Modern Warfare coming to Wii

Rik wrote:Yeah the FMV is really bad like you say.

I think they did as good a job as they could with 88mb of ram and the development time they had to be fair, it doesn't look great but it's passable and single player is smooth. Controls work quite well but I wouldn't say they match MP3 or The Conduit.

Haven't tried online yet.

Rik wrote:No mention of Treyarch or IW on the box and only IW in the game.

The multiplayer is a decent copy but the limitations of the Wiimote hold it back, the default button layout is bad with the knife on control pad down which is very awkward, hopefully I can change them. Little bits of lag and the aiming is a bit difficult with the default setup but everyone has to suffer it.

If only you could use the classic controller or Gamecube pad

Rik wrote:No mention of Treyarch or IW on the box and only IW in the game.

The multiplayer is a decent copy but the limitations of the Wiimote hold it back, the default button layout is bad with the knife on control pad down which is very awkward, hopefully I can change them. Little bits of lag and the aiming is a bit difficult with the default setup but everyone has to suffer it.

If only you could use the classic controller or Gamecube pad

tomvek wrote:OPN Review - 80%

+ Everything is included
+ Excellent online modes
+ Customizable controls
+ Exciting, fast-paced action
- Rough around the edges

no frame rate issues at all

Alvin Flummux wrote:Apparently Treyarch isn't actually credited as having made this port, just IW.

Winckle wrote:Re: Rik and the knife being on d pad down.

Why don't they assign it to a swing of the nunchuck or something? That'd be pretty cool I reckon.

There's no denying that Modern Warfare remains one of the best shooters available, both in single and multiplayer, but releasing a technically crippled version two years later on Wii is a curious decision. The controls are far from the best, and no amount of menu sliders can mask the fact that the game just doesn't feel at home on Nintendo's platform.

Although still passably entertaining much of the time, stood next to other shooters on the Wii it doesn't even come close to matching the look and feel of games designed specifically for the system. The new market Activision is presumably seeking may end up wondering what all the fuss was about in the first place.

chalkitdown wrote:I've played it. I thought it was awful. The framerate is dreadful.

no frame rate issues at all

Review by Roger Hargreaves – We didn't consciously put this review off for so long, but there was never quite the time or space to feature it before.

That and any serious critique of the game just felt like bullying.

As frustrated as Wii owners may get at not receiving their own versions of major multiformat hits, this is all the explanation you need for why any port in a storm is not a good idea.

Despite the slight retconning of the title this is basically a straight port of the original Call Of Duty 4.

It's been undertaken by series understudy Treyarch, who were also responsible for the lesser Call Of Duty 3 and Call Of Duty: World At War.

We suspect it's probably their B-Team too, for although this looks roughly like the original it certainly doesn't play or feel like it.

Given how little the Wii has been pushed, particularly by third parties, it's actually quite hard to say how much the dodgy graphics are due to the console and how much to the developer.

Although at first it's quite impressive that all of the original levels have been simulated it really never manages to look better than a so-so PS2 game.

Especially given the inconsistent and often asthmatic frame rate.

There isn't really any excuse for the graphics looking this bad, but for the sake of argument we'll pretend there is and instead move onto the controls.

Metroid Prime 3 is the gold standard for first person controls on the Wii, but despite extra customisation options here the basics aren't as solid.

In fact there are so many options it all becomes quite confusing, especially given the number of buttons involved.

On the HD consoles Call Of Duty's interface and controls have always been as minimalist as possible, but the Wii has to transform them into a confusion of fudges and multiple button presses.

The most peculiar is the idea of locking the camera when firing so you don't swivel the view when aiming.

The real problem though is the choppy movement of the infrared pointer, presumably due to the low frame rate.

Although it's not a complete disaster our frustrated attempts to play online with a full set of opponents suggests most have not stuck with the game.

Metroid Prime 3 is still easily the best first person shooter on the Wii and this comes in well behind both Medal Of Honor: Heroes 2 and Treyarch's own Call Of Duty: World At War.

Maybe it'll be better luck next year for the Wii, but somehow we doubt it.

IN SHORT: Some effort has gone into this ill-advised port, but it's still a pale shadow of the HD original.

PROS: All the same offline levels and online modes as the original. Endless control customisation options.

CONS: Graphics are hugely compromised, especially in terms of frame rate. Unreliable controls and DOA online.

SCORE: 5/10 Out: Now (UK)