Infinite Warfare (and Modern Warfare Remastered on select editions) released November 4, and here are my opinions and first impressions on both games as well as eSports talk and fixes.
INFINITE WARFARE
First, I’ll let you guys know my stance on Infinite Warfare. I like this game a lot, it is genuinely fun to play and I can see it going far in eSports. Many fans hated the game before even the Beta, but they hadn’t gotten their hands on it to validate or deny hate claims, and I think access to the Beta really helped turn a lot of heads. The game does feel unfinished and there needs to be changes made, but keep in mind that this game literally just came out, so developers are currently listening to the community and getting feedback on what needs to be done to make this game as good as possible.
I think eSports in this game will be the best it has ever been thanks to Infinity Ward’s team of retired and current eSports pros who made more than several trips out to the studio to play the game competitively pre-release. They were specifically assigned to give insight and information on how to better organize and integrate eSports into this game. These guys know the game the best, even better than it’s creators, so why not let them lend a helping hand to further place Call of Duty into the eSports spotlight? Infinity Ward has taken down notes and insight from all pro players and will release a big patch in early December to add eSports features and rules prior to MLG Vegas, setting the stage for the upcoming year.
MODERN WARFARE REMASTERED:
El Clasico; Call of Duty 4 returns. What can I say besides a huge thanks to Raven Software for bringing this all-time favorite back? They have done such an immaculate job remastering this game for next gen. From the greatly improved graphics, to the sounds and raw nostalgia that comes to mind when playing, to every little detail they added into their remastered game that wasn’t in the original, Modern Warfare Remastered is a masterpiece. That’s not to take anything away from Infinite Warfare, as I already said what i thought about that game, but when have we ever gotten something we wanted that was as big as this? Sure, the developers have remade past iconic, fan-favorite maps, brought back weapons of that same caliber, and kept many of the core values of the games we love; but to recreate and republish an entire game (not to mention it’s one of the greatest and most innovative Call of Duty games ever) to the masses, that’s insane! Of all games they could have remastered, this was the best one for new players and fans as well. Most Call of Duty players nowadays haven’t had the chance to experience Call of Duty 4 and play the game that revolutionized what we know as Call of Duty today. If Infinity Ward hadn’t have taken the risk of jumping from World War II Call of Duty to transition into Modern Warfare, this franchise might have folded completely. Alright, enough of my emotional nonsense about this game, if you want to hear more, just comment and I’ll positively rant on a little more, onto eSports!
This game was the guinea pig for Call of Duty eSports. MLG decided to also take a huge risk in hosting a Call of Duty 4 National Championship in 2008 in Las Vegas alongside other events like Halo, in order to possibly make this stick and create a new, possibly very exciting eSport. That’s exactly what they did. From that moment on, Call of Duty would continue to grow as the games, prize money, and eSports fanbase came to follow, and now it’s time to go back to where it all started. GameBattles, GFinity, UMG, and other online eSports partners already have scheduled tournaments and daily matches for Modern Warfare Remastered, and it’s a huge hit! Personally (and many fans and players probably agree), I would love to see Modern Warfare Remastered LAN events and tournaments return, possibly throwback ones like Hitch’s MW2 Farewell Tournament, but on a grander scale. Who knows if this will happen, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.
