Call of Duty: Finest Hour
- October 07, 2004 16:38 PM PST
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Call of Duty fans will no doubt be watching Finest Hour with a keen eye.
For the console version of its popular Call of Duty franchise Activision wanted to do more than just a simple port, so it turned to developer Spark Unlimited and asked it to come up with an original title that remained true to the franchise. Having cut its teeth on the Medal of Honor series, the team at Spark was ready for the challenge.According to Scott Langteau, the COO at Spark and producer of Call of Duty: Finest Hour, the team's main goals when creating Finest Hour were intense action and historical accuracy. "The team is rabid about research," Langteau said. "We always joke that we've worked on WWII longer than the war was in existence."
The game spans the period from 1942-1945, and covers the Russian, North African and European fronts. Players will start the game in western Russia with the liberation of Stalingrad before moving to the deserts of Africa and the heart of Europe. The story weaves its way through six different characters, giving both perspective and depth to what some have referred to as a very personal war.
More than thirty different weapons can be found in the game, many of which are specific to the front in which they were used. All of the weapons were test fired in a desert outside of Los Angeles in order to properly record the sound and Spark consulted with military advisor Major Hank Keirsey to ensure that the in game characters were using and holding the weapons in a proper manner.
Vehicles will also play an important role in the game, with approximately 70 percent of play occurring on foot and the remaining 30 percent in a vehicle of some sort. Among others, you will find yourself in a Russian T34 tank, an American Sherman tank, and a gunner riding in a jeep.
The first mission we saw was the attack on Stalingrad. Russian troops were ferried across a river and into the city where they faced off against entrenched German forces. What was immediately noticeable was the sheer number of fellow fighters on the field. This isn't "you versus the world," rather it is a bit more epic in feel. The feeling of playing a small role in a much larger conflict was carried through to the rest of the game.
Moving on the next level that we demoed was the attack on the German city of Aachen. Under siege for 10 days in October of 1944, the fall of Aachen was a symbolic blow to the German forces and it paved the way for Allied troops to make their push into the heart of the country. As an amusing sidenote, the introductory voiceover for this mission contains a small inside joke given the team's history. Before going into battle the main character states, "This is not about medals or honor, this is about winning the war."
Fighting through the streets of Aachen, the player is tasked to help defend an armored tank convoy. You will use the tanks for cover from enemy fire, however at certain points you and your team will need to move from door to door to clear out heavy weaponry, lest the tanks be blown to bits before they can reach their goal in the city center.
The AI characters will fight effectively, but your team is not immune to damage. If hurt an AI character's name will turn from green to red. You can give them health packs to keep your team in fighting form, however every pack you give away is one less for you to use on yourself.
Another notable mission had the player attacking an airfield with a tank. Your mission was to destroy the enemy planes before they got off the ground. A well placed shot from the main gun could take out a plane, but when attacking a heavily guarded installation you can't rely on a single weapon. In order to keep the foot soldiers at bay, players will be required to use the tank's machine gun as well. With three different views (inside the tank, third person and machine gunner) it is fairly easy to target your opponent.
By and large, Finest Hour is shaping up to be a fine game. At this point in the development cycle Spark is focusing primarily on tuning the levels. The build we played seemed fairly content complete, but there were some minor issues with hit detection that still need to be worked out. Player movement also felt a bit sluggish from time to time, which is something that should be resolved by launch.
In addition to the single player game, both the PS2 and Xbox versions of Finest Hour will feature online multiplayer with up to 16 people. Sadly there will be no co-op play available. The GameCube version will not be playable online.
Call of Duty fans will no doubt be watching Finest Hour with a keen eye, as PC players are often skeptical of console ports of their favorite franchises, but from what we've seen Activision and Spark are doing this one right. If all goes as planned, when Finest Hour ships later this fall it will proudly wear the Call of Duty name.
