First Look at Activision's line-up

• Driftwood
• Thursday, June 30, 2011 | 12:20 PM
• 26 comments

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We still have a few First Look articles up our sleeve, so here are Seth's first impressions on Activision's line-up, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Prototype 2.

All's warfare in love and war

It is quite clear that with Modern Warfare 3, Infinity Ward and Activision plan to take Call of Duty players to places they’ve never been before – literally speaking, underwater. Part of the demo I was shown at E3 had the player working underwater in a flooded New York subway system, wearing some sort of high tech underwater stealth combat gear, working to place explosive on a Russian submarine. After planting the explosive, things took another surprising turn, this time toward high speed action. The player emerged on the surface and took control of a raft outfitted with a motor and began racing through the New York harbor toward the safety of rescue helicopters. This action set piece was especially impressive with realistic water dynamics and even more pace than before.

The second part of the demo also features some surprises for those familiar to Modern Warfare. This time set in London on the river Thames, the group worked to track down a van that was thought to be full of illegal contraband. After finding the van empty however, the demo turned in to a shootout. A support helicopter rained down fire and bullets flew everywhere to allow the team to reach the entrance of the subway system. Eventually the enemy took a subway car and tried to escape. The team loaded in to trucks and raced through crowded subway tunnels in pursuit, avoiding oncoming trains and frightening bystanders on subway platforms. It was an intense scene, to say the least. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is set for release this holiday season and from what was shown at E3 Activision should have a huge hit on their hands.

Not just another prototype

Prototype 2 stars James Heller, a former US Marine. After the events of the first game, Heller returns home only to find that his family has been killed by the plague, a virus carried by Alex Mercer, the first game’s main character. This sets the stage for what the developers promise is a game of ultimate power and destruction, lots and lots of destruction. The developers, Radical Entertainment, have taken player complaints in heavy consideration and have looked to build on the original while improving it in the ways gamers have asked for. This includes an expanded character upgrade system which should give this sequel a bit more depth.

The demo opened in one of the zones of New York Zero, where military personnel had just been informed of a virus outbreak. The crowd was in a panic and the military brazenly opened fire on them. Realizing the scientist in the crowd had knowledge of what was going on, Heller destroyed and consumed the soldiers to gain control of the situation. In mere moments, it was clear just what was meant when we were teased with the words ultimate power. Later in the demo, we saw a rocket launcher ripped from a tank and used as a weapon by the player. The effects, as you can imagine, were devastating. Prototype 2 is scheduled for release sometime in 2012.