Infinity Ward just showed off a new map for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, this year's entry in the long-running shooter franchise. The 14-minute video features design director Geoffrey Smith giving a detailed walkthrough of the Grazna Raid map.
On Friday, Game Informer released an exclusive video where Smith flew through the level and explained how the design of Modern Warfare is changing. The map is a bombed-out urban environment that is focused on a more realistic, asymmetrical layout.
On the new map, Smith commented how recent map designs in the franchise have been more symmetrical. Modern Warfare is attempting to break away from that trend, while still sticking to a three-lane formula.
"Going to Modern Warfare we wanted to keep that realism in," Smith said. "Humans can pick up patterns really easily, so in order to make this space feel real you have to hide those three lanes. You also want to dig into negative spaces so that construction site is in the center of the map. It's between lanes. Adding interesting bits in the center lets close quarters guys stay centrally located."
"It feels like something we would have made with Call of Duty 2. A lot of games will clip off stuff and not let you climb on things," he added, illustrating the different approaches to encounters possible at a specific chokepoint.
This interview comes hot on the heels of the release of a ton of new information about Modern Warfare, specifically the multiplayer. Infinity Ward has confirmed the return of classic modes like Headquarters, Team Deathmatch, and Domination as well as the return of offline bots. The co-op Spec Ops mode featured only in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is set to make a return after a decade.
New features are being added as well like the 2v2 Gunfight mode and a night mode modifier that lets players use night vision googles on darker variants of the maps. In addition to Grazna Raid, Azhir Cave and Gun Runner have been the other two maps shown off to the public.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare received a controversial response to the unveiling of its more serious narrative campaign earlier this year. However, these multiplayer reveals seem aimed to please players of the original Modern Warfare trilogy and bring lapsed fans back on board.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be released on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Source: Game Informer