I've been racking up kills in Call of Duty since it was called Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. I've grinned while experiencing the innovative highs (becoming part of a squad, aiming down the iron sights, the jump to modern warfare and its leveling and weapon unlocks) and sighed during the lows (all the carbon copies released since CoD4). As such, I was prepared to write Black Ops 2 off as the latest payday milked from the cash cow's teat, but then I saw the behind-closed-doors demo of Treyarch's all-new Strike Force missions. A real-time strategy game inside of Call of Duty? This could be the best thing to happen to CoD since 2007's Modern Warfare. Hell, Strike Force even has the potential to be its own spinoff -- a spinoff I'd love to play. Here's why:
So What is Strike Force?
In the demo, Treyarch showed that as you play through the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 campaign, the Head of Ops will periodically stop by with Strike Force missions. Believe it or not, the Masons (you'll play as both Alex Mason in the 1980s and his son, David Mason, in 2025) can't be everywhere at once. That means "elite squads" of no-name soldiers must be sent to various parts of the world to combat the enemy threat. These aren't just any mission's though -- they are, as Activision describes them, "sandboxes with objectives."
Overwatch gives you a bird's eye view of the battlefield.
Tired of the linear, predictable gameplay that has come to define the franchise since CoD4, the premise of sandbox gameplay alone is enough to make me sit up and take notice. But that's just one component of Strike Force missions. Using the new Overwatch mechanic, we'll not only be able to take a bird's eye view and direct our squad to specific waypoints, we'll be able to become any soldier or futuristic toy, like the flying machine gun-equipped Quadrotor, or the mini Imperial Walker, the CLAW (Cognitive Land Assault Weapon). Yup, much like InterWave's Nuclear Dawn, Strike Force missions combine RTS and FPS. Only in Strike Force, you are the RTS Commander and every FPS soldier and weapon.
Activision said players will feel compelled to successfully complete Strike Force missions because they will -- kinda sorta like the Galaxy at War co-op multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 -- impact the outcome of the campaign.
The mission I saw demoed took place in a shipping container-filled Singapore harbor where the Strike Force team had to secure a satellite uplink before launching a missile at an enemy ship. The Activision rep at the controls adeptly switched from Overwatch mode, where she directed squad members to cover waypoints on route to the objective, to first-person, where she unloaded on wave after wave of enemy soldiers. It was particularly interesting to watch how she managed her Quadrotor and CLAW units, either to help save pinned down soldiers or break through enemy defenses.One more note on Strike Force Missions: you can fail at them and still advance the campaign's overall story. Activision said players will feel compelled to successfully complete them because they will -- kinda sorta like the Galaxy at War co-op multiplayer in Mass Effect 3 -- impact the outcome of the campaign. (No, you won't be forced to play online.) Interesting.
What Strike Force Isn't
My first impression of Strike Force Missions from the 10-minute hands-off demo? Lemme at this thing. But I also couldn't help but want more. Treyarch freely admits it is taking a risk, adding new ingredients to a tried-and-true recipe that has generated billions of dollars over the past six years. Based on what it isn't doing with Strike Force, it's clear Treyarch isn't 100% confident it should be messing with success. My advice: fear not, Treyarch. Strike Force is exactly the type of innovation Call of Duty desperately needs.
From Overwatch, jump instantly into any squad member and open FPS fire.
So here's what Strike Force isn't: a core part of Black Ops 2. Treyarch didn't even mention Strike Force during its televised E3 demo, and that silence speaks volumes. Afterall, this is the biggest new feature to come to CoD in years. No, Treyarch is (some would say wisely) hedging its bets, and treating Strike Force much like a minigame. As stated, you don't even have to successfully complete these missions to finish the campaign, making them a close cousin of purely optional.
Being able to Quantum Leap from soldier to robot and back again with a mix of Ziggy Overwatch thrown in is cool, and it looks like a ton of fun, but it's shallow.
Strike Force also isn't a deep strategy game, and it's devoid of roleplaying elements. Being able to Quantum Leap from soldier to robot and back again with a mix of Ziggy Overwatch thrown in is cool, and it looks like a ton of fun, but it's shallow. First off, there are no resources. You won't be capturing points, Company of Heroes style, to spend on reinforcements or upgrades of any kind (reinforcements will be automatically dropped in over time, but you have no control over who these reinforcements are or when or where they're dropped). You also don't get to play as any of the campaign's characters in Strike Force, create your own squad, or name its soldiers, XCOM style. These are, as Treyarch confirmed, all disposable redshirts, so don't expect to form a lasting attachment to your guys over the course of your Strike Force missions.Perhaps most notably, Strike Force isn't multiplayer. As of right now Treyarch says these missions will be single-player only, and competitive multiplayer modes -- which have the potential to be crazy, frantic fun -- are not planned. Shame.
What I Hope Strike Force Becomes
Did any of the above come off as whining? It's not meant to. I applaud Treyarch for attempting to take Call of Duty in a bold and completely different direction. I just can't help but see the enormous potential Strike Force missions have -- potential that should be, in my opinion, spotlighted and fulfilled with a spin-off game all its own.
Yes, I'm getting just a bit ahead of myself here. I haven't even played Strike Force yet. I guess my fear is that the current core CoD audience will largely ignore it, and the idea will be quickly swept aside by spreadsheet-toting suits from Activision who insist CoD only needs more of the same. I sincerely hope that doesn't happen, because a full-blown, deep RTS with resources, squads you create, manage, and upgrade over time, and multiplayer mixed with the tight FPS controls CoD is famous for could be amazing. Company of Heroes mixed with XCOM mashed with Call of Duty? Want.