So, I admit, I’m new to the Call of Duty series. I played a little of Call of Duty 2 and 3 with some friends, but not enough to be able to compare it to the Call of Duty 4 Beta. However, since I got into the CoD4 beta I’ll give you my impressions of it without any bias based on the previous CoD games. First off, I’m not use to a faster paced shooter. It seems faster to me than GRAW2 or RS:V, and it seems faster than my stubby little dwarf in Shadowrun. Once I got use to the speed though I was doing ok. Not as well as people who were use to the CoD control scheme and were playing the Beta nonstop all day, but still pretty good.

I really like all of the unlockable items. At first I thought it would give people who played longer an advantage, and maybe it does, but I was still getting my share of kills so I’m no longer worried about it. I really enjoy playing a couple matches and then getting new weapons, attachments, and perks to play with. My favorite so far has to he the red dot scope. It makes it a lot easier to see while aiming. I also like the different character classes. So far I’ve unlocked demolition and sniper. Also, I’ve unlocked options to create up to 5 of my own classes. The ability to make your own classes is great because you can setup exactly how you want, and by giving 5 slots for different custom builds it allows for using a different one for different game modes or even just different strategies. Not only can you choose which class you want to use at the start of the match, but you can also change it during a match. Then, the next time you respawn you’ll come back in as that new class. This is really helpful for me because when I find that if the other team is using a strategy that I’m not prepared for I can change my class to help compensate.

I’m not sure how many maps there are in the beta, but I think there are 3 because that is all I remember playing on. I found them pretty simple to get around on, but each one takes time to master all the little nooks, crannies, and shortcuts. It is also nice that when you respawn in team deathmatch, which is what I played the most, that you don’t spawn into the exact same spot every time. This makes it harder for the opposing team to effectively spawn camp.

Having never been into the Call of Duty Series because the game play always looked so hectic I’m pleasantly surprised with the CoD4 Beta. While at times it can be hectic I was still able to keep from being the worst player in the room without to much difficulty. Also, I found that my team mates were helpful when I did not know how to do certain things (like sprint) unlike the Halo 3 Beta where no one wanted to do anything but taunt each other. It seemed like a lot more adults playing in the CoD4 beta. Maybe it was because I was playing it late at night, but I can defiantly see buying Call of Duty 4 when it is released.