I Guess CODBLOPS Is Basically Unreal Tournament Now
Robo-bosh
Wall-jumping and robo-soldiers and crazy weapons and teleporters and OTT awards for doing almost anything: whatever would Captain Price think? Me, I'm sort of relieved that Call of Duty Black Ops III [official site] has given up all pretence of military realism and entirely embraced science-fictional absurdity: it's as though the series is finally allowing itself to be what it's wanted to be for years. This trailer is focused on the hectic-looking multiplayer, which conjures up Titanfall as well as UT, but I sorely hope there's a healthy dose of deliberate silliness in the campaign too.
Very important: the sound effect at approximately 1m28s.
Y'know, I know I get my hipster badge and gun taken away from me if I express anything other than cold contempt for Call of Duty, but that looks like a giggle. I'll be absolutely terrible at it, of course, but if it feels like a party I won't mind. It's probably a kick in the teeth for poor old Brink and Titanfall, which had a more ambitious go at a similar things, but I'm glad to see the biggest fish taking this many liberties. Not just in terms of silliness, but in terms of pushing movement, that most vital aspect of a good first-person shooter, front and centre rather than a mere means to an end.
I wonder if this is a deliberate attempt to make Black Ops more of its own sub-franchise, able to stand alongside Modern Warfare and, I guess, Ghosts rather than merely the on-off year schedule? There's probably room for it, though it means splitting the audience vote.
It's harder to get cautiously optimistic about stuff like "TAP THE POWER OF THE WEAPON PAINTSHOP TO GIVE YOUR WEAPON A SIGNATURE LOOK", however, but then again people go nuts for weapon skins in CSGO.
Game's out November 6, BTW.