14 DAY TRIAL // Robert Huebner, the leader of the Nihilistic studio working on Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, says that players who buy the game will get a multiplayer experience that’s very close to that seen in the core home console launch of Black Ops 2.
He states to the Official PlayStation Blog that, “The experience is really quite robust. We looked at what elements people loved most about Black Ops multiplayer and made sure we included those features. This way, players can customize and upgrade their weapons just as in the console version, earn killstreaks, use the mini-map, complete challenges and so on.”
The Nihilistic team increases the sense of familiarity by adding weapons that the player base is already accustomed to and Huebner says that many testers report that they forget they are playing on a portable.
The developer has also talked about features that are unique to the PlayStation Vita and he has nominated the dual analog sticks as the most important element of Declassified.
He also likes the way the graphics of the new handheld Call of Duty uses the OLED screen, which makes it easier to issue some commands.
Huebner adds, “The maps have been optimised to suit a portable experience. But the most important elements of a good layout remain the same, good flow patterns, fair but useful hiding spots, multiple levels in spots – all those things still make for a fun re-playable map.”
The Vita has lagged behind projections in terms of sales, so the launch of a Call of Duty title, especially if it does multiplayer right, might be able to change its fortunes just in time for the new Christmas shopping season.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is available exclusively on the PlayStation Vita from Sony and the action takes place between the two core franchise games available on home consoles.