Chapter 343: Reverse Delay, Striking at the Heart (Please subscribe for monthly passes)

After the first installment had already raised the expectations of countless players.

And now, the second installment, which had just been released, did not disappoint players either.

If we talk purely about the length of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

A single installment wasn't long on its own.

Although Chen Xu had optimized some of the game's levels and maps, and many scenes in the original version that were only replaced by satellite maps and narration, Chen Xu specifically produced exquisite CG animations for them.

The main purpose was to further enrich players' feelings for the in-game characters and allow players to empathize with them.

This way, players would have a more immersive experience when characters heroically sacrificed themselves.

Since it was going to be a "knife to the heart," the blade couldn't just scratch the surface; it had to be plunged in deep and hard.

Otherwise, it would be a disservice to the money players had spent.

Playing on normal difficulty, at the level of an average FPS player.

It took about 8 hours from start to finish.

Players could essentially clear the story in about a day of grinding.

Players generally had no complaints about this, as Chen Xu had already clearly stated that it was a trilogy.

And with the three parts combined, a playtime of over twenty hours was actually much longer than most games.

After all, this was a linear game, and Chen Xu didn't add any collection or challenge elements to the main story.

These contents were placed in an extra option.

Typically, linear games have main storylines that last around 12-18 hours.

The reason some take thirty or forty hours, or even longer, to complete.

Is mainly due to mini-games or collectible elements within the game.

But these elements were absolutely not allowed in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, at least not in the main story.

Level design and plot were perfectly integrated in Call of Duty.

Allowing players to truly feel that NPCs were no longer cold, disposable tools, but trustworthy comrades and brothers.

Of course, it was precisely because of this that countless players online were discussing the game's story.

"I'm going crazy! No game has ever driven me this wild! I've been playing this game for almost 10 hours, even hitting the VR gaming pod's playtime limit."

"Bro above, you're not alone!"

"It's just too exciting, especially the level design in the game, it's absolutely perfect! And the airport massacre level, it's truly shocking! This is a war game, but after experiencing it, I only have one thought: May the world be at peace!"

"+1, it looks like a war game, but the brutality of war is actually hard for me to accept."

"Yes, war has taken too many of our comrades! Gaz, Griggs, Roach, and Ghost!"

"And Paul Jackson, and Allen, even though they didn't have much screen time, they shouldn't be forgotten!"

"Yes, that's right, every character is worth remembering, including that astronaut in space!"

"Everything was so perfect, but why did Ghost and Roach have to die? Why did Gaz and Griggs have to sacrifice themselves!?"

"Hopefully no more people die in the third part!"

"You're right, my heart can't take this kind of grief anymore! Especially the knife plunged into Soap at the end, I feel like it wasn't just Soap who got stabbed, but me too!"

"Exactly, Old Geezer Chen Xu is just that evil! He claims to be a Warrior of Love, but when he torments us players, he's crueler each time!"

"Agree, bro. Before, it was physical damage, now it's magic!"

"Magic my foot! You haven't played on Veteran difficulty. I completely broke down in the Slum on Veteran difficulty! This is a double blow! Before, with Dark Souls and Monster Hunter: World, I felt if it was too hard, I just wouldn't play! But now, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, if you don't play on the highest difficulty, you can shoot to your heart's content, but Old Geezer makes it about the plot!"

"Damn, now that you mention it, Old Geezer has malicious intentions!"

"Boycott Old Geezer! No more deaths in the final installment!"

Player enthusiasm was soaring, and game designers across the industry were equally astonished.

For players, it was simply playing a game.

But for game industry designers, there was much more to observe.

First, in terms of graphics, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was undoubtedly in the top tier of the FPS genre.

This wasn't impossible to emulate; it was simply a matter of spending as much money on CG as Nebula Games, becoming an 'animation company'.

More importantly, in terms of game content, the level design in Modern Warfare could be said to be incredibly rich in elements.

Driving, climbing, infiltration, escape, pursuit – the content was simply too abundant.

Coupled with excellent shooting mechanics and stunning large-scale scenes and atmosphere creation.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare performed almost flawlessly.

Seeing countless players online discussing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Howard Warsaw at Atrai was completely distraught.

Although Storm Action hadn't launched yet, he knew that the outcome had already been decided.

Especially after personally experiencing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, he was even more certain that Storm Action was no match for it.

He had significant say regarding the quality of the Storm Action game.

While Atrai had urged pushing the game project forward quickly to compete with Nebula Games.

He wasn't foolish; overtime was one thing, and rushing progress was another, but if quality was sacrificed, he would be the one taking the blame.

As for not keeping up with project progress?

Then they could just fire him and put someone else in; he'd be happy to oblige.

But clearly, Atrai was all talk.

And now?

Although game development was complete, judging by Howard Warsaw's reaction.

This thing was utterly incomparable to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

From his perspective, the quality was indeed good, quite effectively recreating some content from the movie and expanding the timeline with many new additions.

Taken purely on its own, it was actually quite acceptable.

But compared to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, various issues suddenly became apparent.

First, regarding the plot. The Storm Action game was based on the original novel and movie plot, with some minor expansions.

While this could attract fans of the original work, the critical point was its inherent limitations.

In terms of scope, it clearly couldn't compare to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Next, concerning the game's characters: he had played both Modern Warfare installments immediately, and later, due to the deaths of Ghost and Roach, he gritted his teeth in anger at Chen Xu—that damn guy actually killed off those two characters!

As for Storm Action, he had to admit one thing: apart from the protagonist, other characters were basically just accessories.

Simply put, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was an ensemble drama, making every NPC feel fleshed out and real to players.

Storm Action, on the other hand, was the protagonist's one-man show.

Normally, a one-man show should create more immersion for players than an ensemble drama, but Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was just too well-made.

It could even result in a one-sided crushing defeat.

Based on these reasons, Atrai quickly announced a piece of news.

That was, the release date was delayed, pushed back to July 10th.

For this delay, players who liked Call of Duty: Modern Warfare didn't care much.

But players who had been looking forward to Storm Action were displeased.

What did that mean?

Delayed?

Admitting defeat?

This immediately caused many previously excited players to lose a lot of confidence in it.

And Atrai was in a predicament they couldn't voice.

What could they do?

Go through with it stubbornly?

If the two were compared then, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare currently riding a wave of popularity, Storm Action would probably get its brains bashed out.

It was better to act humble and concede for now.

A month later, they could be a hero again.

And on the day after Atrai announced its delay, something amusing happened for many players.

Nebula Games also announced a "delay"!

However, it wasn't a postponed delay, but a Reverse Delay.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Part 3, originally announced for release on June 20th, was now directly announced for launch on June 14th.

(End of Chapter) <>