com, then finally new members. I, was lucky enough to sign up 4 days before the Beta, and also get the Xbox 360 Beta, but I don't have an Xbox.
Anyway, when I downloaded the Beta, I installed the game after school. The file size is only about 800Mb, and takes up about 1GB according to the Beta Instruction manual.
After putting my key in, the game started to install. In the Beta version, you get to play online (but not LAN, so they say) and play on a choice of 3 maps: Castle, Makin, and Roundhouse.
Once the game has installed, it doesn't display a message about successful installation or anything, you have to find the .exe file in the C: drive.
Anyway, I ran the game, and also added it to my Steam games, so I can use the Steam In-Game community feature. When the game loaded up, it asks for a profile to log-in. I just simply created a profile, and I was on.
What I noticed straight away is that the Menu screen is similar to the CoD4 menu screen, which suggests that it still runs on the CoD4 engine. This is also backed up by the game's console engine, which is exactly the same as CoD4's. However, they have changed it. Since CoD:WW is based around WWII, it has the old looking style, and the font was nice and old, and I liked it. The background picture is far better than the one in CoD4, as it displays some of it's greatest features, the tanks. Also, the font is the same font throughout the whole game, even in-game.
When I set up my game settings and controls, I found a server and joined it. The first map I played was Castle, based around the Jap's emperorish (if it's a word) lifestyle.
Now, if you are afraid of the System specs that are required to play the game, don't be. The system specs needed are: 3Ghz Processor, 512MB RAM (1GB for Vista), 256MB Graphics Card, or I think Nvidia 7600 or better, or Radeon X1600 or better, and about 8GB for the game.
My specs are: Intel(R) Celeron(R) 3.4Ghz, Nvidia GeForce 8800GTS, 2GB RAM, Vista Ultimate, and still got like 100GB free.
So with this, I found out that if you can play CoD4 and you have over 3Ghz, you can play. When I get my Core 2 Duo for my birthday (If I get it..) E7200 with 2.53Ghz per core, I can pwn n00bs :D
Anyway, straight away, I noticed one thing, the loading bar was gone, or it had moved to a bad place which I could not find! I complained in the forums, and others said it was under/above the map name, and yet I still couldn't find it. However, the pictures of the map when loading looks good. It gives the player an idea of what they're expecting.
Anyway, when playing the game, you have to use the default classes, and then when you rank up a few ranks, you unlock Create-A-Class, and you can have up to 10
Classes, unlike CoD4 and having only 5. This is great for me, as I need lots of classes. Also, they have more perks to choose from, and they now have a 'Viechle Perk', for turrets and tanks and stuff.Anyway, I started off using the Thompson, a single-fire gun. I noticed that the detail in the textures was excellent, and the weapons could improve a little, as they look a bit boxy on curves and such.
Besides that, the gameplay and HUD is set out nicely. When you go to type a message, it comes up big for you, and then reduces down to a smaller size when you post it. Unfortunately, the Beta version has a level cap, which is at 40. This means that we (us) miss out on the great features of the game, like the M4A1, and the Flamethrower...
Besides that, the HUD looks exactly the same to the COD4 HUD. Same points bar, same Key Icons, and same map radar style.
One thing I like about the game is the bonuses for Kill Streaks. As I have already mentioned, it is based on WWII, which means the technology is not as advanced as CoD4, and in real-life today. If you get a 3 Kill Streak without dying, you get a Plane Recon, which sends a plane overhead to show you where your enemy is on the map. Get a 5 Kill Streak, and you get Artillary Strike, which is just like the AirStrike, but lasts longer and more powerful. If you get a 7 Kill Streak, you get to send out Dogs which attack and kill your enemy. Although the dogs can get killed.
Overall, the game needs a little improvement, like bugs and stuff, but I like it. It is a lot different to CoD4, and can't wait for the official release of the game. It is worth the wait, and with some of the features locked because of the level cap, there is a lot more potential the game can produce to make gamers get their money's worth.
