‘Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’ reveals nostalgic launch maps

nme.com:

Activision and Sledgehammer Games have revealed a number of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer maps that are the modernisations of the originals from 2009.All available at launch, these are Afghan, Derail, Estate, Favela, Karachi, Highrise, Invasion, Quarry, Rundown, Rust, Scrapyard, Skidrow, Sub Base, Terminal, Underpass and Wasteland.

Revitalising the classics was something of a passion project for the art team, who apparently “lit up” when they were told of the move to bring these legacy maps back.“We [asked], ‘What was good about the movement of older games?

What was good about the gunplay of older games?’” explained design director Zach Hodson in the intel drop. “The biggest changes are really in a fidelity sense… we have new tools to make that both look better but also read better so that your target acquisition is improved.”Other technical improvements include in-game illumination that stop Operators from shirking into the shadows of Favela’s alleyways and Skidrow’s tunnel, for example.Art director Matt Abbott also said that players will be able to reach areas that were previously blocked or inaccessible in the original maps.

Additionally, Operators can “Tactical Sprint and leap between rooftops, mantle, and navigate alleyways with Tac-Stance” in order to give them the edge in close-quarters combat.As well as these, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will benefit from four massive Battle Maps for Ground War and Invasion.