just read through the article, they are doing some interesting things. here's a quick summary.
Gameplay
- Flamethrower has propagating fire (like Far Cry 2). It's design and handling is based on Return to Castle Wolfenstein, they have the lead level designer from RTCW helping. It melts enemies skin off.
- Can shoot through cover (think Battlefield: Bad Company): "with enough bullets, the player causes enough damage to one of the walls to create a hole big enough to walk through"
- You can swim for the first time in the series (both SP and MP). You can not sprint and only walk half-speed while in water.
- Ropes hang dead POWs from trees which you can shoot down.
- Certain vehicles have entire levels dedicated to them, "most notably the PBY Catalina search and rescue plane and a dramatic aerial raid on some Japanese aircraft carriers"
Co-op
- 4 player co-op online, or two-player co-op via split screen.
- Co-op is identical to SP game
- Includes a "metagame" scoring system - you are constantly earning points which can be used to unlock special co-op perks OR you can transfer those points earned over to MP and unlock perks/weapons there instead.
- One scenario demoed involves a player attracting attention of a tank while the other climbs on top and throws a grenade in the hatch.
Multiplayer:
- 16 players online
- Vehicles. In MP there are vehicle-specific levels and game types meaning people can ignore them if they want.
- Has COD4's perk system "keeping some of the most relevant and popular ones from COD4" with a selection of new ones too. The perks will be relevant to that time period, so no UAVs or other modern stuff.
- Party leader can issue orders to the team which will place an indicator on other players HUD saying where they're needed.
Development Info:
- Uses CoD4 engine which was enhanced (especially physics wise). Environments are much more destructible. It's possible to burn objects or blow them to pieces. Bodies and objects float in water. Impressive lighting.
- Lead platform is Xbox 360 with separate teams handling each port
- Has a two year development schedule which is more than twice as long as CoD3's 11 month schedule.
- Treyarch built a full-sized skeleton of the PBY Catalina (vehicle) in their motion capture studio.
- They have a military advisor, Frank Kearsey, helping out.
- 96 channels of audio - many of which are ambient jungle noises. Has "real-time occlusion" which means sound coming from behind a wall or building will sound muffled in comparison to a noise in your direct line of vision.
