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Sledgehammer’s worth
welcomed into the Call of Duty fold alongside series stalwarts Infinity Ward and Treyarch in order to push the flagship property in interesting new directions. While hardly conclusive proof the end is nigh, and despite Activision’s insistence that Infinity Ward will remain an integral Call of Duty’s creative powerhouse, if these hairline cracks widen into gaping fissures and Activision dares sever Infinity Ward’s cashflow umbilical, what then for everyone’s favorite military shooter? First and foremost, in terms of allaying fears regarding the prospect of swiftly crumbling standards, Call of Duty would certainly be in safe hands without Infinity Ward. Activision’s increasingly dubious image aside, longserving understudy Treyarch has carved itself a respectable reputation in the marketplace after helming three Call of Duty titles since 2005, while franchise newbie Sledgehammer isn’t without considerable promise. Treyarch, in representing something of a dependable Obsidian to Infinity Ward’s BioWare, has enjoyed its fair share of critical and consumer success after 2008’s Call of Duty World at War, which utilized an older version of Infinity Ward’s proprietary IW game engine and found its way into more than 11 million homes around the world. And, although Sledgehammer’s worth is as of yet unproven, the studio is powered by former Visceral Games heavyweights Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey, two of the creative forces behind acclaimed scifi shockfest Dead Space. The interesting perspective for us humble gamers and also for Infinity Ward as a creative force is that breaking from Call of Duty would allow the studio to finally spread its wings and show us what it can really do. Granted, there’s no denying the heartthumping intensity and technical accomplishments woven through the Modern Warfare series, but there’s only so far any given development team can push a firstperson shooter before stagnancy takes hold. Infinity Ward may well kick gameplay *** when it comes to whiteknuckle gunfights and military authenticity,
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