Modern Warfare 4's new movement tech makes my rusty old bones ache

In gaming terms, I’m way past the point of retirement. I’m what Infinity Ward would call a ‘tactical player,’ which I take to mean that my reflexes are shot, and I can’t move like a person being electrocuted while no-scoping the entire map. According to the Modern Warfare 4 presentation I saw, the next Call of Duty wants to cater to me, but I’m not sure how it’s going to do that.

Modern Warfare 4 is making a lot of promises. It wants you to feel like a badass, no matter how you choose to operate. Whether you take a cerebral approach to the FPS game, checking corners, maintaining angles, walking slowly, or want to bomb around the map, jumping around corners and embodying the element of surprise, there’s apparently something here for everyone.

Ballistic authority is at the core of this; it’s Modern Warfare 4’s fancy new weapon tech – a bundle of under-the-hood changes to gun feel. Things like bloom and depth of field are getting the boot for something that’s supposed to be better. Ballistic authority is for me, the tactical player of the bunch. More fluid movement, fewer obstructions to your targets – that’s for you, I’d imagine.

From the video I saw, the new traversal tech is more evolutionary than something like Black Ops’ Omnimovement. Things like being able to move laterally in the mantle, parkour over cars without losing speed, and slide into a prone stance. These are tools that add to a repertoire that I already consider to be overtuned, and I can’t see myself getting on with them. I fear for my console brothers and sisters who have to contend with aim-assist in conjunction with these ankle-breaking moves.

Infinity Ward wants to create a satisfying experience for both tactical players and speed demons, which seems like a bit of a tall order. I’m not saying that this feels impossible, but movement gremlins, by their very nature, thrive on taking out anything that can’t beat them in a lateral foot race. Me, essentially.

I’m not going to sit here and lament my Call of Duty downfall; I know I didn’t change with the times. It’s funny to me now, remembering how frustrating I was with players slide-cancelling in Warzone – if I knew how it was going to turn out, I might have just hung up my HDR there and then.

I think Modern Warfare 4 is showing great potential, and the ideology behind these additions is sound. They’re in the aid of creating something better, and strengthening the connection between the player and their environment is an admirable way to do that. I just worry that I’m going to be left behind by this tornado of car-hopping, gun-toting 15-year-olds who want to ruin my day. What’s new, I suppose.