Part 3: Hunter. Killer. Boat Racer.

Part 3: Hunter. Killer. Boat Racer.

FOLLOW ALONG AT HOME!

"Hunter Killer" / Level 2
Remember when I said Infinity-hammer was intermittently aware of the ADHD rate in their fanbase? Well apparently, they also think their fanbase has anterograde amnesia, as Hunter Killer's loading cutscene immediately recaps the antenna destruction from less than five minutes earlier.

Granted, ADHD has inconsistently been linked with weak short-term memory, but regardless, it's pretty clear that Infinity-hammer does not think much of you.

Infinity-hammer also doesn't seem to think much of MW3's main (i.e. the important one) storyline, as "Hunter Killer" continues along the path of the plot filler. The Dispensables are given copious amounts of military jargon, as well as a few new mission instructions. It seems the angry Russians have a submarine with enough weaponry to "level the Eastern seaboard". Whatever that means. The mission is to infiltrate and take control of the submarine, and then turn their missiles against them.

Speaking of ADHD, Infinity-hammer also seems to have realised that their "center screen on enemy and pull trigger" formula is wearing thin even before the second level has started. Thus, the majority of "Hunter Killer" does not involve shooting.

I'd like to make a note that if you watched the footage of this level posted above, there seems to be a glitch in the radio dialogue at the very start. I assume that was the recording messing up, but if not, then the level randomly opens with "SDV Team 4, this is Metal 0-1. Radio check in the blind, over. Roger, Zeer-furrhh-five-by-fi-zeer-five. Phase line Echo secure." Yeah, I'm sure it was just the recording.

We then fade into someone inexplicably using a blowtorch underwater. Okay, I know that that is possible (by what mechanism, though, I have no idea), so I guess my disbelief could easily applied to real life.

After Sandman cuts through the drain, Pyle pushes it out. Aw, not even a quick-time event?

After you slowly follow Sandman and... the other guy, MW3 finally gives control to the player, informing you that the controls are indeed the same controls everyone that you're used to, god forbid MW3 ever not used WASD and the mouse (actually, this sequence only allows the use of W. I guess Infinity-hammer thought the game was getting a little too difficult).

The swimming aspect, and being underwater examining the destroyed bridge is fairly interesting at first. You pass several submerged cars and debris, as well as some shameless self-sponsorship.

Oh, Sledgehammer.

Unfortunately, as soon as you leave the bridge (which is, in about the first 30 seconds), you quickly realise there's not much to swimming. The environments and the detail is still nice, but all you're doing gameplay-wise is following the more competent members of your crew (whose predetermined path is largely a straight line, by the way). Infinity-hammer tried shaking things up a bit by placing underwater mines around that you have to "avoid", but even then as long as you just follow the crew, it's pretty hard not to miss the mines. I even swam into one of the mine's chains in the video to see if it would explode. First of all, the fact that a chain underwater can stop a swimmer like running into a wall shows a disappointing lack of attention to realism, Infinity-hammer. Second of all, in any other game, colliding with chain would make the whole thing explode. Infinity-hammer is making it easy for you.

Eventually the submarine we're supposed to infiltrate approaches from behind. The Dispensables power down and camp under it while it glides over.

Once it's passed, they start following and we're ordered to plant explosives on it. Good work Sandman, entrusting Pyle with explosives.

This is the point where Infinity-hammer decided that perhaps the player is capable of pressing more than just the W key. In order to plant some explosives on the sub, the player must swim up to the convenient glowing mine-shaped hologram, and is then forced to reach all the way to the F key

It works like a quick time event, and may as well be one considering that when you press it, the game takes over control yet again to plant the explosives for us.

Let's recap, shall we? So far, Infinity-hammer has entrusted the player with: 1. Pressing W and moving the mouse. 2. Following NPCs. 3. Pressing the F key. That is literally all that Infinity-hammer thought wouldn't be done better by non-interactive cutscenes. This whole level so far may as well be a cutscene. Maybe it was. Maybe some Activision executive said, "You know that cutscene with those army guys breakin' into the boat? Turn that into a level." to which some Infinity-hammer developer would have replied, "But almighty money-provider, we have no gameplay for such a level." at which point the Activision executive would give them a long, hard stare, sip his coffee and take a bite out of his donut big enough to show he means business, before saying "Jusft... doo it, okfhay?" trying desperately not to accidentally spit any donut into the lowly developer's face. Maybe I'm just being optimistic.

The cutscene continues, showing Pyle and the rest of The Dispensables swimming away before detonating the mines. MW3 even turns the camera around so that we can see the explosion in its full glory.

As the mines explode, Sandman reports that the sub is surfacing. Umm, no it's not, it's actually still exploding. In fact, upon not-very-close inspection, the sub actually seems to be sinking rather than surfacing.

The Dispensables surface, just in time to see some more developers' hard work as a few missiles are shot into a non-descript building on the shoreline.

The sub does eventually surface, slowing down and stopping conveniently right in front of us. We step onto the sub, and through a dip-to-black transition, Pyle takes off his swimming goggles and pulls out a gun. The rest of the team follows suit, by which I mean they've already done so before you and have started running onto the sub, leaving Pyle behind to finish fumbling with his rifle.

After a massive assault of about three or four people on top of the sub (an onslaught that Sandman believes requires a frag grenade), your team tells you to go down the hatch with Sandman. I can't actually blame them. If I was part of The Dispensables, I'd also throw Pyle into as much immediate danger as possible so he could get killed and I'd be left with just the competent ones (meaning Sandman would have to go as well).

Of course, even climbing down the ladder couldn't be accomplished in this level without a cutscene triggered by pressing F again.

"Hey, this isn't Uncharted, okay?" --Infinity-hammer

You go inside, and Sandman informs you that "all unknowns are hostile". Wow, despite how things have gone down, people still trust Pyle with way too much.

Through a fairly scattershot shootout in the submarine, Pyle and Sandman eventually make it to the bridge (complete with another CoD staple, the slow-mo breach!). After doing some nondescript hacking, they climb a ladder back to the top of the sub. By which I mean, Sandman teleports to the top of the ladder and Pyle's (i.e. your) slow ass has to catch up.

Seconds later...

This, of course, raises the question of, if there was a hatch from the top directly to the bridge, what was the point of going through the whole sub like that? I guess the idea is that it was locked and the other one wasn't for some reason, but we still never saw anyone unlock the hatch to the bridge, unless unlocking was part of the hacking sequence, or maybe Sandman's teleport involved unlocking the hatch, or maybe it only opens from the inside...

I don't know. I'm thinking way too much into this. Luckily, Infinity-hammer, still apparently trying to make this level as gunless as possible, takes your weapons away again for the sake of a boat race.

Admittedly, it's not too bad, and does shake things up a little. The gameplay is very reminiscent of the boat chase at the end of Modern Warfare 2 (or Hydro Thunder as I like to relate it to). The objective is to follow another boat that has the rest of your team in it.

Anyway, plenty of explosions, waves, and trademark CoD near-misses occur to make things "interesting", although the fact that very little of it is any danger to you weakens it a little. The only real way to "lose" is if the other boat gets too far away. There's no way to shoot, so the people "shooting" you (I never got hit by any of their bullets though) are just kinda decoration I guess.

There's an awkward part of the race where you get hit onto a slope of debris by a wave and then a passing boat starts shooting at you in slow motion. You briefly get control of your gun back as Sandman shouts "Shoot the mines!" referring to several convenient explosives placed on the boat.

After the boat explodes, and the game takes your gun away, you return to driving the boat. You may notice that the boat you were following has inexplicably sped ahead, to the point where you can barely see it (well, except for the giant "Follow" dot that's placed on your screen). This was the only time that I got failed the mission for being too far behind. The game did that awkward boat-shooting scene, and immediately after giving boat control back it told me "Stay close to the Zodiac. Keep your speed up." Actually, Infinity-hammer, it wasn't me not keeping my speed up, it was your shitty programming.

See the boat? Nah, me neither.

Anyway, eventually an airship lowers into the water allowing you to drive your boat into it.

This raises questions about the other boat, considering that it doesn't board the airship (or any other, for that matter), it just kinda...

I guess they're the slightly more dispensable portion of The Dispensables?

So after boarding the airship, a voice on the radio congratulates us. We see yet another fly-over shot of New York before it fades out to triumphant music.

Same ending two levels in a row? Very creative, Infinity-hammer.

STAY TUNED FOR WHEN WE FINALLY GET BACK TO THE BETTER, MORE IMPORTANT STORYLINE!

Posted by slimac55 on November 21st 2011 | 3 comments |